As the capital of Zhao State, Xiangguo is one of the few magnificent cities in the north today.

With the domination of the northern land by the Zhao State, the scale of the Xiangguo city is also becoming more and more ambitious, and it is no longer limited to the old city of Jianping, which began to be built during the Yongjia period. More than ten years of repeated construction, today's Xiangguo City, north to Longgang, west of Yiling, Xiangshui through the city, the city can be described as grand.

The surrounding area of the city is vast and fertile, and a large number of farmhouses and manors are built by the river, all of which are the private property of the current kings and generals. There are a large number of laborers scattered in the fields, short brown linen shirts or uncovered clothes, leaning between the fields and ditches, and their expressions are full of numbness and bitterness.

Most of these people are Jin people, and there are also many miscellaneous beards of different shapes, all of whom have been captured and plundered from all directions, and belong to the slave families of the powerful and powerful. They are engaged in heavy daily labor, but the constant output of this field has little to do with them.

The Chinese slaves who had their own fresh clothes and gorgeous clothes stood up in the fields, commanding the strong forces to roam and supervise the work in the middle, and those who were a little slower were beaten badly, and there were many people who died in the fields because of this. However, in the current world, human life is the least valuable, and the corpses that have gone through many tortures and died are either buried directly in the fertile fields of the ditch, or dragged by iron hooks and fed tigers, wolves, and beasts.

Beyond the many estates, there are roads that extend in all directions. These roads do not need to be repaired, and for decades there have been many battles, and I don't know how many iron wheels have rolled over them, and they have already been trampled and crushed.

In recent years, as the situation in the north has gradually settled, the gathering of large groups of people is no longer as frequent as in previous years. However, there were still many people coming and going on these roads, and there were huge trucks full of goods from all over the world, which were continuously sent to the city of Xiangguo for the extravagant pleasures of the princes and nobles. There are also nomadic refugees who have been recruited or taken captive by various parties, who are escorted by hemp ropes, and then divided into slavery by those in high positions.

This kind of enslaved people alone live in the vicinity of Xiangguo, and there are hundreds of thousands of people! They are the cornerstone and foundation of the city's prosperity, but this prosperity has nothing to do with them.

Although there is no lack of fertile soil in this realm, there is also a fixed number of what comes out, and most of it has to be classified into various private treasury. The only thing these people can desire is that even if they can't continue to live with food and clothing, they can live so hard, and when they can't stand it one day, it will be when death comes.

Further inside the manor, there are several major military camps in the country. A large number of civil servants were placed here, and they did not have to undertake the production of farming, but they had to open the mountains and cut down trees, lay stones and piles, and build the city even stronger.

This labor was undoubtedly even more heavy, with people dying inside and outside the barracks every day, and the corpses were burned to ashes for fear of breeding epidemics, but many more were dug up and buried deep in the earth. But no matter how many people died, the scale of these large battalions was always small, and they could be replenished at any time.

Nowadays, Zhao Zhushile has repeatedly promoted virtue and politics, in order to persuade Sang, he has opened up a large area of land in the west of Xiangguo City, and even Tri Sangzi Garden, and selected hundreds of Liang families to live and weave here. Even sometimes the emperor would come here in person, and bring the kings and nobles to plant mulberry trees to guide and educate the people.

However, between the home field and the city, there are several large-scale construction sites, and the high platform of the Ming Hall is built to show the prestige of the country. Some of the magnificent pavilions and pavilions have been built, while others are still working on them in full swing.

The stone steps on the construction site were black and brown, red with the blood of the craftsmen who had been tortured by hard work. The surrounding land is so colourful that the weeds that grow are especially dense and vigorous. Every time the royal car arrives, in order to avoid the bloody stains of those corpses, they must be washed with water frequently, sprinkled with spices to cover the blood, and spread a thick brocade, which is a magnificent and prosperous scenery.

Closer to the city, the courtyards of the houses are lined up, and there is almost no spare land. In addition to the Liang family, who have been returning to Shun for a long time, they are the beloved Zahu tribe, or many craftsmen who have passed down their skills.

Although it was still on the outer edge of the city, it was already a paradise of peace and happiness in the eyes of the slaves who worked all day long and saw no hope.

In this area, you can already see many deep entrances to the official residence. For example, in the early years, Zhang Bin, the right marquis, who had many auxiliary merits, although he died, the emperor deeply remembered the old feelings, and did not forget the merits of the right marquis, so he specially built a mansion here for his family to be a place for reproduction, and specially sent elite guards to guard the family.

Even if there are many fierce people in the left and near who are covetous, they generally do not dare to offend the old mansion of the right marquis, so their family members can also live in peace.

The only thing that is not beautiful is that you don't dare to leave the palace easily, after all, although the emperor loves it, it is not a simple matter to use those palace guards, and you must always have a bribe to drive it. In the early years, although the right marquis made meritorious deeds and received a lot of rewards, but now the children have lost their positions, and it is inevitable that there will be inconveniences in sitting on the empty mountain.

Previously, a lady in the house left the house to worship the Buddha, and then there was no news, and even the soldiers who accompanied the guards disappeared. Similar to the haze, it has frequently shrouded the sky over the Youhou Mansion, which makes people feel uneasy.

Around the old city of Jianping, the scale of the building suddenly became larger. An ordinary mansion covers an area of more than one area, the door is high and deep, and the courtyard wall is high to isolate the inside and outside, which is the residence of the countrymen or the miscellaneous heroes.

These mansions are each in their own way, with little connection to each other, and the walls are planted with trees to keep outsiders out from prying eyes, and at the same time, there are a large number of arrow towers, guard towers, stables, and barracks within the courtyard walls, which can be described as a strict access control. Even if they live next to each other, they don't dare to slack off. Except for the people of his own tribe, he rarely interacts with outsiders. Although it is located within a city, it looks like a fortress dock wall that exists independently.

Among these mansions, there are also special courtyards that cover an extremely wide area and an area of more than ten hectares. Just from the size of the courtyard, it can be seen that the master's power is large, and people dare not offend easily, even if many Chinese people who are used to being fierce in the outer city come here, they must restrain their hearts and dare not be presumptuous.

Now the dear sons in the emperor's letter, such as Pengcheng Wang Shi Kan, the general Shi Cong, etc., although they each led the troops outside, they also had their own mansions and family members here.

Xiangshui passes through the city, there is no lack of palaces and towers on both sides, the princes and kings of the clan have their own different industries and villas here, even if their people are not there, but they also put more slaves and strong soldiers inside, accept bribes and goods, and accumulate fat and paste. In the vicinity, there are many barns and armories, stockpiling a large number of civilian and military goods.

This is the real core of the city, the emperor in recent years there is no lack of virtue and politics, the construction of all schools, and the selection of the Jin people in the Duomu of the Xiangwang family to live in the left near Chongrenli, and send the guard elite soldiers to guard, so that the people do not interfere with their lives, there are many Shandong, Hebei, Hedong famous homes here.

On the other side of the river is where the palace is located, and the tall and majestic buildings in the Jiande Palace are undulating like mountains, which makes people dare not look at it directly. There are Yongfeng City and Yongchang City on the left and right, all of which are small cities independent of the city, and each of them guards the palace room with heavy soldiers.

And further to the north, is where the forbidden army is located, tens of thousands of standing armor soldiers, there are many war horses, once there is a change in the four directions, the inside can defend Gyeonggi, and the outside can quell the rebellion, it can be said that the golden Ou is eternal, and there is no trouble inside and outside.

Autumn is high and cool, the period of the court. Between the Zhengyang Gate and the front gate of Miyagi, the Praetorian Guards are mighty, looking at the way, the sound of horses' hooves comes and goes, and a large number of armored generals dismount here. Those who have made outstanding contributions and enjoyed honors marched to the front of the Jiande Hall under the arch guard of the soldiers on the left and right, and then stood silently and waited for the announcement.

On the other side of the palace, there are nearly 100 Taiwan provincial officials waiting for edicts. Compared to the people on the other side, who are strong and fierce, the momentum here is slightly weaker.

The officials were also meticulous in their uniforms and belts, and there was no shortage of servants around them, but their momentum was a little weaker, and they looked left and right, or hung their heads silently, or they talked in a low voice with acquaintances, but they didn't dare to look directly at the disdainful or playful eyes of the fierce generals opposite.

Among these officials, the most important one is the right Guanglu doctor Cheng Yao, Cheng Yao has a thin complexion, three long beards, a crown and a body, and looks no different from the Shizuo Gaomen, which can be described as outstanding. At this time, there were many Taiwan provincial officials around him, and although they did not communicate much with each other, they already showed full tacit understanding in their positions.

Xu Guang, the Zhongshu Ling who is closest to Cheng Yao, is a middle-aged man with a round face and a slightly chubby body, and his slightly narrow eyes look at the other side silently, and then he took a step forward and whispered in Cheng Yao's ear: "At today's court meeting, King Zhongshan is absent for no reason. For the ministers so far, there is no monarch etiquette system, and there is really no minister's etiquette! ”

When Cheng Yao heard this, he subconsciously looked up at the opposite side, and then found that there was no shortage of eyes on the other side, with murder and gimmicked contempt in their eyes. His thin cheeks couldn't help but tremble, his slightly narrowed eyes were also cold, and a faint cold snort came out of his nose.

"In recent years, the Lord has been slightly restrained, and things have become more and more slow, and there are many indulgences, which is not a good state."

Xu Guang glanced at Cheng Yao with a worried look on his face, and whispered. These people are used as strategists, although they are now also in high positions and are in charge of the prohibition of Taiwan Province, but it does not mean that they can sit back and relax.

A few years ago, Cheng Yao's family tragedy, was abused by the king of Zhongshan, and his wife and concubines were humiliated, which can be described as an unprecedented and appalling atrocity in ancient and modern times! They are ministers in the same hall with each other, even if there is no lack of schadenfreude, but the thoughts of each other are still sympathetic to each other. Those arrogant soldiers and fierce generals are brave and brave, and they don't take these high-ranking officials of Taiwan Province in their eyes at all.

It's ridiculous that the Lord still thinks that those armed thugs are usable people, you must know that these high-ranking officials in Taiwan Province represent the majesty of the Lord, and they are actually humiliated and bullied! In other words, these warriors don't care about the majesty of the Lord at all. Such a chaotic omen, how can it be a blessing for the country!

When Cheng Yao heard this, his eyes flashed, and he noticed that there were not too many people looking at him directly, so he sighed and whispered: "Lord ...... old man."

As he spoke, he looked beyond the majestic hall to the east, where the Imperial Palace was located.

was so humiliated by Shi Hu, the king of Zhongshan, and as a result, the lord failed to severely punish the king of Zhongshan to get back justice and face for him, if there is no grudge in his heart, how can it be! But Cheng Yao also understands that in the eyes of the Lord, their group of subordinates who have followed at a young age, no matter how many suggestions they make, no matter how loyal they are, are just outsiders and will never be regarded as confidants.

For example, Zhang Bin, the right marquis who died in his early years, can be described as trustworthy and benevolent by the lord, but in fact, he is both used and prevented, and at the same time, he is acquiescing to suppress Zhang Bin. In the final analysis, the Qiang people are outnumbered, and there are more with less, and in the heart of the Lord, how to guard against the counterattack of the Jin people is the first priority!

If there was any idea of being loyal to the monarch and serving the country in order to achieve fame, then with Shi Hu's abuse a few years ago, even if there were many unrealistic dreams, Cheng Yao had already been cold to the king. Therefore, he gradually understood in his heart that no matter what kind of benevolent face the lord put on on the surface, their group of courtiers from the Jin people would never get the opportunity to take charge of the current situation!

Hope only lies in the crown prince, and only when the crown prince can take charge of the country in the coming day, will these people have real dignity and opportunities!

In fact, now that Cheng Yao is not alone in thinking about this, many courtiers gathered around him now actually have this kind of understanding to a greater or lesser extent. It is no secret that the king is benevolent and jealous. And the benevolent and enlightened crown prince is their only hope for establishing a dynasty!

As the uncle of the crown prince's mother, Cheng Yao has a natural advantage in his identity, and he is naturally widely respected and supported by the courtiers. But this identity is not all good for Cheng Yao.

The Lord has been estranged from him in recent years, and he has probably been wary of him as a troubled Han Zhao Jin Zhun in his heart. not only did not let him get too close to the crown prince to exert influence, but also deliberately promoted Yan Zhen, a regular attendant, to supervise the crown prince. Earlier, the crown prince had given him hundreds of guards to protect the family, but even though he was severely reprimanded by the lord for not giving the guards privately, he was ordered to return.

Moreover, in recent years, the Lord has consciously promoted some Wangzong portals in the Northland, not only to stabilize internal governance, but also to carve up the ruling authority of Cheng Yao and others. Those wealthy clans have a lot of reputations, and they have a very high reputation in the local area, which is far from being comparable to Cheng Yao's cold background.

It is conceivable that even if the crown prince succeeds to the throne in the coming days, Cheng Yao will not want to bypass those people and take the court. Among them, the most brilliant is the Taiyuan Guo family, the Guo family in the Jin Dynasty is already a good reputation of the Zong Zong, similar to the Chinese Dynasty celebrities Hedong Pei Xiu, Pingyang Jia Chong, all and Guo family.

And when the lord was in the micro, he was also a guest of the Guo family and was taken care of. Now Guo Yin is the secretary of Taiwan Province in the court, and Guo Quan and others are in charge of the military outside, which can be described as a great momentum.

In the front, there was the hostility of many fierce generals such as Shihu, the king of Zhongshan, and then there was the pressure of Taiyuan Guo and other Wangzong, although as the uncle of the crown prince, Cheng Yao was also in a difficult situation. Not to mention that the crown prince is not yet in power, even if he has taken the throne, Cheng Yao can't imagine that he can immediately reverse the situation.

The situation seemed to be precarious, but Cheng Yao also understood that he still had something to use, and the lord still wanted to use them to contain the King of Zhongshan, so it was not time to abandon it. For example, he moved the king of Zhongshan away from Yecheng earlier, detained Xiangguo, and let the crown prince take power in Yecheng. It is inconvenient for the Lord to come forward to do these things in person, and a few wicked people are needed to stop the population.

Therefore, Cheng Yao also kept his mission in mind, and Xu Guang frequently advanced to the Lord to be careful of the King of Zhongshan, although it had no effect, but it was also a statement, indicating that they would never surrender to the obscenity of the King of Zhongshan!

Fortunately, the King of Zhongshan is not without opponents, Shi Sheng, who guards Guanzhong, Shi Lang who guards Luoyang, and Shi Kan, who is in Henan and Xuzhou, have no shortage of resentment against King Zhongshan. Although these people are also unapologetic to Cheng Yao, they don't want to see the Zhongshan King family dominant, and it can also be said that there is a possibility of unity.

At today's court meeting, the topic should be the matter of Yuzhou. Last year, taking advantage of the turmoil in Wu, the lord ordered Shi Cong and other generals to send troops to break Shouchun in one fell swoop and sweep away the ancestral residence, which can be described as a great mood. Although it did not continue to go south and include all of Yuzhou as the country's territory, there were many dispatches and operations.

But he didn't expect the southern thieves to be so bold and couldn't hold their breath, and the new chaos was settled, so they sent troops north again and started the war lightly. What's even more excessive is that Huang Quan, who guarded Hefei, was so unusable that he was completely annihilated in the south by the southern thieves!

This failure is not enough to worry about, but it is really an unacceptable stain on today's national fortunes! Therefore, after the Lord received the retribution, he was also thunderous and angry, and today he summoned the internal and external civil ministers and military generals to discuss how to deal with it and recover this shame!

In this regard, Cheng Yao was not lacking in apprehension, after all, Huang Quan used it because of his recommendation. Although it was intended to weaken the wings of the King of Zhongshan, he did not expect Huang Quan to lose so ugly in the name of being good at fighting. Therefore, Cheng Yao is also ready to bear the blame later, especially the ridicule from the King of Zhongshan.

King Zhongshan did not attend today, and Cheng Yao breathed a sigh of relief. That madman is unscrupulous and can't be treated with common sense, Huang Quan died in Nantu, and this account will inevitably be recorded on his head and retaliated.

However, the next colleague's words made Cheng Yao breathe a sigh of relief again: "A few days ago, a team of people from the south galloped into the city and entered the mansion of King Zhongshan, which is said to be a messenger sent by Huang Quan......"

Hearing this, Cheng Yao couldn't be indifferent. Hefei is so far away from Xiangguo that the war report is not meticulous. There is no shortage of doubts about Huang Quan's defeat, and there may be inside information that has not been mentioned in the war report. And Cheng Yao really doesn't have a competent source outside, so it's difficult to get any detailed information.

Before Huang Quan was about to be defeated, he sent an envoy to see the King of Zhongshan, what was the inside story? Or, could it be that the king of Zhongshan had a plan in southern Henan?

Because his own strength is too little, whenever there is something unusual, Cheng Yao can't help but think a lot and dare not slack off. Even if there was no inside story about this matter, he still signaled people to step up their inquiries in this regard. Regardless of whether the King of Zhongshan has any plans to go south or not, it is always good to be prepared.

Many courtiers gathered outside the Jiande Hall for a long time, and they were not summoned for a long time, so they couldn't help but stir. It was not until the third pole of the sun that a tall figure came out of the temple and said to the people, "The Lord is feeling a little unwell today, so let's stop the day." Please return to the temple department for defense and discuss it again in the future. ”

Hearing this, the crowd couldn't help but talk louder. The ministers were okay, but they were a little surprised or worried about the posture of the Holy Body, and the generals pointed to the person who announced the decree and scolded a few words, that person is Yan Zhen, who is now a trusted and favored servant, and he is also not a fierce general.

Cheng Yao and Xu Guang glanced at each other, and there was also no lack of suspicion, not knowing whether the master was really uncomfortable or had other plans. But then again, since the beginning of this year, the Lord has had many actions to boycott the dynasty, and they don't dare to peep into the forbidden defense, but they just feel in their hearts that the Lord is indeed full of ambition now, and it is really far from the hard work in the early years.

Everyone retreated, and when Cheng Yao boarded the car outside the Yongfeng Gate at the side gate of the palace, an official suddenly walked up next to him, and said with a sneer: "Please Guanglu stay for a while, a stranger has recently settled in my township, and he is a master in the Southern Soil Heavenly Master Dao, who came to the north because of the chaos in the Southern Soil." He has many abilities, and he is especially good at rejuvenating the elixir. The servant saw the essence, did not dare to enjoy it for his own use, and was willing to introduce Coats to Guanglu. ”

Cheng Yao was full of worries at this time, and after hearing the words, he just waved his hand and said, "Write it down, stay until you have time." ”