Chapter 558: The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plan, Zhao Duan wins another battle
Can you spare my life?
Zhao Duan said this with a smile and a calm tone.
Zhao Shixiong, who was sitting opposite, fell silent.
Who is Xu Jingtang?
Zhao Duan believed that this border general would know better than himself.
Therefore, he did not directly answer the question about Zhao Ke because it was not important.
"Young man, I know you are eloquent and persuasive. Without this, you would not be able to thrive in the court."
Zhao Shixiong did not fall for it and followed Zhao Duan's conversation rhythm. Instead, he sneered and exposed his intentions:
"You're just trying to explain the principle of 'the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked.' I'm not a child, so why would I need you to teach me?"
Zhao Duan's smile remained unchanged, without any sign of anger, and his tone was calm:
"The general is no child, and he must understand all these intricacies. I also believe that when Xu Jingtang persuaded the general to join him in the rebellion, he must have given him enough reassurance, such as... a marriage? Ha, or some other promise. It doesn't matter."
"As a person, no matter how nice the words are, they must always follow through. In fact, it doesn't matter what Xu Jingtang promised, what matters is how he did it.
From what I've seen, although this thief has appointed the general as a high-ranking general, he has been hindering and checking him at every turn. This behavior shows he is not the image of a benevolent ruler at all, so how can he be trusted?"
As Zhao Duan spoke, his eyes were filled with contempt:
"Just like this sowing of discord. Although Zhao did use some tricks, and I have no intention of denying this, if Xu Jingtang trusts the general, what use are these little tricks?
To be honest, General, not long ago, I heard that the Yunfu rebels in the capital had bribed the Qingliu Party officials to slander and frame Yuan Li. It's true that gossip can melt gold. However, Your Majesty did not doubt Yuan Gong because of this minor frame-up. Instead, he worked hard to preserve his reputation... The contrast between the two is very sad.
Zhao Shixiong was stunned.
He didn't know anything about this matter, but after hearing it, he believed it about 70%.
Because this is consistent with his understanding of King Mu, it is not difficult to verify.
At the same time, he had no way to refute it.
Because King Mu's distrust of him was almost written on his face, it was a well-known fact.
Correspondingly, the degree of trust that the empress had in Zhao Duan was enough to make him envious.
As a general, who doesn't want to meet a lord who trusts him?
Zhao Duan smiled slightly:
"In fact, the general is well aware of these principles. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to see me today as promised."
Hearing this, Zhao Shixiong seemed to be enraged. Anger surged on his face and he stared at him intently:
"If you hadn't interfered..."
Zhao Duan sighed softly and interrupted him:
"If I hadn't interfered, would the general have remained stubborn and stubborn, making one mistake after another, completely ruining the good reputation he'd built up over half his life?"
He leaned forward slightly, his hands supporting his thighs, his deep eyes suddenly staring intently at the southwestern "skinny tiger":
"General, you have no loyalty to King Mu, right?"
Not loyal!
These four words were like a sharp arrow, completely piercing through the fig leaf between the two.
Zhao Shixiong's tiger eyes suddenly narrowed: "Oh? How do you know I'm not loyal?"
Zhao Duan softly uttered a name: "Zhuang Xiaocheng."
He said quickly, "As far as I know, the general first developed other ideas about the court after his secret meeting with Zhuang Xiaocheng."
Zhuang Xiaocheng!
The previous Grand Tutor who had been beheaded long ago and the leader of the Kuangfu Society.
When Zhao Duan mentioned this name, he couldn't hide his sigh. He originally thought that after Zhuang Xiaocheng's death, he would never have any intersection with this name again, but fate is unpredictable.
The time goes back to after the battle to defeat Su Dan. At that time, Zhao Duan subdued Nie Yurong and ordered her to investigate the details of how King Mu persuaded Zhao Shixiong to rebel.
But he did not just send Nie Yurong to investigate, he also mobilized the shadow guards and the personnel of the "New Kuangfu Society" which was becoming increasingly powerful in the underworld to investigate.
Because he remembered that after the Xuanmen coup, the remnants of the second prince Jianwen initially hid in Yunfu Road to avoid pursuers.
It was during the investigation that he unexpectedly learned that Zhuang Xiaocheng had secretly met with Zhao Shixiong many times.
To be precise, Zhuang Xiaocheng secretly met with many local officials, and Zhao Shixiong was one of the more important ones.
In addition, Zhao Shixiong seemed to have provided private assistance to the Kuangfu Society and was once very close to Mr. Zhengyang.
He has privately expressed his remembrance of the late emperor and his hostility towards the empress many times.
At that time, there were occasional frictions between the southwestern border troops guarding the border and Prince Mu's Palace, and Zhao Shixiong never gave Prince Mu a good face.
This is really worth pondering.
Because logically speaking, a powerful border general has no reason to sympathize with a group of remnants.
The Kuangfu Society was a group of scattered soldiers and had no bargaining chips to drag Zhao Shixiong into the water.
What truly solved the mystery was the investigation results sent back by Nie Yurong.
Before Yunxi escorted Zhao Ke back, she did not go to see Zhao Shixiong immediately, but sent the secret letter to Taicang first.
After reading the letter, Zhao Duan learned a key piece of information:
It is very likely that Zhao Shixiong was loyal to the late emperor!
Because of his loyalty to the late emperor and his many contacts with Zhuang Xiaocheng, Zhao Shixiong always believed that the person who killed his father and brother in the Xuanmen coup was the empress!
In other words, he was deceived by Zhuang Xiaocheng!
It was precisely because of his hostility towards the empress that he became estranged from the court from then on, never entered the capital again, and even openly refused to return to the capital to report on his work.
Similarly, he was not persuaded by Xu Jingtang's interests, but Zhao Shixiong wanted to support Prince Mu, overthrow the empress, and save the country!
After seeing this result, Zhao Duan felt it was absurd at first, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that this might be the truth.
Because he clearly remembered that Zhenbao had told him this a long time ago when he mentioned Zhao Shixiong.
It is said that the late emperor was foolish in his old age, leaving behind many hidden dangers, including the appointment of trusted eunuchs and the failure to control the southwestern border troops, which led to Zhao Shixiong's harboring of bandits and breaking away from the checks and balances of the court.
But on the other hand, what if the truth is not that the late emperor was foolish, but that the late emperor trusted Zhao Shixiong enough, so he gave him power, which led to his becoming so powerful?
Everything makes sense now...
If we also consider that Zhao Shixiong only has one daughter and it is difficult for him to have another child.
The old emperor also had a theoretical basis for his trust in him.
In this way, it all makes sense why Zhao Shixiong began to resist the court after the Xuanmen coup, and then suddenly followed Prince Mu, but was never trusted by Prince Mu.
It was for this reason that Zhao Duan decided to temporarily change his strategy.
That's why he sent Yunxi to take Zhao Ke'er there.
In other words, the reason why he chose to let Yunxi complete this escort mission was to make early preparations for the possible use of people from Kuangfu Society in the future.
"General," Zhao Duan slowly sat up straight and said with a smile:
"That old scoundrel Zhuang Xiaocheng is a swindler. I've repeatedly clarified my claims, but adulthood is like a mountain in people's hearts. General, you believed Zhuang Xiaocheng first, so you might not believe my extravagant words. But Yunxi and the others are more trustworthy than me."
Zhao Shixiong was silent for a moment, then sneered:
"How do we know if these people who support the society have already abandoned their original intentions and been intimidated by a treacherous minister like you?"
Zhao Duan said helplessly:
"General, why are you speaking so angrily? If you truly had no doubts about Zhuang Xiaocheng's lies, you wouldn't be here to meet me today.
In fact, the best way to expose lies is time.
Your Majesty has been on the throne for three years. Your every move is under the general's scrutiny. Whether you are a traitor or a benevolent ruler, everyone in the world has their own standard. If you still don't trust me and feel you can't see clearly from a distance, why not come closer?"
Zhao Shixiong laughed at himself: "Do you want me to betray my master and seek glory?"
Zhao Duan waved his hand and said:
"That's wrong. The general is a high-ranking general, and Xu Jingtang is a traitor. How could he betray his master? Moreover, given the current situation, Xu Jingtang must be ready to attack the general. Isn't that right?"
Zhao Shixiong was silent!
At this point, it doesn’t matter whether Zhao Ke’er’s story is true or not.
Because from the moment Zhao Ke'er stepped into Yongjia City, Zhao Shixiong's crime of "colluding with the court" was confirmed.
This is what makes Zhao Duan's methods so disgusting.
Even if all operations are clearly informed to the parties involved, the party being calculated will have no way out.
It was impossible for Xu Jingtang to trust him again.
However, Kuang Fushe Yunxi's words that exposed the lies shook his fundamental position of attacking the empress.
"If you don't believe me, General, you can kill us here. Perhaps you can use our heads to prove your loyalty to Xu Jingtang."
"General, if you believe me, Lord Zhao has sent me a message for you. Please go to the Taicang government office to meet with him alone."
This is what Yunxi said to Zhao Shixiong.
Zhao Shixiong stayed awake all night and finally chose to go to the meeting alone.
And his choice was finalized from the moment he stepped into Taicang Mansion.
"Oh, that sounds nice, but how can I believe you? How dare you use a traitor like me?" Zhao Shixiong looked at him with contempt, but his tone softened.
Zhao Duan bent down, handed him the brewed tea, and said calmly:
"Qingzhou rebel commander Wei Xianzong is guilty of treason and according to the law should be executed along with his entire clan.
But I saved him and allowed him to lead the troops. Because of his military merit in the battle with Su Dan, Wei Xianzong has now been promoted to a small flag officer and is fighting on the eastern front. I believe that by next year, he will be promoted to at least a commander."
He said seriously:
"I have always believed that actions speak louder than words. Your Majesty can tolerate Emperor Xianzong of Wei's rebellion, so why should you bother sending a general? If the general is willing to repent and help me put down the rebellion, I, the governor, will inform the world on behalf of Your Majesty that the general will not be held accountable."
Zhao Shixiong was slightly moved. At this moment, he saw a kind of overwhelming spirit from the young man in front of him.
That is not the spirit of a general.
It also doesn't seem to be the spirit of a commander.
After a long silence, Zhao Shixiong suddenly sighed:
"If you were a descendant of the Xu family, perhaps this rebellion of the kings would not have happened."
Stop saying that... Zhao Duan laughed dryly:
"Your Majesty has proposed marriage. We only need to wait for peace in the world before the wedding. The emperor's husband is also a member of the Xu family... I want to be included in the emperor's family tree."
The courage he had just shown suddenly vanished into thin air. Zhao Shixiong even suspected that he had seen it wrong. Was this despicable guy really an enemy who had tricked him into a desperate situation?
How could a great general like you be defeated by such a spineless pretty boy?
“…Goodbye!”
Zhao Shixiong stood up and was about to leave.
Zhao Duan hurriedly said, "Have some tea before you leave."
Zhao Shixiong hesitated for a moment, picked up the hot tea and drank it, then threw the cup away and walked out.
With a wave of his hand, the [Soul-Breaking Sword] held by Lang Shiba broke free from his restraints and fell back into the hands of this skinny tiger from the southwest.
Zhao Shixiong bent his knees and lowered his waist. The blue bricks under his feet cracked with a crackling sound. He rose from the ground and soared into the sky.
Such a big commotion finally made the people waiting outside unable to bear it any longer.
The courtyard gate opened, and local officials and generals such as Sun Xiaozhun and Yuan Feng rushed in. They only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Zhao Duan calmly in the house.
Immediately, there was a strong curiosity:
"Sir, what on earth is going on?!"
Zhao Duan met the eyes of surprise and doubt and said with a smile:
"Things are rather complicated, but ultimately, some misunderstandings have been resolved. Zhao Shixiong has decided to submit to me, the governor, and will help us put down the rebellion."
quiet.
The entire courtyard of the yamen was silent for a moment, and people suspected that they had heard it wrong.
Zhao Duan had no choice but to give a brief description of what happened. Anyway, this matter was no longer confidential.
After hearing the narration, the faces of the large group of officials were filled with dullness and disbelief.
Yuan Feng was even more dazed and wanted to slap himself to prove that it was not a dream.
Xue Shence fought desperately on the eastern front and only then did he manage to capture a few county towns.
Governor Zhao was wandering around the city all day when he sent out a few people. Somehow, they managed to capture Yongjia Prefecture without bloodshed?
No--
More importantly, Zhao Shixiong's betrayal meant the complete collapse of the Yunfu rebels.
"We may be able to defeat the Yunfu rebels!"
This thought arose in everyone's mind.
Sun Xiaozhun felt his heart beating like a drum, and he couldn't believe it because the surprise was too great:
"Sir...this...is Zhao Shixiong truly loyal to the late emperor? Could this be a deception..."
Zhao Duan suddenly smiled, stood up and walked to his side, and said softly with a meaningful tone:
"Why bother asking so many questions?"
Even if we take a step back and this matter may not be entirely true, why expose it?
Wouldn't it be good if everyone had a passable and acceptable explanation?
"Yuan Feng, get ready." Zhao Duan said.
The square-faced commander of the Fifth Army Battalion was stunned:
"My Lord... what are you preparing?"
Zhao Duan glared at him unhappily and said:
"Of course, we will settle in Yongjia Prefecture."
…
Zhao Shixiong's movements were faster than Zhao Duan had expected.
Once he made up his mind, this thin tiger of the border army showed extraordinary decisiveness.
That afternoon, three pieces of news came from Yongjia City.
First: Zhao Shixiong suddenly beheaded a new batch of "military supervisors" sent by Prince Mu's Mansion in public.
Second: Zhao Shixiong publicly announced that he had come to his senses and sided with the imperial court. He quickly disarmed all the troops of Prince Mu's palace in the city, killing those who should be killed and imprisoning those who should be imprisoned.
Third: Open the city gates, let the army leave the city and lay down their weapons, and welcome the five military camps led by Yuan Feng into the city.
In just one day, the ownership of Yongjia City changed, causing an uproar in the surrounding area.
Zhao Duan did not join in the fun, but just stayed in Taicang Mansion waiting for news. As a result, he unexpectedly waited for someone that night.
"Sir, Yunxi and the others are back, and they brought Zhao Shixiong's only daughter, Zhao Ke'er."
Lang Shiba walked to the top of the city wall and said to Zhao Duan, who was sitting on the top of the city wall looking at the stars in the night sky.
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, turned back, and had a strange expression:
"Zhao Ke'er? Was she sent here as a hostage?"
Lang Shiba said, "I heard that it was Zhao Ke'er who insisted on coming here. She seemed very curious about you, sir."
"..." Zhao Duan rubbed his temples with a headache and said:
"Send someone to arrange for accommodation. I'll be gone for now."
"good."
"Also," Zhao Duan raised his head, glanced at the fourteenth moon, and said softly, "I will be in seclusion during the day tomorrow."
The news of Zhao Shixiong's surrender should be announced back to the capital and announced to the world.
(End of this chapter)
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