Chapter 778 The romantic crown has landed!
The grassland was barren and slightly scorched yellow, and the mountains were all dyed with dye. The changes in the world were in full swing. For ten years, Liaodong was hit by snow and frost from the far north, and the grassland was also frozen. In the snowy areas of Mobei, many livestock froze to death. Many herdsmen wailed and cried blood, and died by the river. They wrapped themselves in animal skins, but could not keep out the cold. They prayed to the Eternal Heaven, the Suwang Shanghuang Eternal Heaven, and even to the gods of the sun, moon, mountains and rivers. Countless people prayed, but in the end, no one responded.
At the foot of the Yin Mountains, felt tents stretch out and the Golden Tent of the grassland stands here. The Chanyu commands the most powerful country in the grassland today, the Xianbei Xia Kingdom. The guards outside the Golden Tent are all quite majestic. The Xianbei Chanyu is the leader of the Yan tribe, the strongest among dozens of Xianbei tribes. In addition, there are four other powerful tribes, namely the Tuoba tribe, the Yuwen tribe, the Murong tribe, and the Dugu tribe.
Why did the Liaodong Hu people think that Yan was also a Hu people? It was because Yan and Xianbei both originated from the Liaodong Daxianbei Mountain, and their blood relationship was too close. There was a custom of robbing women on the grasslands, and the blood relationship was complicated, so there was a certain legacy of matriarchal clan. In the Hu tribes, many people confused the Yan Xianbei with the Yan royal family, and confused the Murong Xianbei with the Yan Murong clan. In fact, even these two clans themselves could not clearly explain their blood relationship. After all, in the years after they were exiled to the Daxianbei Mountain, they had no family tree, and finally they could only use the saying that if they were barbarians, they would be rejected by the barbarians. Even if they were really relatives, Yan was now a noble relative of the Xia Dynasty, and the Yan and Murong tribes were just barbarians.
Tuoba He rushed back to the royal court from the west. He was very tall. As the leader of the four major tribes, he was one of the four kings of the Xianbei Xia Kingdom. He was also known as the first warrior of Daxia and had great power in the Xianbei Xia Kingdom. At this moment, he clasped his fists and said proudly: "Great Chanyu, the north of the desert is snowing more and more, and it is not suitable for survival. All tribes request to move to the south of the desert. I hope you will agree. The grassland is covered with heavy snow every year, and my tribe is struggling to survive. Please attack the southern country to save your life."
Tuoba He's words were recognized by the Xianbei nobles in the tent. In the cold weather and severe famine, the grassland tribes had no other choice but to plunder the Southern Kingdom, so they all requested Chanyu Yan Hui to attack the Southern Kingdom. However, what the nobles did not expect was that Yan Hui rejected this proposal.
Yan Hui said in a deep voice: "Now the Dugu and Yuwen tribes have not surrendered. Wei and Yan are powerful and will attack them without authorization. This will not be good for us. It is better to trade with Wei and become friendly neighbors. Wei is vast and rich, but the country is not at peace. The fierceness of the disputes in the south is not weaker than the grassland. If our people make peace with them, they will be happy. Then we can conquer the two tribes in the east, unify the ethnic groups, march west, and annex the Western Regions. The land there is rich and the population is large. There are no mountains and rivers to block it. The country will be pacified by the iron cavalry. We can definitely win the battle in one battle. At that time, the prosperity of our country will be unprecedented in history. Isn't it wonderful? The King of the West is brave and should be the vanguard tomorrow, and this Chanyu will support the King of the West."
Yan Hui's words convinced everyone. He was indeed the Chanyu, and he was indeed very wise. Tuoba He had fought his way out of a sea of blood, and once killed a hundred warriors in one day. He was one of the Xianbei war gods. He immediately patted his chest and guaranteed: "Wherever the Chanyu's flag points, the Tuoba tribe will be there!"
Guanzhong is surrounded by rivers and is prosperous. Chang'an is also magnificent. The Wei nobles readily agreed to the Xianbei Chanyu's request. After the Xianbei envoys left, after a brief calm, the entire Wei seemed to come alive. In the palace, the Cao family and Xiahou clansmen guarded the young emperor, and the nobles all sat in the hall. Sima Yi trembled and kowtowed, saying: "Your Majesty, the great Wei occupies Yongliang and Heluo, which are the great achievements of Zhou and Qin. It is the land of the king. The territory is lush and prosperous, ahead of all the countries. However, most of the countries are based on the boundaries of the frontiers, with mountains and rivers as the top, dangerous passes in the middle, and weapons and weapons as the bottom. Guanzhong is a country with four barriers, with a solid golden city and eight passes in Heluo, which are dangerous.
"At present, Han and Yan are intertwined, and there is no one to attack us. If we make alliances with Xianbei, we can also be at peace. However, Wu, now Chu, occupies Nanyang, threatens Shangyu, and presses Wuguan, which is a threat to our Wei. If Qin does not occupy Bashu, it will have no way to attack Chu and no source of food. Now our Wei is also like this. If we seize Bashu, we will look down on Jingchu. If we seize Hedong, we will look down on Guandong. If we become Western Qin and unify all the countries, our great cause can be accomplished."
The clan members were naturally dissatisfied with Sima Yi's speaking out, but the older generation of clan members had all died and the second generation was incompetent. As one of Cao Rui's trusted ministers, Sima Yi's position in the Wei State was unquestionable. Moreover, attacking Bashu was a national policy set before the death of Emperor Xianwu. As a result, it was not carried out by Emperor Wen and Emperor Ming, and it has been postponed until now. The arrow is on the string and must be fired. Anyone who opposes it will die.
Cao Wei had been preparing for the battle to attack Shu for a long time. The granary in Hanzhong was sufficient to supply the army's needs. Fifty thousand infantry and cavalry were sent from Chang'an in Guanzhong to Hanzhong. The momentum was so huge that the Central Plains had not seen it for many years. When the commander-in-chief of Yizhou saw that Wei was coming with great momentum, he immediately guarded the gates and then sent a fast boat down the river to Jiangling, the capital of Chu, to report the military situation to the emperor.
The first emperor of Chu was Chu Xiong, the head of the Chu family who had once prayed for merit for Lu Xun. However, he died of illness only three years after he ascended the throne. The current emperor of Chu is Chu Yun, the son of Chu Xiong.
The palace of Chu State was magnificent, inlaid with gold, pearls and jade. The women of Jiangdong were as gentle as water, and everyone in the world knew it. Naturally, there were many beauties in the palace. In the palace, Chu Yun was admiring the dancers and drinking wine. Unexpectedly, he received military intelligence. The wine jar immediately rolled down. Chu State made Jiangling its capital because it occupied Bashu. If Bashu was lost, the Wei army would break through Yiling and reach Jiangling in one day. How could he not be anxious? He immediately said, "Quickly summon all the ministers to the palace to discuss countermeasures."
The military situation was urgent, and ministers in Jiangling city rushed to the palace in droves, blocking the palace gate. Those who could be summoned by the emperor at this time were naturally important officials of the court. Luo Xi was also among them. After Chu Xiong proclaimed himself emperor and established the Chu State, the Duke of Yuzhang County was renamed the Duke of Gusu County, and his rank was equal to that of the kings. He was still extremely honorable. This outcome was not unrelated to the political situation of the Chu State.
The founding of the Chu Kingdom was really a fluke. There were nine great aristocratic families in the former Wu Kingdom, and the people of Jiangdong were known as the most elegant and noble ones. The two families of Luoqiao were eliminated automatically, the two families of Zhou and Lu were forced to be eliminated, the family of Lu was boycotted, and the two families of Zhang and Han were at the bottom of the list. Only the two families of Xiao and Chu were left, one was a branch of the Five Surnames with great reputation, and the other was a big family in Jiangdong. Finally, Chu Xiong killed the competition with a "Clan Records".
The so-called "Clan Records" lists 39 surnames and 120 families in dozens of counties in the four states of the Wu State. They are arranged in order according to their reputation and official rank to show the difference between the upper and lower levels and their nobility. The Chu family is the emperor, but is not among them. The remaining eight families are ranked as the first-class wealthy and noble families, and the rest are ranked second, third, and up to the end of the ninth class. The Chu State used this as a basis for selecting officials in the future, and selected talented and well-behaved sons from various families to serve as officials.
Even Luo Xi had never thought of this move, it was too cruel. Although this could not be regarded as hereditary nobility, after all, there were requirements for the talents and conduct of the children, and it was essentially the same as the recommendation system. But he instinctively felt that something was wrong, and he wanted to object, but even the Qiao family secretly sent words to persuade him not to object. Luo Xi instantly knew that this was inevitable. Chu Xiong claimed that he would share the world with other families, and thereby gained the support of almost most of the gentry in Wu State, and was elected to the throne as emperor. He founded a country with one book, and it was so easy to gain a country, which had never been seen in thousands of years. However, his power was so small and his foundation was so shallow, which was also unprecedented.
The ministers of Chu entered the palace in order. Although Chu Yun was the emperor of Chu, he did not dare to behave rudely in front of these ministers. After the ministers sat down, Chu Yun asked anxiously: "My lords, Wei is coming aggressively. The spies reported that Chang'an sent 50,000 elite soldiers to gather in Hanzhong. How can our great Chu stop them?"
Luo Xi watched the ministers discuss the matter for a long time without saying a word. In the end, they came to only one conclusion: to quickly summon the Grand Commander Lu Xun to Jiangling and lead the army to fight against Wei. After everyone dispersed, Luo Xi walked out of the palace and recalled what happened in the palace. He couldn't help shaking his head. He was really a tiger father and a dog son. Lanling County Lord Xiao Chengbu walked to Luo Xi and suddenly asked, "Lord Luo, what do you think of the victory or defeat of this battle between Wei and our army?"
Luo looked at Xiao Cheng and said calmly: "The Grand Commander is unparalleled in command. There is no one in the world who can defeat the Grand Commander. If the Grand Commander leads the army, Wei will not be able to advance into Bashu."
In this era of declining geniuses, Lu Xun can almost be regarded as the best commander in the world. Xiao Cheng did not comment on what Luo Xi said, "It's a pity that the Grand Commander is old and sick. He may not be able to come to Jiangling this time, and may not be able to lead our Chu army to fight."
Luo Xi looked Xiao Cheng up and down seriously for a moment, smiled, and then left the palace without saying a word. Xiao Cheng walked in the palace with his hands behind his back and said softly: "The vast mountains and rivers are really picturesque."
Lu Xun was actually ill and could not come to Jiangling. He also reported that the Han army had made unusual movements and had to guard Xuzhou carefully. He could not obey the emperor's orders. The atmosphere in Jiangling City instantly became stagnant. It was not important whether Lu Xun deliberately did not come or really could not come. The key point was that the emperor thought that Lu Xun deliberately did not come. He was furious in the palace and said: "The king is above the ministers. Once the king's orders are issued, how can the ministers disobey? He is arrogant because of his achievements. He is really a disloyal person!"
As soon as the emperor said this, the hall suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Almost everyone looked at Chu Yun in disbelief, shocked that the emperor dared to evaluate a founding hero with outstanding achievements in this way. He was a top noble who had already held the position of Grand Commander in the Wu Kingdom. During the reign of the previous emperor, he even conferred the title of Duke of Guangling County on him to appease his grievances. You are a second-generation emperor with no achievements to your name. Who gave you the courage to speak to Lu Boyan like this?
Chu Yun still felt that something was wrong and wanted to vent his anger, but the ministers in the palace could no longer tolerate his stupidity and interrupted him directly, saying sternly: "Your Majesty, be careful with your words. The previous emperor once said that the emperor and the nobles share the world. Chu is not your Majesty's world, but the world of many families. Guangling County Duke is famous and has made great contributions to our Chu State. Since he is ill and cannot come to Jiangling, Your Majesty should send an envoy to express condolences instead of accepting your humiliation. Your Majesty should issue an imperial edict to apologize to Guangling County Duke. This trend must not be encouraged, otherwise our country will be ruined and destroyed at any time!"
Chu Yun was dumbfounded when he heard this, and said in disbelief: "What nonsense are you talking about? It is unprecedented for an emperor to apologize to his subjects. Isn't this a catastrophe of the disorder of social order and the reversal of yin and yang?"
A somewhat sinister voice sounded in the hall, "Killing the emperor and bloodbathing the palace is the real catastrophe of disorder and reversal of yin and yang. The sage said: Admitting mistakes and correcting them is the greatest virtue. Only the emperor of the Legalists will not make mistakes. Your Majesty, do you want to be the emperor of the Legalists?"
When the emperor heard the word "Legalist", he was stunned. The atmosphere in the palace changed instantly. With the words "Kill the emperor and bloodbath the palace", everyone calmed down. It didn't go to that step. Lu Xun didn't come, but the war still had to be fought. However, most people were overwhelmed with a shadow, except Luo Xi, because in his opinion, this was a war that was doomed to fail. With such a chaotic internal affairs of Chu and such a useless emperor, how could they possibly defeat Wei? Although Wei was gradually declining compared to the previous three generations of emperors, at least the authority of the imperial court was still very strong.
Chu gathered 30,000 infantrymen and sailed to support Yizhou. The governor of Yizhou led them and tried to drive Wei out of Hanzhong. The result was as Luo Xi expected. They were defeated in three battles. In the battle of Dingjun Mountain, the 30,000 infantrymen of Chu were annihilated. The Wei army chased them and rushed into Chengdu, foreshadowing the fall of the entire Shu land. When the battle report reached Chu, Jiangling was horrified. The ministers gathered in the palace again. One minister shouted in the palace: "Yizhou has fallen. Now the only thing we can rely on is the strong city of the Yangtze River. We should send elite troops to defend the cities of Yiling. Otherwise, the Wei army will go down the river. Jiangling is in danger, and Chu is in danger!"
Chu Yun was already frightened when he heard that Chengdu had fallen. He asked Luo Xi about politics, but Luo Xi didn't want to pay attention to him at all, but finally said: "Your Majesty, don't worry. The Yangtze River is connected by iron chains, and there is also the strong city of Yiling guarding it. It is impossible for Wei to go downstream to capture the city. However, the king should not stand in a dangerous place. I think returning the capital to Jianye is the best choice."
Luo Xi did not think that a mediocre monarch like Chu Yun could lead the State of Chu to retake Yizhou. In that case, hiding far away and not being captured by the enemy might be the greatest contribution he could make.
Chu Yun's eyes lit up when he heard this. Among the opinions given by the ministers in the palace, Luo Xi was the most to his liking. He immediately said, "Gusu County Lord is right. I think the most urgent task at this moment is to return to the capital Jianye. Gusu County Lord will go with me, and I will reward you handsomely."
Luo Xi rubbed his aching temple, and then saw Xiao Cheng smiling faintly. Seeing Luo Xiwang coming over, he chuckled and said, "If it were me, I would let the Duke of the County guard Jingzhou and lead the affairs of Jingzhou instead of bringing him with me. The emperor is really stupid."
There was no respect at all for the emperor in Xiao Cheng's words, and they were even full of sarcasm. Luo Xi didn't know how many people in this hall were like Xiao Cheng. After all, even he, who was always respectful to others, felt a little disgusted with Chu Yun.
Jiangdong, once famous throughout the world for its talent and elegance, Luo Chu, the Duke of Yuzhang County, and General Zhou Gongjin, who was known as the beautiful Zhou Lang, when will they be able to return to that glorious era?
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Emperor Jian succeeded to the throne as the eldest son, but he was partial and incompetent, narrow-minded and petty, and was often impatient in his administration, without reflecting on his mistakes. He reigned for a long time, and the country did not fall. He did not abuse the people, and there was no sage ruler in other countries. - "Southern History: Chronicle of Chu"
Chapter 2 will be updated at 3:00 PM
(End of this chapter)
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