Zhu Changxiao's version of the Sui Dynasty

Some days later, Fan Zigai, a minister of the Sui Dynasty, was sent as an envoy. Carrying Xiao Jun's autographed letter, he took a boat south to Jiangling and paid a visit to Xiao Cong, the empress of Liang Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty frequently sent envoys south, which made the second prince Xiao Qi very uneasy, so he came to the residence of Xiao Yan, the king of Anping.

Since Jin Princess Xiao Jun returned to the Sui Dynasty, Anping King Xiao Yan always thought that Xiao Jun was dead. Sooner or later, the Sui and Liang Dynasties would turn against each other, and the days of the Liang-Chen alliance were coming.

Unexpectedly, the second prince Xiao Wei came to the house in a panic again. Xiao Yan was puzzled and asked:"My nephew is in such a hurry, what is the urgent matter?" Xiao Wei frowned, waved his hand and said:"Uncle, forget it, last time The stern rammed and sank three official ships, leaving the little devil Xiao Jun to escape."

"What? Xiao Meiniang has returned to Beijing?"

"Hum, not only did he return to Beijing, but he also conveyed the late emperor's last words to seek surrender. This time, the Sui Emperor Yang Jian sent another man named Fan Zigai to discuss the conditions for Zhao'an."

"Snapped!"Anping King Xiao Yan slapped the table angrily and said angrily:"The matter has reached such a point, the lonely king went to meet with Fan Zigai in person!"

As he spoke, Xiao Yan got up angrily, but Xiao Gu quickly stopped him and said,"Uncle, don't get angry yet. It's too late. The emperor has already summoned Fan Zigai. Anping

King Xiao Yan was so angry that his nose was puffing up, and he added:"The former Jin Princess Xiao Jun has just left, and then Fan Zigai came. The former came to inquire about the truth, and the latter must have come to negotiate terms. This shows that Yang Jian is here." Accelerate the plan to annex our Daliang"

"The emperor will convene the clan and ministers to formally receive Fan Zigai at the Jiang Feng Pavilion tomorrow. The matter of recovering Jiangling will definitely be discussed. During the discussion, I want to confront Fan Zigai and question him."

Anping Wang Xiao Yan stroked his beard twice and said:"I have exactly what I want. I must not let Fan Zigai convince the emperor that he has to break into the dragon's den and the tiger's den!"

The uncle and nephew have discussed it and decided to confront Fan Zigai tomorrow at Jiang Feng Pavilion.

The next day, Fan Zigai came to Jiang Feng Pavilion and met again with Xiao Cong, the empress of Liang, his second brother Xiao Wei, and his seventh brother Xiao Jue. , Anping King Xiao Yan, General Dai Sengshuo and more than a dozen important officials from the Western Liang Dynasty gathered in Jiangfeng Pavilion to welcome Fan Zigai.

Fan Zigai entered the pavilion, paid homage to the Liang Lord Xiao Cong, and bowed to everyone one by one. Everyone sat aside. Xiao Cong said:"When the late emperor was dying, he made a last wish that Jiangling would surrender to the Sui Dynasty as soon as possible and complete the unification of the nine states. Now that the Sui Dynasty has sent an envoy, Mr. Zigai, to Jiangling, please tell me what your views are on the matter of surrender. The second prince, Xiao Wei, was the first to stand up and say:"There is nothing wrong with the unification of China. However, Yang Jian, the lord of the Sui Dynasty, was originally a minister of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

He deceived the emperor and usurped the throne. He was not orthodox. How can he be convinced by others?""

Everyone thought it was very polite. They thought that Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, had usurped the throne of his grandson and gave the Northern Zhou Dynasty to the Great Sui Dynasty. This throne was not a legitimate one and had an erroneous origin.

Xiao Cong, the queen's master, turned to look at Fan Zigai. Fan Zi covered his face without changing his expression, and said righteously:"The world is so big that those who are virtuous will live in it, and those who are without virtue will lose it. The clan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty is dark and weak. It can neither unite the four seas nor relieve the sufferings of all people. It has lost the righteousness of the world. What is left of it?" use?"

At this time, there was another man with a face like a red date, thick eyebrows and tiger eyes, a short beard, and a strong body. This man was Xu Shiwu, the commander of the Western Liang Navy. He said:"Our Liang Kingdom is already a Sui vassal state. Since you have surrendered to the Sui Dynasty and paid tribute, why should you insist on submitting? Isn't it difficult for others to force others?

Fan Zigai said:"The last wish of the first emperor of Liang Kingdom, Xiao Kui, was to unify China. How could Liang Kingdom be considered unified if it did not surrender?" Goryeo, Mohe, Khitan, and Turks can be regarded as vassal states. They are foreign races and different races, and their habits and customs are different from those in the Central Plains. However, the people of Jiangling and the people of Central Plains are of the same race, so how can they be regarded as vassal states.

Xu Shiwu added:"In terms of clan origin, it is undisputed that the Sui Lord was Han, but Queen Dugu was from Xianbei. How can she be compared with China?""

After this statement, all the ministers whispered to each other, and Fan Zigai said:"Mountains don't care about earth and rocks, so they can be as high as they are; seas don't care about rivers, so they can become as big as they are. I recall that during the Western Jin Dynasty, the Wuhu invaded. Although the Central Plains caused war, it assimilated all the ethnic groups in the northern part of the country. Regardless of whether the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qiang, Di and other ethnic groups eat Chinese food, wear Chinese clothes, and speak Chinese, they are no different from the Han people. The ethnic integration is great when there is tolerance. Therefore, the Northern Dynasty became stronger and stronger, while the Southern Dynasty declined.

At this time, the second prince, Xiao Wei, stood up again and said,"Shut up and listen to what I have to say." They keep talking about the unification of the four seas. Chen Guoliang in the south of the Yangtze River has hundreds of soldiers, thousands of warships, and no less than 300,000 horse and infantry troops. How many soldiers and horses do you have in the Sui Dynasty? How dare you claim to be unified! Fan

Zigai remained motionless, laughed, and said:"Since the founding of the Sui Dynasty, the people have been resting and raising the people. There are no less than 800,000 troops in the pass, and there are also 500,000 soldiers and horses surrendered to Qi." They also conquered the northern part of the Great Wall twice, pacified the Turks, and the people of all ethnic groups surrendered. They obtained another 200,000 soldiers and horses. Roughly speaking, there were 1.5 million horse and infantry troops!"

There were truths and lies in Fan Zigai's words. The officials of Liang State were shocked and sighed. The second prince Xiao Gu was young and easy to fool, but the old uncle Xiao Yan was not surprised.

Xiao Yan asked:"Even if the Sui Dynasty has troops Millions, but there is a natural chasm of the Yangtze River that separates the north from the south. People in the north are not used to water battles. Thinking back to their ancestors, the Battle of Chibi and the Battle of Feishui were not about Jiangnan people defeating the north with less and more. Master Fan's bluff here is just bullshit! Everyone laughed loudly after hearing this, and

Fan Zigai said:"The two battles of Chibi and Feishui were not about the dangerousness of the Yangtze River, but about the wise kings and wise ministers." But let’s take a look at Chen Shubao, the current leader of Chen. He is arrogant, extravagant and immoral. Even if he has half of the country, what’s the use? The country will only be destroyed sooner or later!"

Although the ministers had different opinions, Fan Zigai spoke politely and politely, which convinced everyone. Xiao Yan, the king of Anping, listened for a long time and found it difficult to convince himself, so he slowly stood up and said to everyone:"Everyone knows that the ruler of the Sui Dynasty had great talents and great strategies. Since the Northern Zhou Dynasty gave up the throne to Yang Jian, what good would happen if the Northern Zhou Dynasty deposed the emperor?"

When everyone heard this, they started talking in low voices again. Xiao Yan then said:"Yu Wenchan, Emperor Jing of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, abdicated the throne because he was young and ignorant. Yang Jian'en took revenge, but he didn't even spare a nine-year-old child and killed him. , Dare I ask Mr. Fan, if my Xiao family surrendered to the Sui Dynasty, wouldn't they end up with the same fate?

Seeing the criticism from all the officials of the Liang Kingdom, and even Xiao Cong frowning, Fan Zigai stood up and said:"At this time, at that time, the Sui and Liang Dynasties were married to in-laws, and Princess Xiao Jun of the Jin Dynasty entered the Sui Dynasty for five years. Everything was fine. The eighth prince, Xiao Yu, had been an official in the Sui Dynasty for two years and was fine. The Xiao family was highly respected, how could he do harm?"

The discussion among the people present became more and more intense,"Everyone, everyone!" Fan Zigai raised his voice and spoke to the audience,"Even Zigai is like this. My father Fan Ru was originally a minister of Xiao Yan, Emperor Wu of Liang Dynasty. In the third year of Taiqing, Hou Jing rebelled and his family moved north. Since then, he has submitted to the Sui Dynasty. Under the Lord's command, his official career remains the same and his wealth can be guaranteed. Take me as a lesson and submit to the Sui Dynasty, why not?"

After hearing these words, the personal experiences of Fan Zigai and his son somewhat convinced Liang's ministers, but the officials of the pro-Chen faction still held their own opinions and argued indifferently.

After a debate, Xiao Xiao, the empress of Liang, Cong couldn't tell, so he had to let Fan Zigai go back to the post house to rest.

Fan Zigai also felt that the current situation was difficult when he returned to the post house. He sat alone on a stone bench in the courtyard, rarely taking a break. He felt that among the Xiao royal family, there was no scruple. There are quite a few people, and it would be difficult to convince them if they don’t come up with a perfect plan.

Looking up at the night, only the lone moon shines in the sky. When I was frowning, I suddenly saw a servant coming to report:"Seventh Prince Xiao Juan wants to see you.""

"Please come soon."

Fan Zigai knew that the seventh prince Xiao Jue had a close friendship with Yang Guang and wanted to merge with the Sui Dynasty. Now that Xiao Jue has arrived, there must be good news. When the two met, the host and guest were seated, but Xiao Jue hadn't spoken yet. Fan Zigai said:"Your Highness is here just in time. Today's debate may have offended many members of the Xiao family and made it even more difficult for me."

Xiao Juyan said:"This is exactly why I came. Today, the clan and ministers all have different political opinions. We can deny the strategy of settling in the middle to appease everyone."

"A middle-of-the-road strategy? Fan Zigai frowned and asked thoughtfully:"The middle strategy mentioned by the prince must have been well understood, so he might as well remind his subordinates.""

Xiao Cong said:"Can the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty first recruit the virtuous and respected veterans of the Liang Kingdom to take important positions in the Sui Dynasty, and then summon the Lord of Liang to submit after a year? In this way, the trust will be doubled, and the people of the Liang Kingdom will be able to submit with peace of mind. When Fan

Zigai heard this, he thought this was a solution and said,"Xiao Jun is already the princess of Jin Dynasty, and Xiao Yu has become an official in the Sui Dynasty.""

Xiao Jun shook his head and said:"Xiao Jun has been wandering the streets since he was a child. Although he has compassion, he has no prestige; Convince everyone?"

"I wonder who among Liang Guo’s highly respected people can be chosen?"

"Xiao Cen, the king of Xiping, and Xiao Yan, the king of Anping, both had the status of imperial uncles. However, Xiao Cen had a peaceful temperament and preferred ease, so he could be called into the Sui Dynasty as an official."

Fan Zigai heard what he said, which was better than ten years of reading. He was overjoyed and said:"Oh, if it hadn't been for the seventh prince to remind me, I would have delayed the important event."

With that said, Fan Zigai stood up and took out a can of tea, and said with a smile:"I have benefited a lot from the teachings of the Seventh Prince. I am a 'fairy' in the relationship, so I might as well make a pot of tea and taste it."Xiao Jue was naturally happy, and the two took advantage of the night to drink tea and chat, and became very friendly.

Fan Zigai received the reminder from the seventh prince Xiao Jue, and immediately wrote a letter and sent someone back to the capital immediately to deliver it to Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty Yang Jian. Hurry up. He ran quickly, picking up people along the way, and soon the letter was delivered to the capital....

Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, received a letter from Fan Zigai in Jiangling, so he summoned the two prime ministers Gao Jong and Su Wei into the palace. The two prime ministers sat on each side.

Yang Jian picked up a letter from Long's desk and said:"This memorial was written to me by Fan Zigai a few days ago. He asked the court to recruit respected relatives of Liang Guo in order to gain trust, so that the Lord of Liang could surrender with confidence."

Gao Jiong He took the memorial, read it, and said:"I'll be honest, since ancient times, many kings who have subjugated their country have not met a happy end. The Xiao family is worried that once the Sui Dynasty annexes the Liang Kingdom, they will make the same mistake again. So the Liang Kingdom thought Unite Chen State to resist the Sui Dynasty in order to survive in the cracks."

Su Wei said:"I boldly say that the Xiao family is a famous surname in Jiangnan. If your majesty can give Xiao family grace and be merciful, he will take it in the future. Jiangnan is also easy to control people’s hearts"

"Um." Yang Jian heard what the two said was reasonable, and said to Gao Jiong:"Immediately draft an edict to recruit Xiao Cen, the king of Xiping in the Liang Kingdom, to join the court, so that everyone in the Liang Kingdom will not be in danger. Then he said to Su Wei:"If Xiao Cen enters the court, please order Jin Wang Yang Guang and Xiao Jun to greet him. Don't neglect it.""

Gao Jun received the decree, drafted it, and sent it to Jiangling. This Xiliang Kingdom was a vassal state of the Sui Dynasty. The emperor's edict from the Sui Dynasty was sent to Xiao Cong. Although Xiao Cong did not kneel down, he still had to bend down to receive the decree. To make a long story short , Xiping King Xiao Cen was old and was recruited by the Sui Lord to take on important positions. Liang Lord Xiao Cong naturally did not dare to stop him, so he just used Xiao Cen to surrender to him.

Xiao Cen then bid farewell to Liang Lord Xiao Cong , went to work in Daxing City, the capital. It was a bumpy journey, and he came to Tongguan. Xiao Cen was far away from Jingjiang, and when he first arrived in Guanzhong, he looked at such a majestic pass from a distance, and secretly thought that this high and dangerous pass was just like what Han Yu said in a poem of the Tang Dynasty:

Jingshan has gone to Huashan Come, the four doors of Tongguan open at sunrise.

The governor greets Hou Yuan without saying goodbye, and the minister lingers for a long time.

Inside the city gate cave, two teams of Sui soldiers trot out, and outside the pass they form two lines. Under the support of a group of guards, they face each other. When the three of them walked out, Xiao Cen looked very friendly.