Chapter 1041 Seizing Power
Back in Chang'an City, night has fallen.
After dinner, Feng Junhou went to see the Prime Minister, and found that the Prime Minister was sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket, reading a book by a candle.
Seeing Feng Yong come in, Zhuge Liang just raised his head slightly, and then motioned to the stove not far away.
Feng Yong understood, walked over, picked up the kettle on the stove, poured a bowl of hot water, and handed it to the prime minister.
The Prime Minister turned the book upside down on his knees, took the bowl and took two sips.
Feng Junhou took the opportunity to stretch his neck and look, and saw the four characters "Unparalleled Loyalty and Righteousness" written on the cover.
“Huh?”
"how?"
The Prime Minister drank the water, put the bowl on the small table at the end of the couch, and glanced at Feng Yong.
“The Prime Minister actually sees this too?”
“Why, I can’t see it?”
"No, no." Feng Yong waved his hands repeatedly, then glanced at the Prime Minister and coughed, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really can't imagine that the Prime Minister would actually be in the mood to read this book."
“What’s wrong with this book? Over the years, the loyalty of the Han Dynasty has become more and more popular, but this book is the beginning.”
As he spoke, the Prime Minister gently patted the book and said with some emotion:
“I still remember that after the First World War in Yiling, the country was in critical danger. There were rumors in the world that this was due to the unkindness of the emperor of the Han Dynasty.”
“Some people even say that when the Wei thieves usurped the Han Dynasty, they replaced unkindness with benevolence. The fate of the people in Shu made people in Shu panic and become restless.”
“It wasn’t until this book was circulated in Hanzhong that those rumors finally died down.”
At this point, the prime minister looked at Feng Yong and said, "Confucius talked about benevolence, and Mencius talked about righteousness. It's a shame you came up with this method."
Looking back now, the emergence of "Loyalty and Justice" was the beginning of weakening the family's control over public opinion.
Feng Yong sat on the edge of the couch and said with a smile:
“In this world, the people who are least qualified to say that Han Zuo has been exhausted are Cao Cao and the powerful right-wingers from aristocratic families who support Cao Cao.”
“My ancestors for several or even ten generations have been devouring the wealth of the Han Dynasty. In the end, they say that the Han Dynasty is unkind and engages in usurpation. They are actually disloyal and unjust people.”
The Prime Minister pointed at Feng Yong and smiled heartily:
"Hahaha, isn't that what it is? This book talks about unparalleled loyalty, but it actually implies that someone is unfaithful and unjust."
Then he raised the book and said, "This book of yours can be regarded as a biography of the late emperor and the two old princes Guan Zhang."
"If that were not the case, I'm afraid it would not be that easy for you to marry the tiger girl of the Guan family."
Feng Junhou coughed, as if he was shy:
“I dare not say that, Prime Minister, this book was written by Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng and has nothing to do with me.”
Hearing this, the Prime Minister chuckled and said disdainfully: "What are you afraid of? You and I are the only two here, why should we be so careful?"
Feng Yong sighed: "I'm afraid the society will die!"
The Prime Minister was startled: "What is social death?"
“Social death.”
"Why do you make such ominous remarks if you're not dead? It's weird, please explain it more clearly."
Feng Junhou sighed again: "Prime Minister, there are countless people in this world who want to know the true face of Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng, but no one has ever been able to do so."
“The world only knows that I have a very good personal relationship with Lan Ling Xiaoxiaosheng. Even I have personally admitted this to others more than once.”
"If one day the fact that Lan Ling Xiaoxiaosheng and I are the same person is exposed, how will I face those who believe it to be true?"
Looking at the bitter look on this man's face, the Prime Minister burst into laughter: "Feng Mingwen, you have today too!"
After the two of them talked and laughed, the Prime Minister finally couldn't help but asked: "I heard that you were out of the city today?"
"Yes." Feng Yong nodded without concealing anything, "Something happened in the army."
Hearing this, the Prime Minister showed concern as expected: "What happened?"
"It's nothing." Feng Yong stated in a calm tone, "There is just something wrong with the food and grass."
“Grain and grass?” The prime minister frowned, “Isn’t there always enough food and grass? What could go wrong?”
Look, I asked Li Feng the same thing at that time.
Feng Yong nodded and said: "There is indeed no shortage of food and grass, but there is something wrong with the deployment of food and grass in the army."
The Prime Minister's eyes sharpened and he looked at Feng Yong.
Food and grass are the lifeblood of an army. When there is a problem, it is a big deal. How can we talk about it as a small matter?
Feng Yong went on to explain:
“Li Haoxuan, the grain officer in the army, came to me and said that today should be the day to distribute military rations to each battalion, but he has never received an order to distribute grain.”
When the prime minister heard this, he asked: "Who is in charge of the distribution of grain and grass in the army now? Is it still Yang Wei Gong?"
Feng Yong looked magnanimous: "The rules in the army have been set by the Prime Minister, and I don't know much about the Hanzhong army, so I have always followed the previous rules."
Luckily, I didn’t act rashly, otherwise if something went wrong, I would really have to bear the blame.
When the Prime Minister heard what Feng Yong said, he lowered his eyes and didn't know what he was thinking. After a while, he slowly asked:
“In other words, Mr. Yang Wei has neglected his duty?”
“Not really.” Feng Yong had no intention of adding fuel to the fire. He just told the truth, “Before coming here, Li Haoxuan had already gone to see Yang Weigong.”
"I heard that he caught a cold last night and fell ill today and was unable to do anything, so he delayed the allocation of food and grass."
“That’s really a coincidence.” The prime minister’s dry fingers crossed the cover of the book, then he raised his head and looked at Feng Yong, “Do you believe it?”
"I...should...believe it, right?" Feng Yong smacked his lips, "He is still lying on the bed sick. The medical staff in the army have seen it, and he is not pretending to be ill."
“It’s strange that you believe this!” The Prime Minister glared at him angrily, “I don’t know how to curse people yet!”
"Prime Minister, you can't say that. As the saying goes, one's heart is not as good as one's deeds. I have been busy all day today, personally arranging food and grass for the officers and soldiers."
"I don't blame Yang Changshi at all. Oh, by the way, I asked General Guan to visit Yang Changshi on my behalf."
The Prime Minister looked at him suspiciously: "Which General Guan?"
Feng Junhou looked strange: "Of course it is Guan Hujun (Guan Xingren Zhonghujun), otherwise who else can it be?"
If I really want to send Guan Huwei there, it will definitely not be to check on Yang Yi's condition, but to hang Yang Yi up and whip him.
“Then what do you plan to do with Yang Wei Gong?”
The Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty did not ask Feng Yong how he solved the grain and grass incident.
Dignified Feng Wenhe, if he can't even solve this problem, his reputation will be in vain.
So he asked about another thing.
Hearing the Prime Minister's question, Feng Yong knew that he was really planning to delegate power to himself.
So he thought for a while and replied:
"I thought about it when I returned to the city. Yang Weigong may be older, so if the weather is slightly colder, his body will not be able to bear it and he will fall ill."
"Right now, he can't take charge, so I thought, why don't I bring him to the city to recuperate, otherwise, if I let him get sick and go on duty, others will say that I don't care about my subordinates."
If you let an old guy like Yang Yi gossip, then you must let him do nothing.
Feng Zhengxi is famous all over the world, how can he break his promise and get rich?
When the Prime Minister heard Feng Yong’s plan, he did not speak immediately. Instead, he pondered for a while and then asked:
“Then who do you plan to let take over everything in the army?”
"Three generals, Guan, Zhang, and Wu, are enough. Daily military affairs can be discussed by these three and reported to me afterwards."
"If the matter is unresolved, I will handle it personally. At the same time, I will send several staff officers to help handle specific matters."
Feng Yong was in charge of everything temporarily for a short time.
These days, most of the daily military affairs of the Hanzhong army are actually handled by Yang Yi.
What Feng Yong has to do is to take a rough look at the processing results every day, then pick out the key points, and briefly report to the Prime Minister.
In the past, I wanted to take care of the face of everyone in the army, but I didn't expect that someone would really mess with me.
Now I will put a few nails in front of you!
When the Liangzhou Staff Group arrives, I will kill anyone who dares to jump around again!
It takes ten years to grow trees and a hundred years to cultivate people.
At the beginning, I was alone, and with at most a maid, Amei, and a student, Gouzi, I could fight my way out of the family's monopoly on intellectual resources.
Now that the Martial Arts Hall can produce many students every year, is it still afraid of a few veterans?
When the prime minister heard Feng Yong's plan, he couldn't help but said "tsk": "You can just say that you want to suppress Wei Wenchang."
Feng Yong replied: "It's not that I want to suppress him, it's actually that Wei Wenchang is too proud. How could he be willing to submit to me? Asking him to help me is like asking for humiliation."
Hearing these words, the Prime Minister was silent again. It took a long time before he sighed:
"I thought that as long as I was still here, Yang Yi and Wei Yan would not do anything out of line even if they were dissatisfied with your temporary supervision of Guanzhong."
“I didn’t expect that Yang Weigong, who has followed me for many years, is so ignorant of the general situation. That’s all, just do what you want.”
Over the years, Yang Weigong and Wei Wenchang not only hated their colleagues, but also became incompatible with each other.
If I hadn't cherished the talents of the two of them and tried my best to protect them, I'm afraid they would have been squeezed out long ago.
It’s just that I can tolerate them, but I can’t demand that those who come after me can treat them that way.
Let alone with their temperaments, how could they be willing to bow to Feng Mingwen so easily?
As prime minister, Zhuge Liang chose the former between the prestige of his successor and the maintenance of the old ministry.
However, he still warned:
"But no matter what, these two people have contributed to the country. Even if you don't want to use their talents, you can't force them too much, lest others think you are a domineering person."
Feng Yongben was still thinking about how to deal with the troops and camps led by Wei Yan.
Hearing what the prime minister said and remembering Guan Xing's reminder to him today, he had no choice but to put this topic aside for the time being.
At present, the prime minister allows himself to take over Yang Yi's power, which means he has completed the first stage of his purpose.
Since there is no war for the time being, let Wei Yan lead the original troops and camps to stay where they are, and we will see what happens later.
After all, Yang Yi and Wei Yan, one is the military commander and the other is the military general.
If you are taken down by yourself at this time, it will really harm your reputation and will not be conducive to later work.
The next day, more than a hundred elite cavalry galloped out from Chang'an City and came to the camp outside the city again.
Zhang Yuan led his people directly to Yang Yi's tent and said:
“Following the order of General Zhengxi, a special medical worker came to diagnose Yang Changshi.”
After a while, Yang Yi's voice sounded from inside the tent: "Come in."
Zhang Yuan walked to the tent door and said, "Yang Changshi, I'm sorry."
After saying that, he lifted up the thick tent door and entered the tent.
At this time, Yang Yi was wearing a robe, half lying on the marching couch, holding a book in his hand and reading.
When he felt Zhang Yuan and others entering the tent, he didn't even raise his head:
"What? Does Feng Mingwen not trust Li Haoxuan and Guan Anguo, or does he not trust the medical workers in the army? He actually sent someone to check in person. Could it be that he really suspected that I was pretending to be ill?"
His voice was a little hoarse, and it sounded like his throat was really uncomfortable.
However, what he said was extremely rude, and even had a hint of provoking discord.
It's just that Zhang Yuan, as the senior brother of the Jiangwu Hall, has followed Feng Junhou in his expeditions over the years.
How can he be promoted from a commoner to the position of deputy chief of staff next to Feng Junhou? How can he be an easy person?
Seeing him smiling, he said warmly:
"Yang Changshi was overly worried. The emperor was just worried that Yang Changshi's body could not withstand the cold, so he sent the best medical doctor over to take a look."
“In that case, do I still need to thank him?”
Yang Yi raised her eyelids and sneered.
The smile on Zhang Yuan’s face did not change at all:
"Yang Changshi was joking. The Lord and Marquis said that he had just taken charge of the army and would ask Changshi for advice in the future, so he was very concerned about Changshi's health."
“Ha!” Yang Yi glanced at Zhang Yuan, “A clever talker!”
I don’t know if I’m talking about Feng or Deputy Chief of Staff Zhang.
Zhang Yuan's eyes finally changed and he said that he could do it, but if he wanted to be the leader of the mountain, then he couldn't!
The smile on his face became softer:
“Yang Changshi, being angry is harmful to your health. You have to take care of yourself. Why don’t we let the medical staff make a diagnosis first?”
Yang Yi stretched out her arms and said disdainfully, "Come on!"
Whether he is pretending to be ill, doesn't he know it himself?
So he was not afraid that Feng Wenhe and the medical workers sent over would be able to detect any problems.
Zhang Yuan motioned to Fan Qi, Feng Junhou's personal physician.
Fan Qi stepped forward and bowed to feel his pulse.
After a while, Fan Qi took a few steps back and whispered to Zhang Yuan:
“Chief of Staff Zhang, Yang Changshi has indeed caught the cold.”
As if to confirm Fan Qi's words, Yang Yi suddenly coughed violently.
Zhang Yuan showed concern:
“Yang Changshi looks seriously ill?”
“Well,” Fan Qi hesitated, “This cold can be serious or minor. If it can be treated in time, it can be cured quickly.”
“If care is not taken, if the condition suddenly worsens, it will be very troublesome and may even be life-threatening.”
Zhang Yuan frowned, nodded, and agreed: "Yes, there are many precedents in the military."
Hearing this, Yang Yi couldn't help but glance at the two of them strangely.
This person sent by Feng Wenhe actually looks like he is speaking for himself?
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuan suddenly took two steps forward and looked at Yang Yi with concern:
"Yang Changshi, the conditions in the army are primitive and not conducive to recuperation. Moreover, Changshi is old and frail. In order to avoid delaying his illness, Yuan boldly suggests that Changshi be asked to go to Chang'an City for treatment."
When Yang Yi heard this, her eyes suddenly widened, she looked at Zhang Yuan in disbelief, and cursed angrily: "Thief, who do you think is old and frail?"
Zhang Yuan ignored him, turned around and ordered: "Why don't you come soon?"
Several strong soldiers outside the tent swarmed in.
Yang Yi became a little panicked when she saw that Zhang Yuan seemed to be serious:
"Stop! Do you know who I am? I am the commander of the army. Aren't you afraid that the Prime Minister will blame Feng for bullying me like this?"
Zhang Yuan smiled slightly, leaned into Yang Yi's ear, and whispered:
"Yang Changshi, you also know that you are just a Changshi, and a mountain chief, but you are appointed as the governor of Liangzhou, the general who leads the Western Campaign, the Marquis of Quanting, and the scepter given by the emperor."
“Now all matters in Guanzhong are under the temporary supervision of the mountain chief. Who do you think is more important in the eyes of the prime minister?”
Yang Yi was stunned when he heard this.
Zhang Yuan stood up straight and looked at Yang Yi, who was a little dull, with a soft smile on his face again:
“Yang Changshi, please don’t make it difficult for me. If we really make a fuss, both of us will lose face.”
Yang Yi suddenly raised her head and shouted: "I want to see the Prime Minister!"
Zhang Yuan nodded: "The prime minister is in the city. When we enter the city, I will personally report the wishes of the Ming Dynasty to the mountain chief. Now, please?"
Soon, news spread in the camp:
Yang Changshi's condition worsened and he needed to go to the city for treatment. All matters in the camp were temporarily handled by Guan Xing, Zhang Bao and Wu Ban through consultation.
The whole army was shocked!
(End of this chapter)