Chapter 829 The Duke of Zhou is not the king

Chapter 829 The Duke of Zhou is not the king

Although many Guanzhong Shiliu were involved in the mutiny in the southeast, the one that was most affected at the moment was Shangyuan, where Li Tai's hometown was located.

When the relevant news spread back to Guanzhong, Yuwentai almost immediately ordered his close confidant Cai You to lead 3,000 elite troops to Shangyuan to control Li Tai's relatives living in Shangyuan.

Originally, Yu Wentai's order was to bring all these people back to the Chinese and Foreign Governments for detention and control. However, when Cai You and his party entered the village to interrogate the Li clan members and were about to take them away, there were already villagers who came after hearing the news. Thousands of men and women from all over the country gathered in Shangyuan.

When General Li first came here, he felt the strong enthusiasm of the local customs, and he had conflicts with the villagers on the first day. To this day, the passionate and strong nostalgia in Shangyuan Township has not changed much. Although Cai You and his party are strong and well-dressed, the villagers who came after hearing the news still surrounded the manor and refused to disperse. .

Cai You also knew that the matter was too sensitive and that the slightest mistake could cause a bigger disturbance. Therefore, he did not dare to use force to break through the siege of the villagers. He led a large group of troops to stay at the manor and sent envoys to the Chinese and Foreign Governments to report and ask for instructions. Then he received instructions to stay in the manor on the spot and control Li Boshan's relatives from contacting the outside world. Without a warrant from the Chinese and Foreign Governments, no one was allowed to enter or leave the manor.

Although the manor was sealed off, the people outside the manor did not disperse. Nowadays, it is the agricultural slack at the end of the year, and villagers often repair their houses and repair their farm tools. Now the houses can still be protected from wind and snow, and the farm tools can be repaired outside Shangyuan Village. There are also villagers who work in nearby workshops. After work, they come directly to sit outside the village.

In addition, the wealthy households in the village spontaneously donated food, wine and meat, and simply set up a large stove outside the village to provide food for the villagers. Therefore, the people outside Shangyuan Village also gathered together and kept at two or three thousand people every day.

Although the higher General Li's military rank, the farther away he is from them, and he is often not allowed to return to his hometown for several years, but the various virtues created in his hometown are still helping them live a better life, and there are also Many local children are now following General Li to serve and make meritorious deeds. Therefore, the villagers used this method to repay General Li. Even if they couldn't resist in the end, no one could think of kidnapping General Li's family in front of them without paying any price!

Before going to Shangyuan, Lu Tong specially returned to the state capital to invite Cui Qian, who was also dismissed from his post and under house arrest, to accompany him. When he saw this scene outside Shangyuan Village, he couldn't help but sigh: "Mr. Taiyuan is really pleasant. There are many people with skills who have lived in Kansai since the Great Unification, but it is rare to see people who can unite the village and consolidate the village's righteousness like Taiyuan Gong. No wonder he can..."

Cui Qian, who was traveling with him, heard that Lu Tong was hesitant to speak, so he laughed and said: "The art of pleasing people in Taiyuan is not a top secret, but you can know it after a brief visit to the countryside. Those who are in power or have big plans always do it." I lament that the common people have little knowledge and are easily bribed by small favors, leading them astray and confused. But they lament day and night but refuse to use kindness to win people's hearts. Isn't it ridiculous? "

When Lu Tong heard Cui Qian's sarcastic words, he just laughed and said nothing more. He bypassed the villagers blocking the outside of the village and handed the warrant from the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office to the soldiers stationed there. He was immediately allowed to enter.

Although Li Xiao's family was controlled in the manor and their freedom of movement was restricted, their basic life was not greatly damaged. Shang was originally a land of wealth and abundant products. In addition to the many unsightly soldiers inside and outside the manor, daily life was Not much has changed. On the contrary, due to being restricted from going out, Li Xiao has only been eating and not exercising these days, making him look a little richer than before.

"Congratulations to Duke Renlue, congratulations to Duke Renlue!"

Seeing Li Xiao standing in front of the hall to greet his party, Lu Tong strode forward and congratulated Li Xiao with a smile on his face when he was still a few feet away: "Taiyuan Gongxin led an army from the south to attack Jiangling and captured him alive. The monarchs and ministers of the Liang Kingdom, who have suddenly accomplished the great task of destroying the country, will surely leave their names in history and glorify their ancestors!"

"Is what Mr. Suide said true?"

After Li Xiao heard this, his eyes widened and he asked in shock. Although his son's repeated great achievements had made him a little numb, the contribution of destroying the country was of extraordinary significance. The Li family in Longxi has been destroyed by others, but they have not destroyed other people's countries. Especially since the north and south have been divided for hundreds of years, only the Southern Dynasty has seen its own royal power change, so how can the famous ministers and generals from the north go to destroy the Southern Dynasty? By the way, Hou Jing...

After thinking about it like this, the ecstasy that had just risen in Li Xiao's heart cooled down slightly, and he warned himself to keep a clear mind to avoid extreme happiness leading to sadness. Especially in such a sensitive situation, even if he can't help his son, he must avoid holding him back!

"It's true, Uncle! There are rumors about this in the south of Wuguan. I think Baojie Lubu will be admitted to the Pass soon! Boshan really made a great achievement this time, and the world is amazed!"

Cui Qian also stepped forward, looked at Li Xiao and said with a smile. At the same time, his face could not help but be filled with regret. If he hadn't been forced to replace him with Changsun Jian by the Chinese and Foreign Affairs Office before... Yes, Changsun Jian was also made incompetent by Yu Wenhu. Having to get involved in this matter, Cui Qian felt more balanced after thinking about it. At least his son should be with Li Tai now to praise his achievements in Jiangling!

"Okay, okay! You always take the world as your own responsibility. The North and the South have been divided for hundreds of years. Now they will finally be healed. This can be regarded as a reward for all the hard planning over the past many years!"

After receiving Cui Qian's confirmation, Li Xiaocai nodded again and again with a look of relief. His mind couldn't help but recall his son's heroic words in front of him back then. Although he still suffered from personnel obstacles, he finally took a step forward. This is a significant step, and Li Xiao is also deeply happy and gratified for his son.

As he spoke, he first invited the two people into the hall, and then couldn't help but summon his family members to announce the good news to them.

For a moment, all the men and women in the manor had cheerful smiles on their faces. In addition to being happy that the general had made great achievements outside and making the family more glorious, they were also happy.

They were not very clear about Li Tai's affairs outside. Suddenly a large number of people appeared and put their family under control. They were all frightened. Now that the general had made such great achievements outside, even if there was any danger or disaster, On the head of a family, it must have dissipated now!

"Today I am here to congratulate you. Not only has Duke Taiyuan achieved great success, but also Duke Renlue has accomplished something else. It can be said that your mansion is experiencing double happiness today!"

Lu Tong first left some time for the Li clan members to digest the news and savor the joy, then looked at Li Xiao and said with a smile.

Li Xiao felt a little strange after hearing this, and asked with a smile: "I am an old man living in a farm, and I am very happy to have enough food and clothing. Why do I need Duke Suide to come and report me?"

After Lu Tong heard this, he stood up from the table, cupped his hands in the direction of the Zhongwai Mansion, and then said seriously: "The King Yuwen of the Zhongwai Mansion discussed with the princes in the court, and they all felt that there was a sage in the wild who was a servant of the imperial court. What a great pity! Therefore, I am asking His Majesty the Emperor today to appoint Duke Renlue as Taibao and Shangshu Ling, and to invite him to the countryside to serve as consul!"

"This is happening!"

As soon as these words came out, all the male and female members of the Longxi Li clan in the hall exclaimed in surprise. Their family comes from an unusual family, and of course they know what these two official titles mean. Even during the Taihe period, when the Li family in Longxi was at its most prominent, they would not be so honored. However, they did not expect that now that they are hiding in Guanxi, Li Tai would single-handedly bring the entire family here. Far superior to the previous generation!

"No, this is absolutely impossible!"

Just when everyone in the hall was shocked and speechless, Li Xiao subconsciously blurted out his rejection after a brief moment of shock.

"Uncle, this..."

Li Pei, who stayed in Guanzhong and was idle recently, was afraid that his uncle would make a mistake when he was surprised, so he quickly reminded him.

Li Xiao was shocked at first, but as soon as he said the rejection, he quickly regained his senses. He stood up from his seat, looked at Lu Tong and said sternly: "I can win the favor of His Majesty, King Yuwen and all the people in the court. I feel honored to be so appreciated by the Duke, but I am also frightened and ashamed to deserve it! If I have no merit in the country, and I rashly occupy such a high position, where will I leave the world's talented people and the ministers of the Manchu Dynasty? I tell King Yuwen to take back this order. I am an old man from the field and have no talent. I really don’t dare to trouble the princes in the court to waste their time because of me!”

Lu Tong was surprised when he heard that Li Xiao flatly refused the appointment. He thought it was a very easy job, but now it seems that it is a bit difficult.

So he smiled again and said: "Why should Duke Renlue be so humble? The whole world knows all the achievements that Duke Renlue has made since he took office. Duke has raised such an unparalleled scholar, and everyone under the king's rule is virtuous. How can he say that he has no merit?" What's more, if the news spreads that the son is a black-headed prince and the father is a white man from the countryside, not only will the court's use of scholars be controversial, but even the reputation of the Duke of Taiyuan will be criticized! "

After hearing this, Li Xiao still firmly shook his head and refused to accept the appointment.

Lu Tong did not expect that Li Xiao would be so stubborn, so he asked other people in the hall to withdraw temporarily, leaving only Cui Qian and a few others here to help him explain the current situation to Li Xiao. He said in a deep voice: " Renlue Gong regards fatness as beauty and seclusion as purity, which is indeed admirable. However, the current situation is delicate. Although Taiyuan Gong has a high position and great achievements, he is also surrounded by criticism, which also makes people in the country inconsistent. Concord.

The reason why King Yuwen of today asked this high-ranking official to grant a generous title to Ren Lue Gong was because he hoped to establish a Zhou Dynasty with Ren Lue Gong and summon Shaanxi to divide it, so as to relieve Taiyuan Gong's anxiety in the current situation. If Duke Renlue only clings to the false reputation of being pure and easy, but does not care about the safety of his family and country, he will inevitably hurt people's wishes! "

Cui Qian, Li Pei and others couldn't help but look worried when they heard the unkind connotation hidden in Lu Tong's words, and wanted to persuade Li Xiao.

However, Li Xiao looked at Lu Tong and said coldly: "Zhou and Zhaocheng are ancient sages, admired by the world, but Duke Zhou has not been crowned king!"

When Lu Tong heard this, he was at a loss for words for a while. After a moment of silence, he whispered again: "But this prince is also the Duke of Taiyuan who has been invited by King Yuwen!"

"So I don't take it as a credit to educate this son. Please come back, Mr. Suide!"

After Li Xiao finished speaking, he stood up directly and entered with a flourish.