Chapter 797 I am the dog and horse of Luoshen!
Mount Tai was majestic. Luo Chengzhi walked out of Fenggao. He should have continued to go south, but the Huai and Si regions were full of swords and spears. It seemed that something had happened in the Chu State. He could not go south for the time being. Luo Yuan pointed to the west and said, "Chengzhi, why don't you cross the Heluo River, pass through the Hangu Pass, enter Guanzhong, and go to Chang'an to see the Emperor of Wei first.
After that, when the Chu situation is settled, we can go down the Han River and the Yangtze River, which will not be any slower than going from Fenggao to Jianye."
Luo Chengzhi obeyed, and dozens of riders disappeared in the endless snow and wind. The raised Phoenix King flag was also taken down. Luo Yuan looked at the gradually disappearing Luo family members and slowly sat in the carriage. The curtain fell, he leaned against the carriage, closed his eyes and took a nap. If he died now, he would have no regrets, and he would die anyway.
Theoretically, the strength of the Wei State was quite strong. Although it did not have Nanyang County, the essence of Jingzhou, nor Hedong County, the essence of the Jin State in the Spring and Autumn Period, it also did not have Guanzhong and Shuzhong, with the four barriers as natural barriers, the Yellow River as isolation, and the strong horses of Liangzhou. Its war potential and immediate combat effectiveness ranked second to none among the four countries in the world.
The premise is that the ruling group of Wei State must be normal. Unfortunately, since the death of Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, the ruling group of Wei State has been quite abnormal. Regardless of Sima Yi's character, his ability is unquestionable, and he is top-notch in both civil and military skills. After he and his cronies were taken away by Ji Lingjun, the middle and high-level officials of Wei State experienced a political disaster.
At this moment in the Wei State, even the prefects of all the counties were not gathered together, and the great general Cao Shuang was still the one who dominated the government. He was the biggest beneficiary of the Luoshui Oath. From a dying prisoner, he was transformed into the position of regent, and his political enemies were all wiped out. This kind of good thing has never been seen in many history books.
At this moment, Cao Shuang was standing in the court. The sun was rising and the morning light fell in front of the hall. Ministers walked into the hall one by one. Cao Shuang was already standing in the front. When everyone glanced at Cao Shuang, it was extremely meaningful.
The current political structure and situation in Wei State is very strange.
The source of power is the most critical thing in politics. This thing is essentially bottom-up. Official position is only one aspect, and prestige is also an extremely important link. This is exactly what Cao Shuang lacks.
Sima Yi died, but Cao Shuang's political career ended before Sima Yi's death. He did not rely on his own ability to kill Sima Yi, but relied on external forces.
His extremely poor performance when facing Sima Yi had already made him lose the support of the people. Everyone was doubting him, or rather, not doubting, but being certain that Cao Shuang was not qualified to be a regent. He could not support the country, nor could he stabilize the people, nor could he lead the faction to victory in the political struggle. He had experienced such a disastrous defeat when facing Sima Yi. How could he guarantee that he would not fail in the next political struggle?
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor in the palace did not trust him, the only remaining ministers in the court did not trust him, his clan members and relatives did not trust him, and even his own subordinates did not trust him. After all, the gleaming butcher knife seemed to be still on his neck. Who would not be frightened?
Did Cao Shuang himself know about this situation?
Of course I know, he is just a little stupid, but not completely stupid. How could he not notice the strange looks from others?
But what can we do about it?
What else could Cao Shuang do except sulk? He could only wait for power to slip away from him step by step.
But now, Cao Shuang found a way to break the impasse, so he convened this grand court meeting.
After everyone settled down, Cao Shuang could not wait to step out. Although he was brainless, he was tall and strong, wearing the scarlet uniform of a military officer, and had a dignified appearance. Under everyone's curious gaze, Cao Shuang proudly said, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report, which concerns the country and the people."
Cao Fang is a little older now, but still childish, and said, "General, please speak."
Cao Shuang raised his head and said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, do you know that some time ago, Luo sent an envoy to the south, passing through Yan and Han, to discuss the plan to conquer the Xianbei Hu people. He is now riding a horse to Chang'an of our Great Wei. Isn't this a major event concerning the country?"
Luo family!
There was a sudden sound of people gasping in shock in the hall. The people of Yan and Han were so frightened even though they hadn't seen it with their own eyes. What about the ministers of Wei?
There was deep fear in almost everyone's eyes. The scene of thunder and lightning and the fear that the Sima family would be wiped out in a short period of time would be engraved in their hearts forever, and they would remember it for the rest of their lives.
The emperor also asked tremblingly: "General, please speak again."
Cao Shuang was the only one among these people who was not afraid. He didn't have much brains. To others, that mighty thunder was something that could destroy everything, but to him, it was something that could save him from danger.
He said solemnly: "Your Majesty, there is only an emperor in the world today, but no Son of Heaven. Why is the Son of Heaven so noble?
Because the emperor is appointed by heaven!
He is the world's well-deserved ruler, a king who was born to lead the people of the world.
There is no one in the world today who is appointed by Heaven.
There are gods under heaven, and how many gods are there in this world?
The sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the rivers, and the plants all have their own spirits. However, there are many gods in the world, but few of them can manifest their divine power. The god of the Luo River is bright and glorious, as powerful as a mountain and as majestic as a river. We have all witnessed his divine power with our own eyes. If there were no Luo River goddess, there would be no Cao Shuang today. On that day of thunder and lightning, I would have become a believer of the Luo River goddess, even surpassing the Su Wang Shang Huang. Heaven has never seen this. I, the Great Wei, should revere the Luo River goddess.
If Heaven despises the country, it will certainly not exist. If the Goddess of Luo River despises the country, can it exist?
Luoyang is the eastern capital of Wei, and Luoshui is the sacred river of Luoyang. This is a natural advantage of Wei. The Luo family is coming to the alliance. I think Your Majesty should invite all the kings of the world to gather at Luoshui, swear a great oath together, and fight against the Hu people together. Only in this way can the Luo God be happy, and only in this way can the Wei state be stable. "
Everyone in the hall was a little surprised. It had to be said that what Cao Shuang said really made a lot of sense, so reasonable that it even made people feel that it was not something he could say. The people in the land of Zhuxia have always been pragmatic. Emperor Su Wang had not performed miracles for too long, and the Goddess of Luo River had performed terrifying miracles again, so it was natural for them to believe in the Goddess of Luo River.
Moreover, in the current situation, if the Luo family comes to form an alliance and they do not agree, who knows what will happen. The scholars and people of Wei are really too scared.
When Luo Chengzhi entered Guanzhong, this was the scene he faced.
The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry of Wei State lined up in front of Chang'an City, forming a very long team all the way to the end of the road. Outside Chang'an City, the Emperor of Wei State and all the ministers were waiting for his arrival. This courtesy far exceeded that of Yan State and Han State, which made Luo Chengzhi feel both amused and helpless. He then sighed in his heart that his ancestors were really powerful, and the thousand-year heritage of the Luo family was all in this.
This was the first time that Luo Chengzhi saw the majestic Chang'an City, this capital two hundred years before the Han Dynasty, and the capital of the Wei State for decades. At this moment, it was showing its majestic appearance. The various palaces in this city were first built by Ying Hou, and it can be regarded as a very memorable city for the Luo family.
Cao Shuang pushed aside all the others who tried to approach Luo Chengzhi, came in front of Luo Chengzhi, and said with a rather flattering smile: "Sir, do you know me? I am Cao Shuang, the current regent of Wei State and the general."
Luo Chengzhi knew that this was the other protagonist of the Luoshui Oath, so he bowed politely and said with a look of surprise, "It turns out to be the great general. I have heard of you for a long time. The State of Wei will prosper in your hands."
There was naturally a reason why Cao Shuang shamelessly approached the Luo family. Power must have a source, and now Cao Shuang could hardly find any source, so he thought of the Luo family, or the Goddess of Luo River.
What he said in the court before about not respecting heaven but respecting the goddess of Luo River was not for the Wei Kingdom, but for himself. Everyone in the world knew that the goddess of Luo River saved him from Sima Yi. Although the specific reason was that Sima Yi violated his oath, the result was that the other protagonist of the Luoshui Oath was alive and well.
If he could gain the favor of the Luo family, he could use the excuse of being favored by the Goddess Luo to strengthen his reputation. Who would care what the truth is?
Once his position is completely consolidated and he has made great achievements, all the current events can be put behind him. At that time, he will naturally be able to stand firm in the political arena of Wei State on his own.
When Cao Shuang heard Luo Chengzhi's friendly words, he was immediately surprised and said, "Sir, you are too kind. I, Cao Shuang, really don't deserve it. If it weren't for your ancestor Luo Shen's help, I would be a dead soul under the knife of Sima the old villain. I can't repay you for your kindness even if I have to repay you in my next life.
Luoshen is the most noble and noble. Even if I look up to her, I still feel that she is dazzling. Even if I speak, I feel that I am defaming her. I only hope that I can make some achievements in this life, establish some merits for the Chinese people, and have some merits, so that after my death I can become a slave of Luoshen, willing to be a hawk or a dog, willing to be a dog or a horse. These are all my sincere words. "
When Cao Shuang said this, his eyes were full of flattery, his face wore a fawning smile, his body was bent, and he nodded and bowed. It was as unbearable as it could be, but the submission in his words was real and no one could find fault with it.
Hiss~
Cao Shuang's extremely disgusting words stunned everyone around him. This was too shameless. As a regent and a general, he had a very high status in front of the emperor and was the ruler of millions of people, but he just opened his mouth and trampled himself into the humblest dust!
I want to be Luoshen’s dog!
Emperor Cao Fang opened his mouth. He was still young and had no political talent. He didn't know why Cao Shuang did this, but these words undoubtedly deeply shocked his young mind.
Because he remembered that Cao Shuang was his regent, he was quite majestic in front of him, but in front of the Goddess of Luo River, he could only wag his tail and beg for mercy. If he did not have a dog's tail, Cao Fang believed that Cao Shuang would definitely wag it to express his flattery.
He said he wanted to be Luoshen's dog, and he did so!
Luo Chengzhi also felt that this was a bit too exaggerated. He opened his mouth and said, "General, don't..."
Before he could finish his words, Cao Shuang continued, "It is a great honor to be the dog of the Goddess of Luo River. This will be the only thing in history that is worth mentioning for me, Cao Shuang."
Suddenly someone in the crowd reacted and thought, "Oh shit, how come Cao Shuang suddenly became so cunning? There are too many people in this world who want to be dogs, but most of them can't."
Being Luoshen's dog is the greatest honor. Cao Shuang was right. Luo Chengzhi realized that this was not the time to be particular about these things. The key was to get Cao Shuang, the actual ruler of Wei, to stand on Luo's side. He patted Cao Shuang's shoulder and said, "The general is really thoughtful. If the ancestor of Luoshen knew, he would greatly appreciate the general."
As soon as Luo Chengzhi said this, Cao Shuang instantly showed a smile from the bottom of his heart. He turned his head to look at the other Wei ministers, his eyes full of pride. Now his position was stable, at least until the end of the next war, his position was very stable.
A group of people surrounded the emperor and Luo Chengzhi and walked into the Chang'an Palace. After they sat down in the Weiyang Palace, Luo Chengzhi directly stated the purpose of his visit. Even if he didn't say it, everyone knew what he was here for.
Before anyone else could say anything, Cao Shuang jumped out and said loudly: "King Su once said that the Xia and the Yi cannot coexist. It is our duty to repel the Yi and defend the Xia. I, Cao Shuang, agree to send troops. Moreover, the Xianbei once deceived our Great Wei. Now is the time for our Great Wei to avenge itself."
Since Luo Chengzhi went south, no one has ever opposed sending troops, but even if they all agree, the degree of their support is different. There is no need to say much about Murong Chengguang, Liu Chen is also a wise ruler, and in the Wei Kingdom, it depends on Cao Shuang.
After the emperor and the ministers agreed, Cao Shuang said firmly: "This is a grand event for all the Chinese. Our Great Wei is the leader of all the Chinese. We have a vast territory, a large population, and the Luo River flows through our territory. This time, Wei will definitely send troops to take down the leader. The blood of the people of Wei will not be shed dry, and my blood will not be shed dry. The Xianbei will not be destroyed. Our Great Wei will never make peace with the Xianbei."
really!
After what he said outside Chang'an, Cao Shuang's words were predictable, but to be fair, in such a political setting, these words still shocked people.
Cao Shuang was determined to be Luo's dog and to have a great war with Xianbei. Whether it was false or sincere, Luo Chengzhi solemnly clasped his fists and said to Cao Shuang: "General, you are righteous, Your Majesty, you are righteous. All the heroes in this world who fought for the Chinese will be blessed in the heaven of Su Wang Shanghuang."
…
The sudden chaos in the State of Chu was actually caused by the long-standing conflicts. Since the Chu lost Shu and moved its capital from Jiangling to Jianye, the power in the country became unbalanced. Shu was a very important resource base for one faction. After losing it, both the Shu faction and the Jingzhou faction declined to varying degrees, which also affected the distribution of power among the major families in the Chu State.
To some extent, today's Chu State is quite similar to Jin State in the Spring and Autumn Period. The power of the nobles in Jin State was too strong, and finally even divided up all the land of the royal family. It is still the same now, but there are also great differences. For example, the throne of the king of Jin State was conferred by the Zhou Emperor, and he was a well-deserved monarch, while the throne of Chu was elected by various families, and from the very beginning they shared the world with the gentry. This sharing of the world made the imperial power of Chu State inherently weak. And the biggest difference is that Chu is stronger than the royal family of Jin State.
As a royal family, the power of the Chu royal family was too weak compared to the Wei royal family, the Han royal family, and the Yan royal family. But the royal family is the royal family, and the Chu family is naturally superior to other families. If the Chu emperor could use one faction to fight against another, then the emperor's power could be demonstrated. This is what Chu Xiong, the first emperor of Chu, did.
But the current Emperor of Chu is not like that. He has gradually become the enemy of almost all his ministers, which makes people disgusted with him. The reason why he can still sit firmly on the throne is probably because of a kind of inertia, that is, the emperor should not move lightly, and the Emperor of Chu has never made big mistakes. He just enjoys himself simply and does not oppress the people. Therefore, there has been no large-scale peasant uprising in Chu to overthrow his position.
But all this became different after the oath of Luo River. The god of Luo River performed a powerful deed that deeply shocked the entire State of Chu and the entire Jiangdong region.
The land of Jiangdong has always had a custom of worshipping Buddha and Taoism, and people believe in things related to gods and ghosts the most. The deeds of the Goddess of Luo River shocked almost everyone to the extreme.
For some unknown reason, this trend was eventually directed at the Emperor of Chu.
Everyone knew that there must be a mastermind behind this, and the target was the throne of the Chu family. In the eyes of many people, even the candidate could be determined. That was Xiao Yan, who took over as the Grand Commander after Lu Xun's death and was also the commander-in-chief of all internal and external military forces. The Xiao family had been coveting the position of emperor for a long time, and had been looking for an opportunity since they missed it in the era of the previous emperor.
Now they finally found the opportunity. After the Luoshui Oath, the Emperor of Chu died within just a few days. This incident left everyone dumbfounded. Some people suspected that it was Xiao Yan's doing, but more people thought not, because the Emperor of Chu was an alcoholic and lingered in the harem. His body had long been hollowed out by women. It was quite reasonable for him to die at any time.
…
The waves on the Yangtze River are surging. This is the iron wall of Jiangdong. The Yellow River, which freezes every winter, cannot be compared with it in military terms. With this natural barrier, Jiangdong is as stable as Mount Tai. Xiao Yan looked at the river water surging into the sea, his heart filled with excitement.
He stood at the bow of a huge ship that was constantly sailing against the wind and waves. On his side were dozens of large ships and hundreds of small boats. Almost two-thirds of the navy of Jiangdong was under his command. This was the power of the governor of all military forces inside and outside the country.
When the ship stopped at the dock to rest and replenish, Xiao Yan saw a carriage parked not far away. He saw that it was Luo's carriage and immediately stepped forward with his sword raised and asked loudly: "Is it the Duke of Gusu who is here?"
A fair hand stretched out from the carriage, lifted the curtain, and revealed a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe. Xiao Yan was surprised when he saw him and said, "Qingyun, why are you here?"
The man who came was the son of the Duke of Gusu, Luo Youzhi, whose courtesy name was Qingyun. He had a good relationship with Xiao Yan, so Xiao Yan said this. Luo Youzhi smiled and said, "Of course I came for you, Shuda. Have you made up your mind? Once you take this step, there is no turning back."
Luo Youzhi naturally knew what his friend wanted to do. Xiao Yan laughed loudly and said, "If a man cannot be above ten thousand people during his lifetime, he will die with regrets. My Xiao family is a famous and prestigious family. We have been noble for four hundred years. Now it is time to reach the pinnacle and turn our family into the country."
The words were full of heroism and arrogance. The Xiao family of Lanling had been rising since the founding of the Han Dynasty, and it had been nearly four hundred years. Among the Five Surnames and Seven Families, the Xiao family was about to become the most distinguished one, although this term was already a thing of the past and basically no one mentioned it now.
Luo Youzhi sighed and said, "If it were anyone else, I would not have come to persuade them, but you are my good friend, so I have something to say. You should think carefully about it. If you were the emperor, how would you change the current situation in Jiangdong? If you are not careful, there will be continuous wars. If Jiangdong cannot win external battles, it will explode internally. You chose to take over such a Jiangdong. I really don't know whether I should praise your courage or not."
In Luo Youzhi's view, Jiangdong is now a hot potato. If he is not careful, a royal family will die. Being the emperor now means taking over. Xiao Yan knows that his friends will never do anything without a purpose, but at this moment, he has to shoot the arrow on the string. He can only say in a deep voice: "Youzhi, you will help me, right? When I become the emperor, I will appoint you as the prime minister. I will fight and you will govern. We will definitely change the current Jiangdong. The era of sharing the world with the gentry is over!"
Luo Youzhi nodded and shook his head. In Jiangdong, even if Xiao Yan retreated now, nothing would happen. But since Xiao Yan insisted on doing it, Luo Youzhi didn't care. It was nothing more than the rise and fall of dynasties, nothing more than a change of dynasties. "Since you want to do it, you must fight and decide quickly. First, put away the idea of not sharing the world with the nobles. Now you must unite with other nobles to drive the Chu family off the throne. The most important thing next is to conquer the Hu people.
The main branch of my Luo family has already moved south from Winter City and is now in the Han Kingdom. Let them go to the Wei Kingdom first. We will change the dynasty before that. Then you can participate in the alliance as the emperor. This is your chance to go down in history. Don't miss it."
Xiao Yan nodded and asked, "Qingyun, do you want to go on the boat with me?"
Luo Youzhi shook his head and said, "No need. I will go visit the other families. I'm afraid you will have to go through a fierce battle. Not everyone wants to see you ascend the throne."
The internal struggle in Jiangdong was very fierce. Although it did not reach the point of life and death, the struggle for power was the most intense. Some people would rather die than lose power.
The news that Xiao Yan was leading a large army back to Jianye from Xuzhou soon spread to Jianye, and almost instantly caused chaos among the Chu royal family. Almost everyone was filled with panic. Anyone could see that the newcomers had ill intentions.
Luo Youzhi arrived in Jianye City before Xiao Yan. After he entered Jianye City, he quickly pretended to be anxious and visited the top aristocratic families. His words were simple and sharp. "Xiao Yan led a large army here. If a war breaks out, how can Jianye City remain prosperous in the chaos? How can the people in the city be safe in the chaos? Can the wealth of the families be preserved? Can their lives be saved?"
These few questions almost instantly brought about the death of most of the aristocratic families. In the midst of war, any big family had to make saving their lives their top priority, especially in Jianye City. There were no strong defensive fortresses here. Those soldiers who knew nothing would rush in, and no matter how noble you were, you would all be killed with one sword.
Most people couldn't sit still at the thought of that scene. As for the solution, they all knew it without Luo Youzhi saying anything. It was nothing more than letting the Chu family abdicate the throne to the Xiao family.
As for how to make the Chu family abdicate, that was even simpler. The Chu family was immoral, and this was recognized by the entire Chu State. Not only the aristocratic families thought so, but even the common people thought so. Especially after the sudden death of the Chu emperor after the Luo River Oath, this impression was further confirmed. If it were not for this reason, even if Xiao Yan had enough power, he would not dare to seize the throne at will.
"Your Majesty, our ancestors supported your ancestor as emperor. Your Chu family has enjoyed prosperity for so many years, and there are records of it in history. We have done our best for you.
Now that we are in trouble, we need to use your Chu family's throne to ward off disaster. I'm sure Your Majesty will have no objection."
This conversation actually took place in the imperial palace, or rather, in the emperor's bedroom. A group of the Chu state's top nobles looked at the Chu emperor, who was only two or three years old and still a little baby, and said so.
The little kid waved his hands and didn't understand what they were saying at all. Before he knew it, the throne that belonged to him disappeared. After the group wrote down the emperor's oral order, wrote an edict of abdication, and then stamped it with the seal, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. The next thing to do was to open the city gate and welcome Xiao Yan into the city. Naturally, this matter had to be handed over to Luo Youzhi, and even the edict had to be delivered to Xiao Yan by Luo Youzhi.
However, these people still had some moral integrity after all. They pulled Luo Youzhi's sleeve and said, "Prince, we have made it clear in advance that the Chu family can give up the throne, but Xiao Yan must be granted the title of Duke and provide for the Chu family. He must not do anything inhumane, otherwise we will not stand under the same blue sky with Xiao Yan."
Luo Youzhi said solemnly: "Don't worry, if Xiao Yan dares to do such a thing and dares to kill the abdicated royal family, I, Luo Youzhi, will be the first to rebel against him."
There have been cases of killing royal family members in history, and that was the Qin Dynasty royal family. But the Qin Dynasty royal family was different. Xiang Yu, who destroyed the royal family, did not accept the Qin family's abdication. Moreover, Xiang Yu and the Qin family had a great hatred. Revenge for his grandfather was natural and right, and no one could blame him.
Abdication is different. There has been no precedent of killing the royal family of abdication since ancient times. Both the Shang and Zhou dynasties left a noble status for the royal families of the previous dynasties, especially the institutionalized system of two kings and three officials of the Zhou Dynasty, which was the crystallization of civilization. Who dares to trample on this precedent?
————
Cao Shuang, whose father was favored by Emperor Ming, was entrusted with the care of his youngest son. He was narrow-minded and incompetent. He was one of the Three Dukes but his intelligence was no better than that of a commoner. He held power for several years and the country was almost ruined. Fortunately, he had a great fortune and Sima became rebellious and violated the Luoyang oath. Shuang was saved and often said to himself, "I am the dog of the Luoyang Goddess!" He looked quite proud and spoke arrogantly. People at that time ridiculed and envied him. - "Book of Wei: Biographies of the Xiahou and Cao"
"I'm Really Not the Scumbag Ex-Boyfriend of the Misery Queen"
Recommended book, I am reading it myself, it is not bad~
Recommendation: Li Ran just wanted to get some of the top female stars, but he ended up getting himself into the daily entertainment of a single female lead
(End of this chapter)
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