After exhausting myself to death

In the past, when Emperor Yan wanted to see Shen Minghuan, he would directly call him into the palace, but Zhao Yuancheng did not dare. He had only been emperor for one day, and it was not enough.

So even if Shen Minghuan didn't go out to greet him, he didn't dare to be angry. He had to pretend to ask the servants about their son's physical condition at the door of the house, lest someone use this to impeach Shen Minghuan.

When he was led to the study, he looked at the people in the room who were sitting more comfortably than the last, and the corners of his eyes twitched fiercely.

Although he had some guesses about Mr. Zhou's position, they didn't have to be so blatant!

Shen Minghuan raised his hand in a perfunctory manner: "Your Majesty has come a long way, and you are not welcome at all."

Zhao Yuancheng smiled: "My dear brother is not in good health, how can I allow you to greet him? I came here this time because I heard that my dear brother intends to return to the country?"

The late emperor called Shen Minghuan "good nephew", and he called Shen Minghuan "good brother". I don't know if this can be regarded as the same blood and family origin.

Shen Minghuan glanced at him suspiciously: "What advice does your Majesty have? Do you want to object too?"

"No, no, no, my dear brother is very homesick, how could I be such an unreasonable and evil person?" Zhao Yuancheng wished that Shen Minghuan would leave as soon as possible. He would be in constant fear every day when this person was around.

He is different from Emperor Yan. He has not even secured the throne yet. He has no ambition to unify the world for the time being. He is not afraid that Shen Minghuan will be like a dragon entering the sea and will be out of control. After all, when Shen Minghuan stayed in Yandu, it was not he who controlled Shen Minghuan, but Shen Minghuan who controlled him.

Afraid that Shen Minghuan would misunderstand, Zhao Yuancheng hurriedly clarified: "I came here just to ask, when do you plan to set off?"

Shen Minghuan was very satisfied with his knowledge, "What your Majesty said is that Gu really misses the Kingdom of Yong very much and will set off tomorrow. However, the mountains are high and the road is far away. I'm afraid I can't take away the treasures in the warehouse."

Zhao Yuancheng was overjoyed, "Brother, please feel free to go back. As long as I am here, no one will dare to break into Shen's mansion."

Zhou Yan was a little regretful, "My suggestions have just begun to be implemented. Master, can I stay?"

Those are all reforms that benefit the country and the people. Without him personally watching over them, it would be okay to stop them at this point, but I am afraid that they will turn into a means for the powerful to make money in the future.

Doctor He gave him a shot without politeness: "Are you confused?" Zhou Yan was just a scholar, with only two apprentices around him, and their skills were not as good as his. Neither Yandu nor Shen Minghuan had time to collect their bodies.

Zhou Yan grimaced in pain: "Senior brother, I haven't seen you for a long time. Your temper is getting worse and worse. How did you survive in the palace?"

He moved to a position farther away from Dr. He and sighed: "I have been thinking about these national policies for a long time. Senior brother, this is the hard work of my first half of my life."

Zhou Yan also knew that it was unrealistic, he was just complaining.

He is not afraid of death, but if he is the only one left here, he may not be able to realize his ideals even if he dies.

——It is precisely because he knows that what he wants is not allowed in the world today that he has been hiding from the world for many years.

Shen Minghuan hesitated, "Mr. really want to stay?"

Doctor He knew at a glance that Shen Minghuan had softened his heart again. He lowered his face and said, "Junior brother, don't cause trouble to the young master!"

Zhou Yan ignored him, his eyes lit up, and he nodded seriously to Shen Minghuan: "I think so."

Shen Minghuan thought for a while and looked at Zhao Yuancheng: "In that case, Your Majesty, I ask you to take more care of Mr. Zhou."

"That's not good." Zhao Yuancheng refused.

He will definitely not listen to Zhou Yan again in the future, but he doesn't want to offend Shen Minghuan for the time being. Besides, Zhou Yan is not young anymore. What an injustice to him if he dies in Yandu.

Shen Minghuan said quietly: "Gu's Chamber of Commerce is responsible for the entire Yandu's food procurement. Gu will hand over this matter to Mr. Zhou later. If he has any damage... Your Majesty, you don't want to starve to death, right?"

"Of course, you can also find others, but I think no one will dare to steal my business. Your Majesty, what do you think?"

Zhao Yuancheng was shocked by this cruel way of death.

In front of him, Shen Minghuan then gave Zhou Yan a way to save his life: "Sir, if you don't mind, please move to Shen's Mansion. There are eight secret passages in it. I will take you through them all later. If you encounter danger, save your life first." Many courtiers are orphans. The orphans will give you their lists and communication methods. The orphans outside the city will also send a group of people... In short, you can take revenge at any time, but you only have one life, so you must cherish it. "

Shen Minghuan deliberately said it in front of Zhao Yuancheng. No matter how sufficient life-saving measures were, there would still be dangers. He just hoped that these measures would not be used. As long as Zhao Yuancheng was not hopelessly stupid, he would not risk offending Shen Minghuan by doing something with a low chance of success.

And these are just some of the things on the surface. You must know that Yecheng is also in the hands of Shen Minghuan, and Yecheng is the city closest to Yandu and has soldiers.

Zhou Yan was gearing up after hearing this: "Sir, can you let me go and do it?"

He has been away from the world for many years, and this is not the only national policy in his mind, but most of them will shake the interests of the powerful people in the world. The resistance is too great, even the original Emperor Yan would not agree.

Shen Minghuan looked at Zhao Yuancheng with a smile but not a smile: "Your Majesty, is that okay?"

Zhao Yuancheng trembled. He felt that he was not timid, but Shen Minghuan's eyes still made him break into a cold sweat. "Yes, of course I can."

How many people has Shen Minghuan bribed in the past six months or so? Is this still his Yan Kingdom?

But if he had the guts, yesterday he wouldn't have been afraid of his old emperor who was just wearing armor and couldn't wait to kill his father.

Shen Minghuan pondered for a moment, "I asked Chen Shuo to bring an army back to help sir."

It's just a pity that the generals stationed on the border followed the late emperor in the war and were extremely loyal to the late emperor and were difficult to bribe. Otherwise, the Yan State could change their surname to Shen. Fortunately, the late emperor was not very prepared for them. They moved quickly and caught them off guard. Otherwise, if the army gets the news and goes north to King Qin, it will be hard to say whether the victory or defeat will be successful.

Shen Minghuan did not expect to be able to control the entire army with military pay. There were many ways to obtain food in the world, but if military pay was used well, it could affect the outcome of a battle at a critical moment.

However, when he returns to the Yong Kingdom, he will be able to use the Yong Kingdom's troops to contain this large army. As long as they are unable to return reinforcements, the largest force in the Yan Kingdom is the "mountain bandits" secretly cultivated by Shen Minghuan, and Mr. Zhou can sit in the rear. No worries.

"Thank you, Master." Zhou Yan understood that he was still not brave enough and could treat the Yan Kingdom as Shen Minghuan's territory.

Zhou Yan turned around happily and bowed to Zhao Yuancheng: "I have seen your Majesty."

Seeing the twisted smile on Zhao Yuancheng's face, he kindly advised: "Your Majesty, please be clear-minded. I can guarantee that what I have decided is a good policy. In the future history books, I will be regarded as a virtuous minister, and your Majesty will also be known as a wise king." "

Zhao Yuancheng seemed to have lost his soul, and left with dull eyes.

Imperial Physician He was still a little dissatisfied, "Junior brother, why are you in such a hurry? Sooner or later, the Yan Kingdom will belong to the Young Master."

Imperial Physician He also has full confidence in Shen Minghuan. In his opinion, Shen Minghuan will unify the nine states sooner or later. When the world is at peace, it will be safer for Zhou Yan to rule again.

Zhou Yan rubbed his hands, "Senior brother, I know, but I really can't wait any longer."

He knew that Shen Minghuan would eventually reunite, and he also knew that it would be a long road.

Zhou Yan felt that the luckiest thing in his life was meeting Shen Minghuan. The most unfortunate thing was that he only met this person when he was fifty-six years old, and his life did not leave him much time.

Zhou Yan still had deep hidden worries in his heart.

People will change. How many heroes and patriots have loved the people as their own children, but once they sit in a high position, they have to face the influence of fame and fortune. So what if they were born in poverty?

This is the case with Zhou He.

Monk Zhou was like this, and the emperor was the person in the world who was easiest and most likely to change.

In the future, will Shen Minghuan still selflessly distribute land to every poor person?

In the future, will Shen Minghuan still be determined to move forward and dare to go against the powerful in the world?

Zhou Yan didn't dare to gamble.

Shen Minghuan didn't know that his counselor was thinking a thousand times. He had already spent more than half a year in Yan State and had no intention of spending such a long time in Yong State again.

He estimated the current situation and said with a smile: "Yuwenshan, go and gather everyone together. It is also time to announce the existence of the rebel army."

Don't underestimate ordinary people, they are the individuals who make up the majority of this world.

Shen Minghuan has mentored many people and observed many people.

Some people never admit that they are bandits from beginning to end and always keep their original intention and bottom line in mind;

After some people gained power, they swung the butcher's knife at the weak, and bit by bit they became what they originally hated.

After Zhou He, the latter couldn't wait to accept the official position and became a new powerful person. The former was contacted by the Chamber of Commerce and gathered together because of common beliefs.

This is Shen Minghuan's greatest and proudest achievement since he came to this small world, and it is his treasure.

Xie Zhifei was slightly startled, "Could it be that Young Master wants to lead troops to attack Yongdu?"

Shen Minghuan snorted coldly: "I can go straight in alone."

Nan Huaijin asked Nie Shiyun to tell him that if Shen Minghuan returned to Yongdu in March, he could drive straight in.

Yuwenshan was so excited that he responded impassionedly: "Yes, sir, I will do it right away."

Nie Shiyun was also very excited, "Your Highness, I am willing to be a pioneer."

Shen Minghuan frowned in disgust: "Zizheng, can you understand? Why do they like fighting so much?"

The battles he participated in were all forced to use violence to fight violence and war to end wars, which was far from being liked.

Xie Zhifei smiled and said nothing.

It’s not that I like fighting, but that I like to risk everything and forget about life and death for a certain belief or a certain person.

If you can meet such people or things in your life, you will be extremely lucky.

*

Yuwenshan took the first step and took a shortcut back to Yongguo.

The rebel armies are spread all over the country. Even though the post stations built by Shen Minghuan's Chamber of Commerce are very complete and the speed of transmitting messages has been accelerated, it still takes time to travel, so the first batch to be summoned are small teams from within the Yong Kingdom.

Shen Minghuan used to convey tasks to them individually through the Chamber of Commerce. They relied on the mountains, and each group had a small number of people. They were mostly used to guerrilla warfare that relied on agility to win. They ran away after fighting, but they were unable to defend the city and were not conducive to large-scale operations.

Each team has its own way, and if they want to fight together, it will take a while to get used to it. And if Yu Wenshan wants to be the general, he must establish his own prestige.

Shen Ming Huanyuan also wanted to go at full speed. Even if he couldn't go directly over the mountains and ridges with the shortest straight line between two points like Yuwen Mountain, at least he wouldn't have to walk for an hour and then take a break. He felt that he was not that fragile.

But it doesn't matter what he says. On this point, everyone listens to Dr. He.

Nie Shiyun blushed. He thought that he had done enough to escort Shen Minghuan. Even though he had to sleep in the open air, Shen Minghuan lived comfortably in the carriage and ate carefully prepared dry food.

But now I see how rough the "care" he thought was.

——Shen Minghuan, the richest man in the world. With Xie Zhifei's preparation in advance, there would be a caravan escorting him wherever he went. Even if he went to a place with no village or shop, a group of well-trained people would rush out when it gets dark and quickly build a luxurious Big tent.

Xie Zhifei brought a glass of warm water to Shen Minghuan and looked at the distressed look on his face and advised him: "Young Master, please relax. The battle at Yuwenshan will also take time. I have estimated that at this speed, when Yuwenshan reaches Yongdu, we will arrive just in time." ”

Shen Minghuan was not that eager, but no matter how luxurious the carriage was, it would not be very comfortable on the road. He felt that it would be better to die early and be born early than to cut the flesh with a dull knife - he said this description on the first day, and even Xie Zhifei scolded him he.

Shen Minghuan sighed, feeling deeply that his lord was not very majestic, "Zizheng, did Gu never show you Gu's talent in the art of war?"

Xie Zhifei smiled slightly, "Young master has to do everything, what do you want Yu Wenshan and me to do?"

Shen Minghuan was the only one with nothing to do along the way. The only thing he had to do every day was to battle wits and courage with Imperial Physician He. The closer he got to his destination, the busier Xie Zhifei became.

Yong Kingdom will be the territory of the young master, and Xie Zhifei will not let the place be in a mess. Every time Yuwenshan conquered a city, he would immediately arrange for the Chamber of Commerce to deal with the aftermath, rebuild the local economy, restore people's livelihood, and regain the people's support for the young master.

Fortunately, the Chamber of Commerce has often cooperated with the "bandits" in the past, and has already gained experience. Although it was hectic, it did not make any big mistakes.

This is just part of Xie Zhifei’s daily work.

Unlike Yandu, which was run by Shen Minghuan for a long time, they only kept information on Yongdu on paper. The development time of the Chamber of Commerce was too short, and it had not had time to drive the nails into the imperial court.

If possible, Xie Zhifei would not want Shen Minghuan to go back at this time. The risk would be too great. But since Shen Minghuan insisted, Xie Zhifei had no choice but to speed up, at least there should be no one who could threaten Shen Minghuan.

"Then I can't just do nothing." Shen Minghuan muttered.

He felt that he was lazy and did not want to deal with simple and boring daily official duties, but Xie Zhifei was so diligent that his conscience ached a little.

Shen Minghuan hesitated between taking over the official job and continuing to pass it on to Xie Zhifei, and said righteously: "Zizheng, don't worry, after Yu Wenshan took the banner, many famous people have already volunteered, and then you can take all the official jobs." Push it to them.”

Xie Zhifei sighed melancholy: "But when I see the new ones smiling, I never hear the old ones crying. If I don't work hard, I'm afraid the young master will forget me when the new advisers arrive."

"How could it be!" Shen Minghuan didn't blink, "You are Gu's most important adviser, no one can get past you."

*

Here, the master and servant have a deep love and enjoy traveling around the mountains and rivers. However, the main hall of Yong Palace is filled with deathly silence and solemnity.

"Report, Your Majesty, the cities of Di and Qiu have fallen."

"Report, Your Majesty, the rebels have arrived at Fuhuan Mountain, three hundred miles away from Yongdu."

"Report, Your Majesty, the Huwei Army was ordered to stop and kill the rebels outside the imperial city. They were defeated and General Wei was captured."

"Report, Your Majesty..."

"Stop taking revenge!" Emperor Yong looked crazy. He kicked the tables in front of the dragon chair hard. The heavy nanmu table fell to the ground, making a dull, whining sound, like the collapse of this huge dynasty.

Emperor Yong's crown was accidentally knocked off by himself, and his hair was messy. His eyes were red, and he screamed in a sharp voice, like a madman who had lost his mind. He did not have the manners of the Nine-Fifth Supreme Lord at all, "Where is King Dun? I asked him to Return to King Qin of Yongdu, why hasn’t he come yet?”

The officials were also frightened. They should have been more frightened than Emperor Yong.

After all, even if the rebels invade the palace, Emperor Yong might still have a chance to survive if he cooperates, but officials like them from the "former dynasty" are not qualified to negotiate deals with the rebels.

But probably Emperor Yong's performance was too exaggerated, and all the officials stood there dumbfounded for a while.

No matter what kind of gloomy and decadent court it is, there will always be scholars who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the country. They used to be inconspicuous in the huge court, but now they shine brightly in the room and attract people's attention.

Perhaps they only have the chance to shine once in their lives, and they have to burn their lives to do so, but they are not afraid.

One of the unnamed ministers came out. He even bowed slightly and saluted, still as serious as recorded in the book: "Your Majesty, there are many changes in King Dun and Jin Kingdom, and the army cannot leave."

"These are all excuses!" Emperor Yong kicked down the dragon chair again and cursed with a heavy breath: "Don't you think I know you are a traitor and a traitor? He wants to wait until I die and he can become the emperor. It's a beautiful idea. , I won’t die!”

The huge fear and pressure completely overwhelmed his reason. Emperor Yong muttered in confusion: "I will not die. I am the emperor, so I will not die..."

"Where is Nie Zheng? Why is he not Qin Wang? Is he also rebellious?" Emperor Yong began to shout again.

This time it was Nie Ge who came out. He said in a calm tone: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? My grandson is missing and I don't know whether he is alive or dead. Please order my son to conduct a thorough investigation in Huaixi. Your Majesty, you said that he is too sad. For the time being, Withdrew his military power and asked him to rest. The new General Xuan Ying died in the hands of the rebels on his way to take office. "

Emperor Yong was like a drowning man grabbing a life-saving straw. He climbed down from the high platform and grabbed Nie Ge's hand: "I'm giving an order. I'm giving an order to return the military power to him now. Taiwei, please let Nie Ge go quickly." Zheng comes to protect you."

Nie Ge brushed his hand away, took two steps back, and bowed slightly, "Your Majesty, the rebels are coming, it's too late."

He was loyal to the Yong Kingdom and the Shen royal family all his life, but his grandson disappeared in Huaixi without any reason, and the court did not even investigate. From that moment on, Nie Ge was completely disappointed with Emperor Yong.

He once loved this country unforgettably and wanted to do too many things for the Yong Kingdom, but now those heroic aspirations are far away from him, and he is like a lonely soul, looking at the joys and sorrows of the world indifferently.

It may not be appropriate to talk about love and hate. He is just too tired to have too warm emotions.

The rebel army known as the "Yuwen Army" marched very fast. A few days ago, there was a debate in the main hall about whether to move the capital south. In fact, everyone knew that this was a euphemism for fleeing.

At first Emperor Yong did not take this army composed of mountain bandits seriously. Later, several cities fell one after another and even the soldiers were wiped out. Only then did he realize that he was afraid, and immediately ordered the army guarding the border to return. King Qin of Yongdu.

After waiting for a long time, the court proposed to move the capital. Emperor Yong was reluctant to part with the wealth here. What's more, he also knew that if he moved the capital at this time, his future life would depend on the faces of the wealthy households in Jiangnan. How could he be willing to do so?

Emperor Yong did not run away himself, nor did he let other dignitaries run away. By the time he saw the rebels getting closer and closer to Yongdu, it was already too late when he finally made up his mind.

Yuwenshan's army is only half a day away from the imperial city. If they escape now, they will die.

For the ministers who were ready to die for their country, they had long been nervous, anxious and worried, and had thought of a hundred and eight ways. Now that they knew they would definitely die, they felt very calm.

So they could watch Emperor Yong and some courtiers going crazy calmly and calmly.

"Report, your majesty, Yongdu has been defeated, and the rebels have surrounded the palace." The soldier who reported the message was full of fear. He habitually knelt down to report, but before he finished speaking, his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. Crying.

He is still very young and has never killed anyone as a member of the Royal Guards of the Imperial City. He would not even dare to watch the beheading of the capital.

Emperor Yong's eyes darkened and he almost fainted, but he regained some of his consciousness because of this blow, "Where are the guards in the palace? Let them all come over to protect you, surround this palace, surround me!"

"And all the palace maids and eunuchs, yes, I still have many people. Everyone, please get in here, get in here."

The guard commander was usually the emperor's confidant and loyal to the emperor. Before Emperor Yong could give his orders, he had already gathered all the guards to guard outside the palace.

In fact, he also knew that there was probably nothing he could do to save his life, but he would always die in front of Emperor Yong.

Before his death, Emperor Yong could still be the supreme emperor of the Yong Kingdom.

The nearby palace maids and eunuchs were carried and thrown into the hall by the guards. Although Emperor Yong was going crazy, the guard commander obviously followed his orders seriously.

Emperor Yong looked at the people in the palace and barely felt a sense of security.

But this did not last long - the main hall of the court meeting was not too far from the palace gate, and they soon heard the sound of soldiers fighting each other.

The destruction of the city in history books and novels mostly happened late at night. You could catch a glimpse of the dim light of fire through the cracks in the doors and windows, and listen to the crackling sound of the burning fire and count the passage of time.

There should be a waning moon hanging in the sky. The moon has seen this situation countless times, and now it will happen again.

But it is a pity that Yongdu broke early, before noon.

There is no bright moon in the sky, only a warm rising sun.