Chapter 1324: Golden Stage Reception

Chapter 1324: Golden Stage Reception

Xu Du listened to Cai Jingli's story quietly, without saying a word, but his expression was uncertain.

He thought that Cai Jingli was trying to persuade him to take advantage of the strategic location of Jingkou and the internal turmoil in the country to follow the example of his predecessors and forge ahead against the tide and create hegemony, but he didn't expect that the other party was persuading him to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. For a while, his mood was extremely complicated.

To be honest, when he first misunderstood Cai Jingli's meaning, although he was furious and scolded him on the surface, his heartbeat inside couldn't help but speed up a bit, because he had similar thoughts before.

It's not because he was born rebellious and unfaithful, but because the situation in the country is so chaotic now, anyone in his position will inevitably have such thoughts.

Anyone with a little experience and knowledge can see that the current Southern Chen court is just a puppet. If there is no support from the Tang Kingdom behind it, it will fall apart in an instant.

As for the king Chen Chang, as early as the beginning of his return to the country, and even before he succeeded to the throne, the people in the country might have some expectations because he was the legitimate son of the previous lord. However, after Chen Chang officially ascended the throne and handled state affairs personally, his true colors gradually revealed themselves. For the people of Southern Chen, every day was a process of disenchantment.

Now, Chen Chang's shortcomings of being ambitious but incompetent, frivolous and narrow-minded have been fully exposed. When he encounters problems, he has no ideas and is used to seeking help from external forces. It is precisely because of this that the Tang Kingdom has been able to strengthen its infiltration and influence on Jiangdong. It can be said that every time the Tang Kingdom moves forward in its interaction with Southern Chen, it reflects Chen Chang's incompetence!

How can such a king make people devote their wholehearted efforts to assist him? Perhaps his character flaws are all because he has been separated from his father since childhood and lacks an opportunity to be influenced and taught, but the current situation does not allow him to calmly accept education and improve himself!

His talent is not worthy of the position. He just stays in that position and faces the challenges from both inside and outside. He may be picked down one day. At that time, regardless of his fate, his country will inevitably pay a heavy price for his incompetence.

As for Linchuan King Chen Qian, although people once had high expectations for him, as he withdrew from the center of power under pressure from both inside and outside, his glory dimmed. Moreover, Chen Qian has three major disadvantages, which make it difficult for him to become a candidate for revitalizing the country.

First of all, he is not the descendant of the first lord Chen Baxian, which makes it difficult for him to replace Chen Chang in legal terms. When he disputes and confronts the court and the lord, he needs to bear a moral and ethical accusation. No matter how bright and lofty his goals are, it cannot change that he is a restless bastard of the clan.

If he is the descendant of the first lord, even if he is not the legitimate heir, he can use this as a better choice to replace Chen Chang and gain the support and support of the people. Or maybe before Chen Chang returned to the country, he had already established his power in the country. But these two possibilities did not appear in Chen Qian.

Secondly, Chen Qian did not have his own direct lineage. The reason why the former lord Chen Baxian dared to attack Wang Sengbian from Jingkou and thus establish his hegemony was that since the rebellion in Lingnan was settled, Chen Baxian had already built a loyal and brave team.

At present, Chen Qian seems to have a very high influence in the Three Wus, but the Three Wus have different intentions, and there are very few who dare to plot big plans with Chen Qian and live and die together. So even though Chen Qian launched a scramble for Wujun, he ended up shrinking because he was worried about the instability of Wuxing's people. Under such circumstances, how can we expect to achieve great things?

The third and most important point is that with the current penetration and influence of the Tang Kingdom on Jiangdong, Chen Qian will not be given the opportunity to develop and grow himself calmly. At present, he seems to be happy, but in the eyes of the Tang Emperor, he is probably not threatening. If he really does something that makes the Tang feel actually threatened, the Tang will definitely increase its interference in the situation in Jiangdong, and even send troops to the south in person!

In Xu Du's view, it can be said that neither Chen Chang in the court nor Chen Qian in the opposition has the ability or opportunity to completely inherit the mantle of the first lord and smoothly pass on this Jiangdong foundation.

Although Xu Du was deeply impressed by the first lord, it does not mean that he has no thoughts of his own. He is certainly not as unruly and ambitious as Hou Jing in the Northern Dynasty, but when the successor of the Southern Dynasty obviously does not have the means and courage to control the heroes, then his consideration of his own power and interests naturally exceeds his consideration of the future of the country.

If possible, Xu Du certainly still hopes to be able to secede and maintain his own power and wealth. However, the situation in the world is changing rapidly. How to keep his own situation unchanged in this complex change is what really troubles Xu Du.

The most intense confrontation in the country is naturally the confrontation between the cousins ​​Chen Chang and Chen Qian. If Xu Du wants to avoid being implicated, the best way is to stay out of it and not help either side.

But in this way, it is equivalent to resisting the order of the court, forming a separatist trend, and helping Chen Qian in disguise, which will inevitably be hostile to the court. According to the style of the king Chen Chang, it is estimated that he will also resent Xu Du and even directly launch an attack. As for this so-called attack, it is most likely to be carried out by the Tang army, just like Wang Lin in Nanchuan, or Chen Qian who previously controlled the government.

It was precisely because Xu Du was afraid of the Tang State behind the imperial court that even though he already had the desire to separate himself and be independent in his heart, he still refused to implement it, fearing that if he was too bold, he would become the first target to be hit. The quick settlement of the Nanchuan Incident doubled the fear in his heart.

At this time, Cai Jingli proposed that he could move to Jingkou and join the Tang Dynasty. This suggestion was like a bolt from the blue to him. Not to mention whether he agreed or disagreed in his heart, it indeed opened up his vision and thinking pattern in an instant. , so that his thoughts are no longer limited to a mere Jiangdong.

But the sudden opening of the situation did not make him open-minded and refreshed. Instead, it made him suddenly frightened, just like a snake that was used to living in a damp and cramped environment and suddenly saw the vastness of the world after leaving the cave. , subconsciously wanted to escape back into the cave.

"Who was Cai ordered by? The natural danger of the river was a gift from heaven that allowed the people of Jiangdong to live on their own without being enslaved and tortured by the northern captives. In the preface, there have been many betrayals of morality, and now I have been taught how to level the sky and surrender to the enemy. What is it? What's wrong!"

After a while, Xu Du suddenly pushed the case and stood up. He drew out the knife from his waist, jumped out of his seat, swung the knife and slashed it at the table in front of Cai Jingli. He roared angrily: "Although Xu Du is not talented, he himself This is a brave man from Jiangdong. If he sold his father-in-law to the Northern Dynasty because of his wealth, Jiang Biao will be infamy for thousands of years. He really deserves to be killed for trying to trap me into injustice."

Cai Jingli also didn't expect Xu Du's reaction to be so violent. He was so frightened that he froze in the middle of the table. When he saw the blade in front of him that was chopped off by Xu Du and embedded deeply in the table, his face became even more pale and bloodless. He said in a trembling voice: "Please calm down your anger, your Majesty... Please listen to my detailed argument. I have no intention of harming you!"

"I'd like to hear if you have any other excuses!"

Xu Du still glared at Cai Jingli and said angrily.

Seeing that Xu Du no longer acted more radically, but chose to listen to his explanation, Cai Jingli breathed a sigh of relief, then collected his thoughts and continued to speak: "Although I am not good at academics, I also know that Jiangdong is not an outsider." Feitu was once the hometown of the Qin and Han dynasties. During the Jin Dynasty, when virtue was lost and Wuhu was rampant, there was a story of retreating to Jiangdong in search of peace.

The wise military strategists of the past have said that the strength of mountains and rivers lies not in danger but in virtue. If the Jin Dynasty was virtuous and the world was not divided, what you call a natural chasm is nothing more than a curved stream in the courtyard. How can we divide the north and the south like this? Since the late Jin Dynasty, all ambitious people in the country have taken it as their own duty to regain Jiangbei and conquer the Central Plains. Even though the First Lord rose up in danger and struggled, he still refused to abandon the land of Huainan and had no intention of crossing the river to limit his feet! "

"The heroes of previous generations crossed the Yangtze River to expand territory and promote our country's destiny east of the Yangtze River, but now you are teaching me to lead the invaders to the south. How can we confuse them with each other!"

When Xu Du heard Cai Jingli's sophistry, he glared and shouted angrily.

"As the envoy said, things cannot be confused. However, one river is not enough to determine the north and the south, and it is true. If there is a road to the east of the river, then we will rock the oars and attack the north, vowing to conquer the north. If the northern dynasty is majestic, the same is true. No matter who wants to attack the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, it is difficult to rely on the dangers of mountains and rivers to stay safe!"

Cai Jingli paid close attention to Xu Du's expression as he spoke. Seeing that he was thoughtful, he added: "Now that the envoy is sitting at Jingkou, he is solely responsible for the defense of the river. Although the people of the country still have a peaceful mind, But now that the Tang Dynasty is powerful and the Jiang defense is in danger, who is willing to sacrifice his life for the emperor? How can the emperor hold on to the Jiang defense without losing it? Even if you die, you will have no regrets!”

Xu Du frowned when he heard Cai Jingli's rhetorical question. Although he was no longer as irritable as before, he still said in a deep voice: "Let your tongue bloom like a lotus, it is always a fact that the people of Jiangdong will be safe and peaceful because of the control of the river. The former captured the traitor Hou Jingnan and came to plunder Jiangdong. Even now, the people are still frightened by the thought of coming. If I lure the Tang people southward for my own selfish interests, wouldn't I be scolded by the people?"

Cai Jingli also heard that Xu Du still had a lot of moral baggage in his heart and did not want to bear the infamy, so he sighed again: "Xu Gong has such righteous thoughts, which is really a blessing to the people of Jiangdong. But how can the Tang army do the same now? Compared to Hou Jing's chaos department?

The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was benevolent and had more than one deed. The fall of Jiangling was supposed to be a tragic disaster, but the soldiers and people of Jiangling suffered very little. When the scholars met in Guanzhong, the remnants of the Liang family actually lived in the prime minister's office, and the people lived in peace and tranquility in Jingxiang. Every household was given fertile land and lived in peace and harmony. The silk we eat and the rice we eat in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River today were all produced after Jingxiang was subjugated. What should we say? Now Ruo Zhouge went to ask if the people of Jingxiang would be willing to join my Chen family? "

When Xu Du heard this, he grinned slightly. He wanted to laugh but felt it was inappropriate, so he finally endured it. Compared with the people in Jiangdong and the people in Jingxiang, who lives more comfortably? Even he can't answer by distorting the facts against his will. After all, most of his family's livelihood depends on profits from upstream trade. But in the land of Sanwu today, people are in dire straits and riots occur frequently.

From this perspective, maintaining the status quo in Jiangdong may not be as good as letting Tang Guo manage it. At least the various policies pursued by the Tang State were far more beneficial to the people than the current situation in Jiangdong where government orders were blocked.

Cai Jingli knew that for a powerful military leader like Xu Du, pure moral appeal would not be too strong. The most important thing was that his own interests should be protected.

He was not completely unprepared when he came to lobby Xu Du this time. When he saw that Xu Du was already interested in making a move, he continued to say more vigorously: "Today, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty is powerful, unmatched in the world, and he is also magnanimous and wise. , With a broad mind, he is willing to take in and protect stubborn thieves like Wang Lin. If this is compared to a horse bone, the golden platform he has built is waiting for you!"

After Xu Du heard this, his brows widened even more, but he still waved his hands and sighed: "Although my former master has little merit, his deeds stopped in Jiangdong, and I am afraid that the Emperor of Tang Dynasty did not know about it. Cai's so-called golden platform treats me , seems absurd and untrue!”

After hearing this, Cai Jingli shook his head and said: "Jiangdong is also a part of the world. If the Emperor of Tang wanted to be the master of the world, how could he not respect the heroes of this place? You are famous in Jiangdong. If you are still not valued, you know that the Tang family's greatness is a lie. Make you famous. It should be known that Xianguan's uncle is now the governor of the Tang Dynasty. If the envoy trusts Xianguan, he is willing to cross the river to ask for the envoy. If the envoy agrees, he will return to the envoy. We will guard Jingkou together and vow not to surrender to the enemy!"

"This, this... Mao Shi's plan is a good idea. However, the feelings of the Tang family can indeed be considered! If they are pretending to be good and deceiving others, if they can detect it in advance, something can be done. Be on guard!”

After listening to Cai Jingli's account, Xu Du felt quite tangled in his heart for a while.

If Cai Jingli was really a lobbyist for the Tang State and came to persuade him to surrender, then he would not be able to agree immediately no matter what. Whether it was out of loyalty to his former lord, or because he was pretending to be reserved and trying to show off his status, he would have to go to the trouble of others. It took several trips back and forth before a final decision could be made.

But now Cai Jingli only came to persuade him spontaneously, without any instructions from the Tang State. More importantly, he was persuaded, so he was naturally eager to find out what the Tang State's attitude was about this.

If the other party's attitude is enthusiastic, then the conversation can naturally continue. If the other party is just lukewarm, there is no need for him to be hot-tempered and ask for trouble. He should still think of other plans as soon as possible and make more preparations.

Since Cai Jingli took the initiative and was willing to work for me, and also had such connections, Xu Du agreed and said at the same time: "Mao Shi is working for me, and I can't let you be rude. Please wait for a moment. , I will prepare a batch of gifts and send them across the river together!"

After saying this, he quickly arranged for the government officials to repackage the treasure gifts that Chen Qian had sent before but had not yet had time to count and store them, and asked Cai Jingli to carry them across the river for management.

At this time, he seemed to have considered defecting to Tang Dynasty as a career choice. If the other party misunderstood his lack of sincerity due to small problems such as meager gifts, and the matter failed in the end, then he would really regret it. .