Chapter 464 Dongzhou Faction
“The lower official has met the prime minister.”
“There is no need to be more polite when you are filial, just sit down first.”
Zhuge Liang motioned Chen Zhen to sit down, "Have you ever gotten used to Xiaoqi returning to the court?"
Chen Zhen is a native of Nanyang. When the late emperor led Jingzhou as a pastoralist, he was appointed as a pastor. Later, he followed the late emperor to Shu and served successively as the captain of the northern part of Shu County, the prefect of Wenshan, and the prefect of Qianwei.
This year, after Zhuge Liang pacified Nanzhong, he was worshiped as Shangshu and returned to the court for less than a month.
"There are many affairs in the state and county, but when I return to the court, I have a lot of leisure, which is really a bit unaccustomed to me."
Chen Zhen, who was in his forties and in the prime of his life, laughed when he heard this and said, "The prime minister is tired from work and is an official in leisure. I am really ashamed."
Zhuge Liang understood the elegant meaning after hearing this, shook his head and smiled bitterly, "I don't know that doing everything by myself is detrimental to my mental strength, but..."
As he spoke, he let out a long sigh and said, "Every time I think of the late emperor's entrustment of the king's business being in Jincheng, I don't dare to relax at all."
"Although Zhen is not talented, he is still willing to help the Prime Minister with his little efforts. Now that he is back in the court, he is busy all day long, what can he do?"
"I asked Xiaoqi to return to the court and make his own arrangements. How can I say it's Lulu?"
Zhuge Liang comforted him.
“But I don’t know what the prime minister wants to do?”
“I would like to send Xiaoqi as an envoy to Soochow.”
“As an envoy to Soochow?” Chen Zhen was startled. He did not expect that the prime minister would make such an arrangement for him.
"Yes." Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "South China is settled, and the Han Dynasty is at peace. I want Xiaoqi to go and see what the Soochow government and the public are thinking at this time."
"The most important thing is," Zhuge Liang lowered his voice and said, "Now that the south has been decided, it is time to attack the Cao thieves in the north and revive the Han Dynasty. If we can get help from Soochow and prevent the Cao thieves from looking after each other, we will get twice the result with half the effort. effect."
Chen Zhen was shocked and finally understood. He quickly stood up and said, "I don't understand the prime minister's hard work and almost missed a big event."
"But I wonder if Xiaoqi has the confidence to push Soochow to send troops to the north to help me revive the Han Dynasty?"
“Dare you refuse to die?”
Chen Zhen said impassionedly at the moment, but he asked with some doubts, "The lower officials heard that Deng Bomiao was trusted by Sun Quan of the Eastern Wu Dynasty. Why didn't the prime minister send him away?"
"Between Han and Wu, the road is long and blocked by mountains, rocks and rivers, making it very inconvenient to travel. The Northern Expedition against Cao Cao was not a day's work. In the future, there will be more friendship between Han and Wu."
"If we only rely on Deng Bomiao, what will happen if he is still in Wu territory and the Han suddenly has something to inform Soochow? So I thought, I would send more people to Soochow at this time to familiarize myself with the situation in Soochow. , so that there won’t be no one to send in the future.”
Zhuge Liang explained.
“The Prime Minister’s plans are beyond the reach of lower officials.” Chen Zhen said with admiration.
"Xiao Qi is old and mature, and he was born in Nanyang, Jingzhou. Now Sun Quan is ruling Wuchang, which is located in Jingzhou, so Xiao Qi is familiar with the family and the road."
Zhuge Liang continued, "I have a man who is from Jiangxia. Wuchang belongs to the land of Jiangxia. If Xiaoqi goes here and takes this person with him, he will surely be able to enjoy himself better."
“But Fei Wenwei (Fei Yi)?”
“How did Xiaoqi know?”
“The lower official remembered that on the day when the Prime Minister returned to Jincheng, he asked Fei Yi to drive with him. Now that this person has become famous, I think the Prime Minister must have promoted this person just for today.”
“Haha, know me when you are filial.”
Zhuge Liang laughed.
Chen Zhen also laughed.
The two of them had some similar views.
But after Zhuge Liang smiled, he glanced at Chen Zhen again, with a slightly hesitant look on his face, and said, "If I attack Cao Cao in the north in the future, there must be peace in the rear. The emperor is still young, so he must have good ministers to support him. .”
"In my opinion, Yong'an Li Zhengfang and I are the same people who were entrusted by the late emperor, so I want to entrust each other with the affairs of the rear. I remember that Li Zhengfang and Xiao Qi were both born in Nanyang, right? I wonder what Xiao Qi thinks of this person? "
When Chen Zhen heard this, he was shocked and said anxiously: "Prime Minister, no!"
Zhuge Liang's eyes flashed, and then disappeared immediately, "Li Zhengfang is a person who was entrusted by the late emperor. He is talented, and he and Xiaoqi are from the same county. Why is Xiaoqi so opposed?"
“It’s precisely because Zhen and Li Zhengfang are both from Nanyang, so they know a lot about them, so I think this is inappropriate, Prime Minister!”
Chen Zhen said eagerly.
“Oh, why?”
Zhuge Liang asked.
“Although Li Zhengfang is famous for his talents, he has excessive selfish desires and is lonely in nature. He disdains to interact with his peers, but he is good at catering to his superiors.”
When Chen Zhen said this, he saw the Prime Minister sitting above with a gloomy face, and he didn't know what his expression was in his heart.
It's just that he knew that Li Yan was a good person and he could use him, but he couldn't use him to carry out heavy tasks, otherwise there would be disaster.
So Chen Zhen felt that even if he offended this person, he should advise the prime minister to pay attention.
"At the beginning, Li Yan served as the prefect of Qianwei County, built buildings and built roads, and had good political achievements. However, he built a lot of buildings for his own personal gain. Yang Hong, the meritorious Cao at the time, failed to persuade him and was driven away by him. Also, the Prime Minister Do you remember Wang Chong who ran away from Cao Cao a few days ago?"
“Naturally remember.”
"Wang Chong was originally a subordinate of Li Yan, but he was not liked by Li Yan. He was afraid of being harmed by Yan, so he was forced to leave the land of Cao Cao's thieves. This shows how evil he is towards others."
Hearing this, Zhuge Liang was silent for a long time.
Seeing this, Chen Zhen tried hard to persuade him, "If the Prime Minister really entrusts Li to be in charge of the rear affairs in the future, he will put his own interests first. By then, the Prime Minister will not return after a long campaign, and the Emperor will still be young. Observation is blocked by strictness, what should I do?"
"Back then, the official heard that Liao Li was talking to Feng Langjun in Fengzhuang. He thought that although Liao Li was unbearable, his words to Li Yanzhi won the heart of the official: He has scales on his belly, so he can only exploit his body. . It can be said to be to the point!”
Seeing his sincere words, Zhuge Liang sighed and said, "However, after all, Li Yan is the person who was entrusted by the late emperor, and his reputation in the court is not low. Moreover, the restoration of the Han Dynasty is a major event and requires everyone's joint efforts. Now the major event is undecided, and the Han Dynasty When a house is in danger, instead of criticizing its faults, it is better to praise its strengths and think that it will help in great things."
“The prime minister has left his private life for the sake of public service, and I am admired by the lower officials. However, if you want to entrust Li Yan with something in the future, please think more about what you say today.”
Chen Zhen knew that the prime minister had made up his mind, so he had no choice but to make his last effort and reminded, "The Han Dynasty is in danger, and great things must be done with caution. If the prime minister wants to use his strengths, he must also be careful of his shortcomings, so as not to ruin the great things."
“I will definitely keep your words of filial piety in mind.”
Zhuge Liang said solemnly.
The next day, Li Feng arrived at the Prime Minister's Mansion early, preparing to follow the Prime Minister to meet Feng Langjun, whom he had admired for a long time.
Zhuge Liang saw that his expression did not seem to be hypocritical, so he immediately asked, "Da Lang, do you know what you said to me in the letter?"
Li Feng was a little surprised why the prime minister asked this question, "The matter between your lord and the prime minister is a national matter. How can Feng know about it?"
When Zhuge Liang saw what he said and looked at him looking like a young master, it was obvious that he valued this meeting, and he couldn't help but feel a little ridiculous in his heart: How could a person like Li Yan teach such a gentle gentleman like Li Dalang? ?
"Then Feng Mingwen was imprisoned by me because he led someone to beat up his daughter-in-law, and let him reflect on it." Zhuge Liang said with a smile, "And how could someone like Li Dalang want to be with him? How about getting acquainted?"
"Feng Langjun is a generous and righteous person. He is the first of many princes and gentlemen in Jincheng. It is just true love and true nature that he beats up his daughter. For such a affectionate and righteous person, coupled with his scheming and clever strategies, he is just right. You are a role model for our generation!"
Li Feng's face showed a look of fascination again.
Zhuge Liang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He wondered what Li Yan, who had scales on his belly, would think if he knew what his son looked like now.
"Forget it, let's wait for one more person, and when he comes, we will go there together."
“But I don’t know who it is?”
“The son of Wang Guoshan, Wang You Wang Honghua.”
“It turns out that after Zhonglie, Nafeng also wants to make some friends.”
His younger brother Wang Shi followed Zhuge Liang on the southern expedition and sneaked into the rebel camp alone to persuade Yong Kai to surrender. Later, he was discovered by Meng Huo and committed suicide to protect the Han Dynasty.
It can be said that one sect has two loyalties.
Before Wang Shi was in danger, he entrusted Wang You to the prime minister of the Han Dynasty.
Now Feng Yong is the head of many noble disciples in Jincheng. Zhuge Liang brought Wang You with him this time, also with the intention of letting Feng Yong take care of him on weekdays.
When the three people walked into the cell under the leadership of Jincheng Ling, they heard a sound of ghosts crying and wolf howling coming from the cell before they arrived: "I miss my lover in prison. I wonder if you believe me..."
The music is not in tune, the tune is not in tune, and he can't even understand what he is saying. However, listening to the voice, the person still feels good about himself and sings with great enthusiasm.
From time to time, there would be a faint and long vibrato, forcing people to feel that he was really crying.
Zhuge Liang was startled when he heard the voice at first. He looked at Lu Yi, his eyes full of doubts and a little worried: Could something have happened to this kid?
With a helpless look on his face, Lu Yi said, "Returning to the Prime Minister, Feng Langjun is singing a song. He has been acting like this these past few days."
At this time, the singing suddenly stopped, and Feng Yong's voice was heard from the front, "Lao Lu, Lao Lu, I heard your voice, come and play chess with me."
"Why aren't you here? Stop hiding, I can hear your voice!"
“If you don’t come, I will go find you!”
Feng Tibi shouted loudly, but he hadn't seen Lu Yi for a long time. He was anxious and pushed open the cell door with a "squeak".
Unexpectedly, one of his feet was stepping out of the door. When he saw someone coming in front of him, he immediately put his foot back with a "swish" sound.
Then with a "Kang Dang" sound, he took the initiative to close the cell door.
“Prime Minister, why are you here?”
Feng Tibi had the most sincere smile on his face.
The Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty glanced across the cell, and the corners of his eyes immediately twitched. He saw a bed in the corner of the cell, covered with a thick woolen blanket.
There is a stove in each of the remaining three corners and in the middle of the room. The fire inside is burning brightly. Even standing outside the cell, you can feel as warm as spring.
There is also a big table in the middle of the room with a chessboard on it.
Beside the chessboard, a book with an unknown name is spread out randomly.
There are also two plates of dried fruits!
The Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty took a deep look at Feng Tubao and wondered, are you living in a prison cell or at home?
With a smile on his face, Feng Tibi made a "squeak" sound and actually opened the cell door on his own initiative. He stretched out his hand and said, "Do you want to come in, Prime Minister?"
As soon as these words came out, Li Feng and Wang You finally felt that something was collapsing in their hearts, and they both turned their heads to look at Jincheng Ling Lu Yi.
Lu Yi looked sad and angry, thinking that I would add a big lock to this cell tomorrow!
Zhuge Liang, on the other hand, walked in calmly, looked at it carefully, and then exclaimed, "You will be the first person in the world to be imprisoned."
Feng Yongqian laughed and didn’t know how to answer.
"This is the son of Governor Li of Yong'an, Li Feng and Li Haoxuan. This is the son of the late Jingzhou Yicao, Wang Youwang Honghua. These two are about the same age as you. From now on, you should get closer to each other."
Li Feng and Wang You have already taken the initiative to come forward and greet him: "Feng (You) has met Feng Langjun."
“Oh, oh, I’ve never seen you two before.”
Feng Yong returned the salute with some confusion. At the same time, he glanced at Zhuge Liang and wondered what the old demon Zhuge meant by bringing these two people here.
Of course I know Governor Li of Yong'an, isn't he Li Yan?
But who was the late Jingzhou Yicao who was engaged in Wang Guoshan?
Zhuge Liang looked at Li Feng and Wang You, who were both polite and polite, and then looked at Feng Yong, who was still a little confused and didn't know what he was doing. How good would it be to have a headache?
"You may not be familiar with Wang Guoshan, but you should know that his younger brother is Wang Yiqiang, the prefect of Yizhou County who died in the king's affairs during the southern expedition this year."
Zhuge Liang saw Feng Yong’s eyes and knew what he meant, so he explained again.
“It turns out that Wang Langjun comes from a loyal and loyal family, so he is disrespectful and disrespectful! The king is loyal to the king, and Wang Taishou adheres to the Han Dynasty. It is really admirable. After meeting the Wang family today, I am very lucky!”
When Feng Yong heard this, he immediately stood in awe.
"The ancestors sought benevolence and received benevolence, but they only received the blessings of adults and uncle Yu Yin. They are not worthy of being called lucky brothers."
Wang You said modestly.
Huh?
What did you call me?
Although many people in Jincheng now call me brother, I am sure that I have never met you.
Feng Yong thought of this and glanced at Zhuge Liang again.
Zhuge Liang spoke up and said, "Both generations of the heads of the Wang family in Li County, Guanghan died in the king's affairs. It is a loyal and loyal family, and Wang Dalang has the legacy of his father. And Li Dalang is a rare gentle and gentle son. You two are mutually beneficial to each other." Friends, working hard together is a beautiful thing."
Once Feng Yong heard this, he finally understood.
This Wang family should be in danger of decline because of the death of two generations of family heads, and Wang You is young. In order to support the Wang family, Zhuge Old Demon asked himself to take care of Wang You.
As for Li Feng...it puts Feng Yong in a bit of a dilemma.
Generally speaking, the Han Dynasty is now divided into three major factions.
One is a native-born faction, the other is an outsider who followed Liu Bei into Shu, and the other is the Dongzhou faction who are not close to each other.
The local faction controls the land and population of the Han Dynasty.
The outsiders hold the top power of the Han Dynasty.
The name Dongzhou School comes from Liu Yan.
At that time, after Liu Yan and Liu Zhang's father and son resettled the foreign refugees, they selected young men to form the Dongzhou Army to suppress the local rebels.
Dongzhou faction refers to officials at all levels composed of outsiders during the Liu Yan and Liu Zhang periods.
Later, they basically surrendered to Liu Bei.
Just after Liu Bei was demoted, the status of the Dongzhou faction became a bit embarrassing.
To the local faction, they are outsiders, and to the outsiders who followed Liu Bei into Shu, they are half-Sichuan people.
Because Liu Yan and Liu Zhang were rewarded with a lot of land in order to win over the Dongzhou faction, and they were considered to have taken root in Shu.
Strictly speaking, Feng Yong himself can be considered a Dongzhou sect.
Because their family was a stranger living in Shu, his eldest son was recruited into the Dongzhou Army by Liu Yan and his son.
Liu Bei entrusted Li Yan to his solitude. Apart from Li Yan's talents, he had no intention of appeasing the Dongzhou faction and balancing the power of the foreign faction and the Dongzhou faction.
So Feng Yong and Li Feng are actually from the same faction, and the two should be naturally close.
When Liao Li threatened Feng Yong, he wanted to provoke Zhuge Liang into a fight with Li Yan and make Feng Yong go to Li Yan. This was actually the reason.
Later, Feng Tubao gritted his teeth and survived that hurdle.
Because he knows that Li Yan is a trap!
How could he jump into this pit before the last moment?
But things are fickle and he escaped that year. In the end, Zhuge Lao Yao actually brought Li Yan's son to him in person and allowed himself to get close to him?
(End of this chapter)