Chapter 1047 Chang’an asks about the funeral
It can be said that Emperor Wu watched how the Shu people grew step by step from a land without a foothold to a Han country with four states.
At that time, Liu Bei only gained one and a half states, and Emperor Wu couldn't wait to ask Liu Bei to give up Jingzhou.
Not to mention, the current leader of the Han Dynasty is Liu Chan, who can be regarded as his junior.
It is precisely because of this that Emperor Wu became increasingly unbalanced.
Why?
The Liu family and his son had no place to stand at first. If it weren't for Jiangdong's help, how could Liu Bei have been able to gain a foothold in several counties in Jingzhou?
Later, Liu Bei relied on several counties in Jingzhou to enter Shu and create a foundation. This is how he now has four states in the world.
What about the State of Wu, which has been making great efforts during this period?
After so many years, it is still no more than three states.
This is not fair!
The more Emperor Wu thought like this, the more anxious he felt in his heart.
He couldn't wait to ask the people in the school affairs office to immediately go to Shu with his secret message.
Among the school officials, Qin Bo is the only one who has been to Shu, so he is naturally the most suitable person for this trip.
Taking a boat from Jianye to Jiangling, and then entering Shu from Jiangling, Qin Bo rushed to Hanzhong without even stopping in Jincheng.
Even so, when Qin Bo came to Hanzhong, it was already mid-February of the fifteenth year of Jianxing.
When we left Jianye, the weather was still chilly.
When I first entered Shu, I felt a little warm.
When we arrived in Hanzhong, spring was already warm and the flowers were blooming.
In early spring in Hanzhong, the water level of the Han River was higher than in winter, and the mighty water looked a bit muddy and yellow.
On the bank of the river, light yellow and tender green grass sprouts sprouted from patches of last year's dead grass.
In the misty willow rows beside the road, swallows' scissor-like figures flashed from time to time.
Facing the beautiful scenery that is different from Jiangnan, Qin Bo is not in the mood to appreciate it.
The last time he came to Han, he got unexpected results.
This time, he hopes to live up to His Majesty's expectations.
But ever since he entered Hanzhong, especially when he came to Nanzheng where the Han emperor's palace was located, he found that the atmosphere here was actually a bit depressing.
The officials who received him looked even more sad.
This made him a little puzzled.
Didn’t it mean that the Han people won a great victory in the battle of Guanzhong and captured the two states of Yong from the hands of the Wei thieves?
Why do these people look like their masters are seriously ill and about to die?
Liu Chan, the leader of the Han Dynasty, learned that the Lord Wu personally sent someone to deliver a letter, and he quickly received Qin Bo.
After he finished reading Sun Quan’s letter, he couldn’t help but sigh and said to Qin Bo:
“Han and Wu are originally allies. The Lord of Wu wants to attack the traitors. Logically speaking, why should the Han Dynasty not help?”
Speaking of this, Liu Chan’s face showed sadness:
"Just two days before envoy Wu arrived, someone from Guanzhong sent an urgent report."
Qin Bo's heart skipped a beat: "Guanzhong?"
Although something was wrong, Qin Bo still asked a little rudely:
"I dare to ask Your Majesty, but the Wei thieves sent out troops to re-enter Guanzhong?"
(Note: During the alliance between Han and Wu, they recognized each other's throne, and those who sent envoys called themselves ministers, and also called the emperor of the other party his majesty.)
Adou shook his head:
"The thieves were frightened in the battle in Guanzhong. How dare they return to Guanzhong? Even if the thieves come, the Han Dynasty has strong generals and elite soldiers stationed in Guanzhong, so how can they be afraid of them?"
Chin Bo:…
Remembering that Zhuge Kongming and Feng Mingwen were both leading troops stationed in Guanzhong, Qin Bo wisely kept his mouth shut.
The two of them joined forces to annex the two states in one fell swoop. Even if the top generals of the Wu State came over, they would not dare to show their strength in front of them.
But if there was no danger in Guanzhong, why did the Lord of the Han Dynasty say that there was urgent news in Guanzhong?
Adou didn’t let Qin Bo wait too long, he gave the answer himself:
"After spring, the prime minister's condition worsened, so the Guanzhong army may not be able to move lightly."
Qin Bo was horrified when he heard this: "Is Prime Minister Zhuge's condition getting worse?"
Adou nodded: "Of course. Now the whole country of the Han Dynasty is worried about the Prime Minister's illness. I have sent envoys several times in the past few days to visit Guanzhong."
When Qin Bo heard this, he felt suddenly. No wonder all the Han sergeants and officials looked sad.
In fact, the condition of the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty was more serious than what Adou said.
In winter, the prime minister rarely leaves his bed.
However, judging from the news coming from Guanzhong, the prime minister at that time was in good spirits.
I never thought of the beginning of the spring, I don't know if it was cold and cold in the spring, and the impermanence of the fantastic weather made people prevent it.
The prime minister first caught wind and cold and did not recover for a long time. In the end, his condition worsened and he could not get up from his bed.
Before Li Hui and Zhao Yun passed away, the situation was basically the same. Whenever climate change happened, his body could not bear it.
So the Prime Minister has to worry about the current situation.
Nowadays, there is a constant flow of messengers between Hanzhong and Guanzhong, and the density is almost as high as when the war in Guanzhong was at its peak.
The court has even begun to discuss the matters behind the Prime Minister's death, so if you want to hide this matter from the Wu envoy, you will definitely not be able to hide it.
Even if it can be concealed for a while, it cannot be concealed for long.
It is better to tell the other party directly to show honesty.
Qin Bo knew that Zhuge Kongming was entrusted with an orphan, continued to prosper, assisted the Ji Han Dynasty, made special achievements, and had an unshakable position in the Ji Han Dynasty.
Now that he was seriously ill while leading his troops, even the Hanzhong people in the rear were in unrest.
Not to mention the troops on the front line in Guanzhong, I am afraid that the morale of the troops is even worse.
Therefore, it is probably impossible for Han to contain Wei in the west.
As soon as he thought about this, Qin Bo couldn't help but have a sad look on his face, and he sighed endlessly.
I don’t know whether he was lamenting the illness of Prime Minister Zhuge, or the frustration of his own emperor’s plans.
After coming out of the palace of Emperor Ji Han and returning to the post house, Qin Bo did not dare to neglect at all, and immediately sent a messenger to the state of Wu to report this important news.
What Qin Bo didn't know was that the messenger he sent had just set off, but Li Fu, the minister's servant sent by the emperor of the Han Dynasty, was already walking on Ziwu Road.
From Hanzhong to Guanzhong, Ziwu Road is the most difficult to travel, but it is the closest to Chang'an.
In order to reach Chang'an as soon as possible, Li Fu did not hesitate to take this most difficult road.
The terrain of Ziwu Valley is dangerous and rugged. People are not allowed to ride horses but can only walk.
There is also a section where there is no water source, or in other words, there is not enough water source for the army.
Even in spring, when the winter snow melts, there are only some small springs emerging in the mountains occasionally.
However, the number of people in Li Fu's group was not too large, so these small springs were enough.
Even so, Li Fu and others also walked a little embarrassed, and had to change their wide robes and wide-sleeved Chinese clothes into narrow-sleeved and tight-fitting daily clothes.
"The last general Guansuo, under the orders of the general who conquered the west, came here to greet the angel."
Li Fu had not remembered who Guan Suo was at first, but when he heard about General Zhengxi, he immediately reacted:
“It turns out to be General Huwei under General Zhengxi, disrespectful and disrespectful!”
Seeing the stern and handsome young general in front of him again, Li Fu couldn't help but admired again:
“Everyone knows that General Zhengxi has a good understanding of people, and his subordinates are all talented people. They are sincere and will not deceive me!”
Hearing this, the unsmiling General Guan showed a rare smile:
"The angel has given me a reward. The angel has come a long way and traveled on a dangerous road. He must be tired. The general has arranged food and lodging. Angel invites you."
Li Ful waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, General Guan, please wait for me some hot food and soup. After I finish eating, I have to go see the Prime Minister immediately."
Li Fu is not young anymore, and his face is full of exhaustion during this journey.
It's just that he was ordered by the emperor to see the prime minister as soon as possible on this trip, but he was not willing to delay for a moment.
Seeing that he insisted on this, Guan Suo had to have the soup prepared in advance brought to him.
Li Fu no longer cared about etiquette at this time, but seeing him wolfing down the meal, he couldn't wait to ask Guan Suo to lead the way to Chang'an City.
As soon as he arrived in Chang'an City, Li Fu felt a sense of fortitude.
The guards at Chang'an City Gate were lined up in bright uniforms, and checkpoints were placed in many places on the wide streets.
Li Fu couldn’t help but asked Guan Suo:
"General Guan, could something have happened to Chang'an City? I see that there are not many pedestrians in such a large city?"
Guan Suo knew what he meant and replied in a low voice:
“The angel will know the prime minister when he sees him.”
Is it really because of the Prime Minister?
Li Fu came all the way with a lot of worries in his heart. Now that he heard Guan Suo's words, he couldn't help but feel even more worried.
Following Guan Suo to the front of the government office, he saw people standing in front of the gate from a distance.
As we got closer, the man standing at the front made a big salute:
“Feng Yong meets the angel.”
“Generals who conquer the West do not need to be polite.”
Feng Yong stood up, stretched out his hand and said:
“Angel please, the prime minister has been waiting for the angel for a long time.”
Li Fu was not too polite and walked in immediately.
Before meeting the prime minister, Li Fu first took a bath, cleaned himself, and put on his luxurious clothes. Then he entered the prime minister's bedroom and came to the bedside.
Most of the Prime Minister's body was hidden under the quilt, but the two arms pressing on the quilt were like withered wax, and the joints of the fingers were exposed.
His face was pale and thin, and his eye sockets were sunken deeply. Only those eyes still had some light.
Seeing Li Fu arrive, the Prime Minister opened his mouth, made a few hoo-ho sounds, and then spoke:
“Sun De is here? But His Majesty sent you here?”
Seeing the prime minister's appearance, Li Fu felt heavy in his heart. He approached him, only to scare the seriously ill prime minister, and whispered:
“Returning to the Prime Minister, it’s true that the emperor sent me to announce the decree.”
"Declaration? Good, clear text, and help me up..."
Li Fu quickly stretched out his hand and pressed it, stopping him and saying:
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter! The emperor has said it himself: The late emperor ordered me to serve as prime minister like my father. Now that my father is seriously ill, I can't come to the bedside to serve the soup and medicine. I feel guilty."
“I am sending an envoy to Chang’an to visit my father-in-law, and the decree must be kept simple.”
At this point, Li Fu paused and continued:
"The Emperor has specifically told us that when we see the Prime Minister, no matter whether he is sitting or lying down, we are not allowed to get up. We can only declare the decree."
After hearing this, the Prime Minister showed an expression of joy, relief and sadness on his face, and at the same time there were tears in his eyes:
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I, I am so ashamed! The late emperor asked me to bring the thieves back to life, but I was ineffective. Your Majesty did not punish me, but instead treated me with great courtesy. I am shameless!"
Feng Yong, who was standing behind Li Fu, clenched his teeth, turned his head, and sniffed hard, trying to **** back the sourness in his eyes.
Li Fu said a few words of warmth to comfort the prime minister, and then he unfolded the imperial edict and began to read it out.
In fact, there is not much to say. What he said in it was that Adou wanted his father-in-law to rest in peace and recover from his illness, and expressed his deep concern.
At the same time, he did not forget to flatter his prime minister, and only said that he "loves the six divisions and fights every year. He is powerful and powerful, and he will conquer the eight wastelands. He will make great achievements in Jihan and participate in the great achievements of Yi and Zhou." "
After the announcement, Li Fu served decoctions on behalf of the emperor.
After everyone had gone out, Li Fu sat down in front of the prime minister's couch and asked:
“I have been ordered by the emperor to come to the army to express my greetings and to consult on the country’s major plans. The prime minister has been away from home for a year, and all affairs in the court are now handled by the emperor himself.”
“The emperor is worried about omissions. May I ask if there is anyone in the court who is qualified for state affairs?”
The prime minister had a smile on his face:
"In my discharge list, I once said that Guo Youzhi, Fei Yi, Dong Yun and others were removed by the late emperor and left to your majesty. There are no matters in the palace, no matter how big or small. If you take them into consideration, then there is no problem. Why bother to ask? "
"Things outside the palace are handled by the Chancellor's Desk. Jiang Gongyan's utensils are a tribute to the king's career. The Duke is sharp-witted and quick in politics. There are two of you at the Secretariat's Desk, so I have nothing to worry about."
Hearing this, Li Fu nodded, and then asked:
"The army has just settled in Guanzhong, but people's hearts are afraid that it is not stable. According to the Prime Minister's opinion, can Chang'an be defended?"
Although he did not fully explain it clearly, the prime minister knew that Li Fu was asking whether if he really died, would it cause turmoil in the morale of the army and make it impossible to defend Guanzhong.
Li Fu originally thought that the Prime Minister had already prepared for this problem.
I never thought that the Prime Minister would close his eyes and remain silent for a long time.
This made Li Fu's heart suddenly lift.
Seeing that the prime minister remained silent, Li Fu couldn't help but asked:
"Prime Minister, I think Feng Ming is both civilized and military, and has repeatedly performed extraordinary feats. Can he lead the troops to guard Guanzhong?"
The Prime Minister finally opened his eyes and sighed:
“If we only talk about defending Guanzhong, Feng Mingwen is enough!”
Li Fu breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that's good."
When the Prime Minister heard what Li Fu said, he moved his lips, but in the end he said nothing.
The troops inside and outside the palace were all prepared, and Li Fu finally let go of his worries.
He spoke some more words to the Prime Minister, and then saw that the Prime Minister was already drowsy. He knew that the Prime Minister was exhausted, so he hurriedly left.
The emperor of Hanzhong was still anxiously waiting for news about him. Li Fu only rested in Chang'an for one day and immediately returned to Hanzhong.
Unexpectedly, he just walked into Ziwu Valley and suddenly slapped his thigh:
“Oops! I forgot something big!”
After saying that, he immediately turned around, got on his horse before leaving the valley entrance, and ran all the way back to Chang'an City.
When the Prime Minister learned that Li Fu had left and returned, he smiled and said:
"I already know your intentions for coming. I couldn't finish what I said the day before yesterday, so I'm here to tell you more."
At this point, he sighed deeply, "As you asked, I have been undecided these days."
Li Fu bowed deeply:
"I was ordered by the Emperor to ask the Prime Minister who would be responsible for important matters a hundred years from now. I was in a hurry and failed to consult, so I came back."
(End of this chapter)