Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

Although the Western Wei army is approaching fiercely and the war situation is urgent, those who really know the secrets, such as the Gao Yan brothers, know in their hearts that the biggest crisis and variable in the country today is not external, but internal, and lies in the emperor's physical condition. .

The emperor was drunk and moody for years, and his mental and physical condition was really worrying. If this worry was just speculation before, then the emperor suddenly convulsed in public during the East Pavilion meeting, which gave this speculation a somewhat realistic echo.

Gao Yan and Gao Zhan each obtained a little information through their own means. Although this information could not clearly describe the emperor's physical condition, the implications it revealed were not optimistic.

It is precisely because of this that the words and deeds of the two people are also slightly out of line. For example, he sent soldiers to monitor a group of Han ministers without consulting the emperor, and even evaded the authority of Yang Min and others.

In this personnel change, Gao Yan is of course the real leader, and Gao Zhan also plays a role in fueling the flames.

Perhaps intentionally or unintentionally, Gao Yan is trying to take advantage of this war to gain more power and influence on current affairs and personnel. Gao Zhan was also unwilling to leave the center and go to the front line at this time. Before, they had their own thoughts and were unable to communicate. Now, under the pressure of Gao Yan, Gao Zhan finally couldn't help but break this point, so the two brothers immediately A new tacit understanding and consensus were also reached.

However, who Duan Shao should send to take over still made the two of them feel embarrassed. Previously, because of the fear that the Wei army would attack Jinyang, most of the experienced generals in the country accompanied them to Jinyang. Now, there is really a shortage of military talents who can take charge here in Yedu.

When the latest intelligence came from the direction of Fukou, the two of them no longer had to be in trouble. The enemy's front actually advanced a big step to the east. Yining and Jianzhou were attacked by the enemy one after another, and Duan Shao no longer had to worry about it. He broke away from the large group of troops and rushed to the front line. At the same time, he was in a dilemma and didn't know which side to respond to.

Even Duan Shao was at a loss because of the enemy's sudden attack. The two brothers Gao Yan and Gao Zhan in Yedu were even more confused about how to deal with the current crisis. They could only wait for the latest instructions from Jinyang.

But for the two brothers, the crisis is not only the sudden turn of the war situation, but also the punishment from the emperor.

Here, Gao Yan agreed to Hu Luguang's request for a sneak attack behind enemy lines because of his private meeting with Hu Luguang. But looking at the current situation, Hu Luguang obviously failed and indirectly caused the fall of Jianzhou.

As for Gao Zhan, because of many excuses and unwillingness to go to Shangdang to replace Duan Shao in charge of the army, Duan Shao was unable to lead elite troops to reinforce various places in time, which gave the enemy an opportunity to attack, which was indispensable for the crime of delaying the war opportunity.

Therefore, after learning about the further changes in the war, Gao Zhan's first concern was not the development of the war, but his own safety. He quickly approached Gao Yan and said in a panic: "The Qiang thieves are so ferocious and their attack is so fast. It's unexpected. If the Supreme Being is angry and wants to ask those in charge of Yedu why they missed the opportunity, brother, how should we respond?"

Gao Yan's face was also very ugly at this moment, but he just sighed repeatedly: "The famous sect general Hulu Mingyue took the risk with his own life, but it was in vain. Now that the bandit army has advanced, it is too late to regret it! Looking at the bandit army, they left the north and drove away. Dong seems to be aiming at Yedu. At this critical time, it is time to work together to fight against the thieves. The Supreme Being will not be eager to ask questions about the past and destroy the favor of Yedu..."

"Who can predict what the Supreme will do? We still need to do something to be safer!"

Gao Zhan said in a deep voice, even if their brother Gao Yang is exempted from prosecution because he has to take the overall situation into consideration, the person who will be exempted will only be Gao Yan, the main person in charge of staying in the capital, and he is not very irreplaceable. , and the brotherly relationship between Gao Yang and him is also quite weak, which inevitably makes him even more worried.

After a brief pause, Gao Zhan spoke again: "The thieves are currently surging, and it is difficult to retreat quickly. But if we can consolidate the present and no longer rush to counterattack, it may not be a bad thing for my brother. ! The thief is bullying the country, and the Supreme Lord must stay in Jinyang and have no time to return to Yedu. The personnel in Yezhong always need to be controlled and maintained by his relatives, and cannot be left to his subordinates..."

Gao Yan frowned when he heard this, and before Gao Zhan finished speaking, he said in a deep voice: "How can you ignore the danger of the country just because of your own safety!"

"Then what can brother do to save the current disadvantage?"

When Gao Zhan heard Gao Yan's meaningless cliché, he couldn't help but retort. When Gao Yan's expression turned ugly, he leaned over and said, "I'm sorry, brother, I made a mistake out of necessity. But This time the Qiang thieves are coming with force and are extremely difficult to guard against. It is already very rare to be able to stabilize the current situation and prevent it from getting worse. As for regaining the lost land, it is just a fantasy at the moment.

Things will go well if things are slow. As long as our division and brigade are no longer eager to go forward and fight the enemy decisively, many seemingly critical things will no longer be urgent and can be arranged calmly. The thieves have entered Qinshui now, but with Pingyuan Wang's brigade stationed at Shangdang, Ye can avoid being disturbed by the enemy. In Heyang, if Hu Lu Mingyue dies on the journey, he will choose another confidant to guard him. If he is defeated and returns to the town, for fear of being punished, he will look up to his brother. As for Jinyang, since the Supreme Being is in charge, it is useless for my brother to plan for it. "

After Gao Yan heard this, although he didn't say anything, he was already thinking about the possibility of building a new line of defense based on the current situation.

If what Gao Zhan said before was just a brief discussion based on the current situation, then what follows is the real essence: "In the past, the army was scattered in Hebei, Jinyang and other places, and they attacked all sides as they were suppressing the garrison. We can still maintain convenience, but now we are forced by a powerful enemy and have to deploy heavy troops on the border, so the supply of money and food is crucial!

The capital is where the world's financial and material resources are gathered. If Ye is rich, everyone will have enough food. If Ye is exhausted, all the armies will go on a hunger strike! The security of the country lies not in weapons but in grain and silk. As long as I can hold on to this, my situation will be as stable as a rock. If you want to gather grain and silk, Jizhou is the most important thing. I am willing to go to Jizhou to help my brother! "

Previously, Gao Zhan was reluctant to go to Shangdang to unite the army. Firstly, he did not want to leave the center and miss the opportunity to strengthen his influence. Secondly, it was too dangerous for the unified army to be on the side at this time. He might be defeated and captured by the rebels. Nothing compares to the stability and stability of staying behind.

But now the situation has changed again. The enemy's further tightening has made the situation more critical. If Duan Shao on the Shangdang side cannot be stabilized, Yedu will be greatly shaken. Moreover, their second brother did not know why he was going crazy under this stimulation. Under such circumstances, he avoided the center and went to a large town in Hebei like Jizhou to serve as the governor. He could not only stay away from danger, but also consolidate and strengthen his own power. power.

After all, if the warring parties turn into a long-term confrontation, so many people will concentrate on waiting for the enemy, and the consumption of food and grass will be the top priority. Jizhou is not only located in the rear area, but also the center of money, food and manpower in Hebei. If Gao Zhan can go there, he will naturally gain a pivotal position and influence.

After listening to Gao Zhan's words, Gao Yan frowned and pondered. Although it was morally unreasonable to accept that their Northern Qi strategy had failed and accept the reality, from his own situation, Gao Zhan said This state is indeed more beneficial to him.

If it were not for this situation, it would be difficult for him to control the power of Yedu. Now taking advantage of the war and confrontation between the two countries to control the supply of money and food, thereby further affecting the military, his voice will undoubtedly be further strengthened. Even if the enemy army does not retreat, Emperor Gao Yang in Jinyang will only serve as a guard general at the moment, and it will be difficult to exert control over the overall situation.

"This important town in Jizhou cannot be decided by me alone. This matter still needs to be discussed."

After thinking about it for a while, Gao Yan did not directly answer Gao Zhan's request. After dealing with it, when he returned home in the evening, he summoned Wang Xi and other subordinates who were still recovering from their injuries to talk about the topics discussed with Gao Zhan today. Ichiban.

After listening to this, Wang Xi pondered and said: "King Chang Guang Guang is indeed keenly aware of the current situation, and his remarks are not compromised. If the enemy has not made any serious mistakes, things will probably develop like this. Your Majesty, Deacon Yedu It is indeed the best choice, but it still remains to be discussed whether Chang Guangwang will go to Jizhou."

"That's exactly what I mean. Although Ah Jiu is shrewd, he may not be able to handle it calmly if he is suddenly given a large state. Besides, there are many frivolous people around him who like to play and have fun and have no talent for governing the world. If I enter the state, I am afraid that it will ruin the state's affairs, but it will not be beautiful. But for a while, I don't know who to recommend to go there, who can not only win the approval of the people, but also echo me."

Gao Yang seems to be crazy in recent years, but in fact he has not completely indulged and lost control of his brothers. Even though Gao Yan now controls the power of Yedu through the war, when he wants to extend his hands to the local states and counties, he still Faced with a dilemma where no one is available.

"Pu She Gao Dezheng is an old friend of his hometown and a revolutionary hero. Now he has won the trust of the supreme leader, but he is quite suppressed by Yang Xianggong. At this time of crisis, he chose this virtuous person and promoted him to his hometown. Dezheng can both Honoring the country and being able to serve the country with loyalty is a complete achievement. If the king can give this gift, the virtuous government will be grateful!"

After Wang Xi thought about it for a while, he proposed a candidate for Gao Yan.

He also came from a famous family, and he knew very well about the human affairs disputes in Ye. Yang Min had a shrewd and capable side, but he was not good at uniting the masses. So much so that the executive team that the emperor relied on also had personnel conflicts. Heavy. Although this is what the emperor needs, it can prevent a certain minister from monopolizing the government for a long time, but at some critical moments, it will inevitably be used by interested people to create rifts.

What is needed for high performance at the moment is not to directly launch a coup and seize power with arms, but to actively expand one's influence and control to wait for changes. Under such demand, carefully trying to dig into the emperor's corner is also an operation that meets his needs.