Chapter 64 Chambers
Zhongming country's royal family, because of that one palace banquet, instantly withered and declined; if not for Ouyang, Wei, and a few other essential ministers and big clans struggling to maintain, it would be completely extinct. The strongest of several original big clans is the Marquis of Dingguo Dongfang Chang in the southern capital. Whether human and material or financial resources, any clan can not be compared to a counterbalance.
Zhangsun Ji of Yue Xi City, located in the west, had just returned to his clan's old home and quickly proclaimed himself Emperor Yue, designating several cities and counties in the west as his sphere of influence. When he first took away a lot of gold and silver treasures from the Elder Princess Nanling's residence, as well as the tremendous amount of greed and ink he had acquired in the Zhongming court over the years, it allowed him to secretly raise a large number of Zhangsun clan's private armies in Yue Xi City. This small, remote city was once high in the sky and far from the emperor. The Zhangsun Clan, a previously unappreciated and fallen clan, had suddenly risen to become another significant power that could check and balance with Ouyang and Wei in the center and Dongfang in the south.
Thus, the original unification of the great country in the Ming, now falling apart, became a divided, three-legged state. Ouyang and Wei, two clans, also had to divide a large number of troops to resist the invasion of the Dingling clan. Whether to deal with the East Chang or Zhangsun executive was a bit of a struggle. If the West and the South united, then it must be dead.
Now, Dongfang Chang remained mysterious, and his behavior was ambiguous. He has not opened the city gates to welcome the newly crowned young emperor into Nandu to support the vertical city in the fight against the invasion, nor has he announced to the world to stand up for himself as the king. Ouyang Ming has repeatedly sent messengers to Nandu to meet Dongfang Chang and mediate. Still, there is no news, and the messengers who have been sent there are all being treated to delicious food and drink and put under house arrest in Nandu city.
Ouyang Ming was so angry that he couldn't sleep at night, and his mouth was sore. He hated: "Dongfang Chang, you are an unfaithful, unfilial, and treacherous old thing. Give me to play this. Good, then I will personally go to meet you!"
Ouyang Ming led thousands of elite soldiers, also equipped with a dozen or so dead guards at his side, toward Nandu. He sat in the carriage, carrying the imperial decree and solemnly holding the rune, determined to have a good theory or two with Dongfang Chang. But he didn't expect that his carriage was twenty miles away from Nandu, and Dongfang Chang was with an attendant, leisurely drinking tea under a pavilion.
Ouyang Ming got out of the car and angrily held up his talismanic knuckles, intending to hit Dongfang Chang. Dongfang Chang easily dodged them and then smilingly opened his mouth: "Oops, I say, brother Ouyang, how come you've gained weight after many years of not seeing each other? The weather is hot, and you've been gone for so long, so come to the pavilion and have a cup of tea. You and I, brothers, can also catch up on old times and discuss family matters."
"His Holiness is still suffering in Xi City. I'm not in the mood to drink this tea with you. You old thing, I don't know how you became what you are now after not seeing you for a few years. I often sent people to inform you to welcome the new emperor into Nandu. Why didn't you open the city gates for him? You even held back the men I sent. Dongfang Chang, I need more time to beat around the bush with you, so give me a quick answer: will you let us in or not? Also, did you know that Dingling's army conquered several northern counties and reached Zongcheng City? If Zongcheng is lost, you'll have to take Nandu. Are you going to be like that guy Zhangsun, who has a rebellious heart and wants to make himself king?"
"You're always so composed, saying so much nonsense immediately. Three years old and seven years old. I've known you since we were seven or eight years old. You really haven't grown at all after decades." Dongfang Chang sneered and continued to sip tea to himself. "If I am determined not to welcome the new emperor into the city, what can you do to me? Right here, with these thousand or so people you've brought with you to kill me and barge in?"
"You! Don't think that I would not dare to lay my hands on you just because I would take into account the love of my former classmates. For the sake of national justice, I'll really kill you with my own hands today!"
"Aigoo! You're just a weak old scholar with no hands. I'm terrified, yo! Also, when did you become so deeply righteous and loyal to your country? I don't know you. How many bad things have you done in the imperial court? You've been a party member, a lawbreaker, an enabler, and a dupe, and you've been cited in so many cases that you've had to use an oxcart to pull them all in. Now you're pretending to be a loyal minister? Now, you are almost the hostage of the emperor to order the vassals and achieve a person under the position of ten thousand people. Even the imperial decree is written and sealed by you. Do you still have the nerve to say I want to plot against you? It's ridiculous. What's more, I don't even recognize that four-year-old doll as the new ruler of Zhongming. I have a rebellious heart, not for a day or two, but for twenty years! Moreover, I am not going to make myself king. I want to overthrow this Xiao family, and from now on, Zhongming shall be known as Dongfang!"
"Good! Good! Dongfang Chang, you are a wolf with a heart of gold, and now you don't even bother to act and pretend? Since you are disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unrighteous, I will take your life for His Majesty! Generals, listen to me! Capture this traitor Dongfang Chang and execute him by decapitation!"
Ouyang Ming and Dongfang Chang grew up together, played together, studied together, and even wore the same pants. But I didn't realize that the good brothers of that year were now going to turn against each other and meet each other in arms. Ouyang Ming, in the order, eyes red, tears in the eyes in circles, the whole person shaking because of anger.
Dongfang Chang was alone in the pavilion, drinking tea and enjoying the scenery, intentionally waiting for Ouyang Ming's caravan army; he knew Ouyang Ming too well, but Ouyang Ming did not know him well enough. Just as Ouyang Ming's soldiers rushed towards the unarmed Dongfang Chang one by one with their swords, thousands of arrows shot at them in unison, almost wiping out everyone except Ouyang Ming. Tens of thousands of Dongfang Chang's troops had long ago prepared an ambush in the mountains and forests on both sides of the road.
Ouyang Ming was so shocked that he fell to the ground at once, and the talismanic knuckles in his hands had now become his crutches and weapons of self-protection. Ouyang Ming admitted that he was not a good person, not to mention a good and clean official, but even after achieving the position of Supervisor, he had never wanted to overthrow the current emperor to appoint himself as the king of the country, and even more so, he didn't want to see the country torn apart and being invaded by foreigners towards extinction. He didn't understand how this person who was known as Marquis of Dingguo, this loyal and good man after his ancestors threw their heads and blood for the country to fight for the kingdom, how did he become like this now. At this moment, Ouyang Ming is going to die at any time at the hands of his friend. He laughs at himself for just ordering to capture Dongfang Chang. There is still a trace of intolerance in his heart, but he has become a fish and meat for the knife and chopper in a flash. As Dongfang Chang said, Ouyang Ming boasts of a lifetime of cleverness, but there is still no progress.
Dongfang Chang slowly walked to the front of Ouyang Ming, put away the beginning of the smile, and no longer eyes. He picked up this childhood friend, once upon a time the two people's feelings that can be a lifetime, but in the struggle for power and significant life choices, father and son relatives and friends and throw.
Ouyang Ming, trembling as if muttering in general, said: "Once in the school, the best learning is you, Dongfang Chang, read so many holy books, national policy theory, loyalty to the emperor and the country, the country's great righteousness to say the most, said the best is also you. But now, how can one become a traitor of the country? You can not be loyal to the king, but there is no egg under the nest. Dingling people hit; these thousands of people will be how? You won't be able to do it alone. Where will there be any Zhongming Kingdom left?" He stared tightly at Dongfang Chang and asked almost desperately, "You refuse to welcome the young emperor, so you also refuse to send troops to save Zongcheng?"
"You don't care that much whether this Zhongming is surnamed Xiao or Dongfang, do you? As long as you help me seize the throne and help me inherit the throne, I will mobilize all of Nandu to crush Dingling and reclaim the lost land. I'll also care for Zhangsun Deacon and his son Zhangsun Tai in the west. Most importantly, I will go to Zongcheng to rescue your son, Ouyang Zhong. That is your main concern, right?" Dongfang Chang looked at Ouyang Ming with a leathery smile. Then he added, "I'm not negotiating with you to make a deal. I'm ordering you. Understand?"
"What if I say I disagree? What if I can't agree even if you kill me?" Ouyang Ming roared! Since the face of friendship and whatnot had already been torn apart, there was no more need to pretend to be superficially peaceful.
"Good, then I'll fulfill your reputation of loyalty and righteousness, letting you, a First Grade Supervisory Sangguo Duke, be a good official to be praised by the world." Then, Dongfang Chang drew his short sword from his sleeve and ruthlessly stabbed it into Ouyang Ming's heart. Ouyang Ming clutched Dongfang Chang's collar tightly; his eyes were desperate and sad, but in the end, he spat out a mouthful of blood from his heart, and he instead fell to the ground with a look of relief.
Ouyang Ming knew that coming to Nandu in person this time would be a life of nine deaths, with little hope of survival. So, he only brought a thousand soldiers and generals with him. The rest of the army was used to guard Xi City on the one hand, and part of both the official army and the government soldiers or forceful family members raised by the clans and families in Xi City were all deployed to support Zongcheng in the fight against the Dingling Clan. For Ouyang Ming, no matter how corrupt he had been, in front of the righteousness of the country, he still strictly followed his ancestral teachings. To maintain this almost devout belief-like concept, he would rather sacrifice his own life than hesitate to do so.
Dongfang Chang didn't have much emotion when he killed his best friend with his own hands. He calmly took the handkerchief handed over by his attendant. He wiped his hands clean before ordering his men, "Cut off Ouyang Ming's corpse as well as the left ears of these 1,000 soldiers that he brought with him, and send them back to Xi City together as an offering from our Nandu to congratulate the new emperor, Xiao Qing, on his ascension to the throne." Then, he laughed evilly and impetuously.
Dongfang Chang had gone mad ten years ago.
Twenty years ago, his most beloved cousin had disappeared after following her father on a trip to Northwatch City. When he finally found out the news, he learned that his uncle, Zhao Zhi, who was the wealthiest man in Nandu at that time, had been sent by the Zhongming Monarch, Xiao Zhan, on a mission to a few tribes in the north to try to draw them together and make good relations. Unexpectedly, the northern tribes didn't eat this; they not only killed Zhao Zhi and embezzled the treasures and black gold brought over but also captured his cousin Zhao Qian'er, who traveled with him.
That's right, Zhao Qian'er is the woman from Nandu who Tuoba Zhe, the birth mother of Tuoba Cheng and Tuoba Xian, directly possessed.
Dongfang Chang has been in love with the two small from a young age, and Qian'er fixed doll marriage. Initially, he wanted to wait for Dongfang Chang's weak crown when he inherited the title, and he would marry his cousin to become the Marquis's honored mistress. However, he has only been in the Vertical City as an official for two or three years and did not keep his cousin, and when you know about Qian'er's accident, everything is too late.
Young Dongfang Chang initially hoped that countless times, the court would petition Xiao Zhan to order a crusade against the Dingling tribe, but Xiao Zhan refused. But Xiao Zhan refused. Unwilling to do so, he went to the palace again and again to see the saint and was sent away. Dongfang Chang's uncle died in another country. The barbarians captured his cousin, such a shameful national hatred, as the king of the country, Xiao Zhan, only not salty to appease a few words, rewarded some gold and silver, and then said in a dignified manner as a sacrifice for the country, posthumously awarded a posthumous title for the loyal, and then hastily ended. Xiao Zhan continued to spend his days drunkenly, entirely regardless of the bottom of the people. In the end, what was suffering? What was the crime? From that moment on, Dongfang Chang realized that there was no need for such a monarch to continue to follow him faithfully. Thus, a well-thought-out plan was brewing in his mind.
Ten years ago, several groups of people he sent finally found Qian'er, who had already been destroyed beyond recognition, and he went to the northern land to try to bring Qian'er back. However, unfortunately, it still didn't work out as he had hoped, so much so that he couldn't even see Qian'er when she breathed her last. But no matter what, Dongfang Chang finally brought Zhao Qian'er's bones back to Nandu, and Uncle Zhao Zhi, who died in the grasslands of Dingling, father and daughter buried together.
Dongfang Chang, kneeling in front of Qian'er's tomb, drinking three days and nights of wine, loud crying, tired of crying lying down on the tombstone next to sleep, wakes up and continues to drink drunkenness like ashes. He never married his wife because the first wife's position would always be Qian'er. He swore to the heavens that he would overthrow the mediocre Xiao Zhan, break up and rebuild the rotten and broken Zhongming, and he would personally cut down Tuoba Zhe's head and flatten the Dingling tribe so that this tribe would completely disappear from this world!
Since ten years ago, Dongfang Chang had started every step of his plan. He was already tired of seeing those faces of the Xiao family, so unless it were essential, he would not go to Zongcheng to face the Holy Spirit, whether it was to sue for illness or any other reason. In short, he just refused to go. Then he kept expanding his financial, human, and material resources, recruiting troops and horses, waiting for the day he would take down the Xiao family's world in one fell swoop. To achieve his goal, he even went so far as to take over in a roundabout way, including Zhangsun Deacon in the west and even his nephews, Tuoba Cheng and Tuoba Xian.
Dongfang Chang knows that Zhangsun执 hibernates in Xiao Wushuang's lustful authority for many years, has long been unable to swallow this bad breath, and has always wanted to restore his Zhangsun clan, looking forward to shining the lintel of the clan to shine the ancestor to live with a raised eyebrow. Only Zhangsun executive is not intelligent and has no more extraordinary courage; he only wants to be in a corner to do what a small king can for the complete overthrow of the Xiao family dynasty, not that vigor. So Dongfang Chang promised to give him a few states and counties under the rule of Yue Bian, so that he could enjoy his old age there, but also promised that whether the court sent troops to crusade or the Dingzui iron horse riders attacked, he could be out of the force to ensure that his whole city without worry.
At the time of the dark current of the king's night banquet, the absence of Dongfang Chang and Zhangsun Zhiwei at the same time is not an accident but rather a long-planned plan within things. As for the poison under the guise of elixir, the grassland rat spirit changed into a demonic male consort, the man-eating crows manipulated with evil magic, etc., Dongfang Chang all knew it early.
Tuoba Cheng hoped to replace his father and become the unification of the great monarch's steppe, so he agreed to the south of this sudden uncle for the interests of the binding. When Tuoba Cheng died, the plan could not be put on hold; cultivated for many years, the young prince Tuoba Xian became the best replacement for his brother Tuoba Cheng as a remote manipulator of the Oriental Chang, a chess piece.
Now, the Dingling large part of the south to attack the vertical city, Dongfang Chang, has also been known for a long time. He delayed action because only through the hands of others to extinguish all the obstacles can he break the big to complete their own setup in the game. Hatred has already made this once known as the first talent of the Central Ming Dynasty, literary and military strategy peerless national scholar, gradually plunged into the darkness of the dilemma. His heart has been more and more into the devil; occasionally, only a little bit of conscience can be slightly awakened for a moment in front of his cousin's tombstone. However, more often than not, his heart is being gnawed by his own desire for revenge, being clutched in the palm of his hand by the demon he willingly sacrificed himself to, unable to escape.