Chapter 2318
Chapter 2318
Chapter 2318
The reason why North Korea has turned into the current situation where powerful ministers control the government is in the final analysis due to the weak national strength and the weak monarch. Li Zhen was unable to take strong countermeasures in the face of internal and external troubles, which led to his own prestige. step down.And he is also aware of the danger of this situation, and can only control his subordinates to maintain rule through political means.
But these methods can only solve the temporary difficulties, but they can't fundamentally change the status quo of the weak monarch and the strong minister, and finally let the people under him have undue ambitions in their lives.Li Jing was very worried that Haihan's influence in North Korea would threaten his rule, but when he realized that he was gradually losing control of the government, the only straw he could grasp was Haihan.
In an emergency, he went to the doctor, and Li Yu wanted to introduce Haihan officials to assist in governing, hoping to use Haihan to suppress the powerful officials in the court, so as to form a new balance, so as to ensure the stability of his rule.As for the consequences arising from this, Li Zhen couldn't care less about it.But what Li Zhen never expected was that this risky move would actually accelerate the deterioration of the situation, allowing the powerful officials to find a reason to overthrow him from the throne.
If it weren't for the disagreement between the two factions who started the action, this farce probably wouldn't have lasted for such a long time at all. Even the eldest son Li Yan had rushed back from Haihan Kingdom thousands of miles away, and the two factions were still there. There were intrigues in the city, and they failed to reach an agreement on a plan for power transition.
The reason why it took so long to make the situation go out of control is mainly because Kim Sang-heon and Cui Ming-gil don't trust each other, and they have been secretly using means to calculate their opponents.
When the two old foxes were making the plan, they agreed that the king Li Ji would be "assassinated and killed." There is no way to clean it by yourself.In this way, it can be regarded as a reasonable explanation to the whole court, both at home and abroad.
When the time comes, the two will have made great contributions to the chaos. Of course, they will continue to take charge of the government for the next king, and then call on the whole country to turn their grief and anger into strength and revenge against the Qing Dynasty as soon as possible.Even if the Haihan people sensed that there was something wrong with Li Zhen, they couldn't produce any evidence, and most of them could only admit it with their noses.
This plan seems quite comprehensive and very feasible, but the problem is that both Kim Sang-heon and Cui Mingji want to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring down their old opponents.
But perseveringly, the two have been fighting openly and secretly in the officialdom for half their lives, so how could they be put to death so easily by the other party, each of them was a little careful during the operation, and then discovered the other's small movements without accident.
It was Kim Sang-heon who was in charge of doing things in the palace, but afterward Cui Mingji sent people to the palace for an autopsy and found that there was something wrong with the king's body, and it was suspected that someone had transferred it.How could Cui Mingji dare to speak out about this kind of thing, so he sent people to investigate secretly, and at the same time postponed the original plan, and has been delaying the issuance of the edict announcing the assassination of the king.
And Kim Sang-heon is also waiting for Cui Mingji to issue an edict in the name of leading the government, and then he can launch a big move to subdue the opponent.Cui Mingji didn't move, and he couldn't move either, so he could only wait patiently.
So after going back and forth like this, a month passed.Seeing that Haihan's army stopped when they arrived at Ganghwa Island and did not take the initiative to intervene as they feared, they gradually felt relieved, thinking that Haihan should have no intention of interfering in the chaos in Seoul, as long as they can give a reasonable explanation afterwards can handle it.
But what Cui Mingji and Jin Shangxian didn't expect was that Li Yi came back so quickly. According to the news from outside the city today, the Haihan army left Ganghwa Island and came to Seoul because Li Yi had already returned.Obviously, without knowing the situation in Seoul, Hai Han decisively chose to support the son, which is to protect him and come back to seize power.
At this time, Cui Mingji really started to panic. The whereabouts of the king have not been found out, and it is likely that it is in the hands of Kim Sang-heon.It has been so many days, maybe Kim Sang-heon has created many "iron evidence" long ago, using the king's testimony to push everything on himself.At that time, there will be no way to argue, and Jin Shangxian can only let Jin Shangxian put the hat of rebellious minister and thief on his head.
Of course, Cui Mingji couldn't just sit and wait to die. Since there was no way out, he could only fight to the death.If he can confirm the whereabouts of the king, send troops in time to silence him, and then kill Kim Sang-heon with his backhand, then he will still have time to use the same script on the opponent.When the time comes, the dead will not be able to defend themselves, and the blame for rebellion will naturally be blamed on the other party.
But the time left for him to deal with the crisis is very limited. The Haihan army outside the city only gave one night's buffer time. If there is no reply after tomorrow morning, the Haihan army will attack the city.
This means that between him and Kim Sang-heon, only one side may survive tonight, and tomorrow the winner will take the head of the other side to claim credit for the Haihan people.
"Unexpectedly, in the end, this competition is not only about the winner, but also about life and death!" Cui Mingji sighed secretly.
He has played all the cards in his hands now, no matter whether he can find the whereabouts of the king tonight, he has to fight to the death with Kim Sang-heon.
Now that things have happened, Cui Mingji actually regrets working with La Jin Shangxian a little bit, otherwise there would be no such troubles now.But without the cooperation of Kim Sang-heon in this matter, it would never be possible to bring everything inside and outside Seoul under control so smoothly.
The so-called good fortune depends on misfortune, probably this is the reason.
After nightfall, the tower outside the city observed that several places in the city were on fire, and there was even a faint cry of killing, and quickly reported to the headquarters in the stronghold.
After receiving the news, Tom Wang and Qian Tiandun both put down what they were doing and rushed to the tower to check the movement in the city for themselves.
"It must be fighting!" Tom Wang observed for a moment and came to a conclusion: "It has been quiet for a few days, and suddenly started fighting at this time. Someone should want to protect themselves."
"It may also be due to the uneven distribution of spoils. Don't forget that there are many civil and military officials involved in this matter. With so many people sharing the cake, it is difficult to divide it evenly." Qian Tiandun added.
Tom Wang has a different opinion on this: "I would rather believe that they are trying to clean themselves up, kill some people, and just put the blame on the dead."
"Yes, dead people can't testify for themselves." Qian Tiandun immediately came to his senses and nodded in agreement: "Tomorrow they only need to hand over some dead people, and all their sins will be covered."
Although they knew little about the current situation in the city, the two had stayed in North Korea for so long, and they had a better understanding of the country's various traditions.They have also studied the relevant historical materials for the court coups in the history of North Korea one after another, and they have some expectations for the tricks that the North Koreans may play.
"Who do you think will come forward to negotiate with us?" Qian Tiandun asked.
Wang Tom thought for a while before answering: "Jin Shangxian! If you can't even grasp this opportunity, then I can only persuade Li Yan to give up on him earlier."
Since Haehan sent troops to North Korea last year, Kim Sang-heon has maintained close contacts with the Hae-han army. The negotiations on the cooperative industries in Datong River were made by Kim Sang-heon, and the officials sent by North Korea to coordinate various affairs were also involved. They are all his subordinates.Even after Haehan decided to invite North Korea to send overseas students represented by his son, Kim Sang-heon was the first to express his approval.
In their view, Jin Shangxian should be a smart person who knows how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. Regardless of whether he participated in the coup in the city or not, he should have a way to protect himself.
As for whether to keep this person at that time, it probably depends on his follow-up performance.In Wang Tom and Qian Tiandun's plan, except for the king himself, everyone else in the city can be targeted to be cleaned up.Li Yan didn't dare to do things that were inconvenient, they didn't have much scruples, they were nothing more than arranging a crime with their lips.
Of course, the person who caused the chaos in Seoul might also abscond overnight in fear of crime, but in that case, his identity would be exposed, and all previous efforts would be wasted.Besides, even if you escaped from Seoul, where can you escape?Therefore, Haihan didn't think about blocking Seoul at all, and chose to camp in the south of the city, guarding the area from Sungnyemun to the bank of the Han River, ensuring that it can be attacked and defended.
The chaos in the city did not end quickly, but the movement became louder and louder. The faint flames from the city indicated that there were more than one or two places on fire, and there were occasional gunshots in the flames, obviously an armed conflict broke out .
According to Fu Li, the movement at this time seems to be no less than the level of the night when the accident happened.However, the city has been quiet for so long, and there is sudden chaos tonight. It is very likely that the ultimatum issued in the evening played a role.
Fighting started in many places in the city that night, and it didn't calm down until early morning.However, the closed Sungnyemun Gate was still closed overnight, and no one escaped through it.
Li Yan took the initiative to go to the headquarters early in the morning to meet Wang Tom and Qian Tiandun, but seeing the obvious dark circles on his face, it was obvious that he didn't have a good rest last night.
"The two generals have worked hard. I heard that there was another chaos in the city last night. Is there any new news?" Li Yan asked after meeting.
Wang Tom replied: "There is no news yet, son, don't worry, the chaos in the city means that the people inside have panicked, they are either planning to rob property and then abandon the city and flee, or they are fighting each other, waiting for the fire to come together." Then we'll decide a winner to explain it all to us."
Li Yan said: "General Wang is so confident, is it true that he will not encounter resistance?"
Wang Tom said: "Of course there is such a possibility, but if the people in the city really planned to resist by force, such a situation would not have happened last night. Now that the situation has been messed up, it will be difficult to unite the hearts of the people. Your Excellency , Whoever comes forward to contact us afterwards will be the winner of the chaos in the city last night."
Although Li Yan felt that what Tom Wang said was somewhat reasonable, he did not dare to be too optimistic. If Haihan really let the rebellious party in the city surrender without a single soldier, then the purpose of this rebellion and What is the meaning?
Tom Wang raised his hand to check the time, and then ordered: "Send a letter into the city, and in another hour, if you don't open the door and surrender, we will do it!"
Immediately, a rider rushed out from the stronghold, arrived at the city, drew his bow and shot an arrow at the top of the city. The arrow had no arrowhead, and only a letter was tied to the shaft.After the defenders on the top of the city receive it, they will naturally send it to those who can make a decision.
"My son hasn't had breakfast yet, right? Sit down and eat something together, and wait while you eat." Qian Tiandun gestured for his orderly to bring the breakfast.
Seeing that they were all relaxed, Li Yan finally relaxed a little, smiled and sat down to have breakfast with them.
An hour is not a long time, but it is really difficult for Li Yan. He hopes that the rebellious party in the city can open the door and surrender, so as to prevent the war from spreading to Seoul.But at the same time, he didn't want to see those daring rebels cowering in front of the Haihan people. The defenders of Seoul and the royal guards are the elite of the country's army. If they don't resist, they will surrender directly. , that is too weak.
Seeing that the time was approaching, but there was still no movement from Sungnye Gate, Qian Tiandun sent an order to reload the artillery that had been aimed at the city gate, and the follow-up infantry units entered the fighting state. After receiving the order, they immediately started Siege.
Li Yan was about to persuade Qian Tiandun to see if he could give Qian Tiandun a little more time, when a soldier came to report that the Chongli Gate had been opened.
"That's it?" Tom Wang smiled and gave Li Yan a look, which means you see that I am right.
Li Yan forced a smile, Xin Dao really just surrendered like this?
However, after the city gate was opened, it was not the civil and military officials who surrendered, but one person and one horse, who came straight to the stronghold, apparently also to deliver a letter.
After inspection, the courier was brought to Wang Tom and others, and presented a letter.
The content of the letter was not much, Tom Wang took it and quickly read it, and handed it to Qian Tiandun, and Qian Tiandun read it before passing it to Li Yan for review.
Li Xun has been helping his father review the memorials for the past two years, so the familiar handwriting can be seen to be the handwriting of Chief Minister Kim Sang-heon.
Kim Sang-heon’s description is very simple. A month ago, Choi Ming-gil, the political leader, colluded with Manchu spies, summoned his party members to launch a coup in Seoul, put officials and members of the royal family under house arrest, and tried to coerce the king to tear up various diplomatic agreements signed with Haehan. Re-conclude the alliance with the Manchu Qing.
Under his coercion, Kim Sang-hsun made false promises and dealt with the chaotic party slowly, waiting for an opportunity to rescue the king and others.But because the time dragged on for too long, the rebellious party had lost patience, and the Haihan army also arrived in Seoul, so they were ready to massacre the city and blame the matter on the court officials who did not cooperate with them.
As a result, the two sides started fighting last night, and it didn't subside until dawn. However, there are still remnants of rebels in the city, and they are currently being arrested. Therefore, Jin Shangxian suggested that the Haihan army enter the city a day later for safety.
(End of this chapter)
The reason why North Korea has turned into the current situation where powerful ministers control the government is in the final analysis due to the weak national strength and the weak monarch. Li Zhen was unable to take strong countermeasures in the face of internal and external troubles, which led to his own prestige. step down.And he is also aware of the danger of this situation, and can only control his subordinates to maintain rule through political means.
But these methods can only solve the temporary difficulties, but they can't fundamentally change the status quo of the weak monarch and the strong minister, and finally let the people under him have undue ambitions in their lives.Li Jing was very worried that Haihan's influence in North Korea would threaten his rule, but when he realized that he was gradually losing control of the government, the only straw he could grasp was Haihan.
In an emergency, he went to the doctor, and Li Yu wanted to introduce Haihan officials to assist in governing, hoping to use Haihan to suppress the powerful officials in the court, so as to form a new balance, so as to ensure the stability of his rule.As for the consequences arising from this, Li Zhen couldn't care less about it.But what Li Zhen never expected was that this risky move would actually accelerate the deterioration of the situation, allowing the powerful officials to find a reason to overthrow him from the throne.
If it weren't for the disagreement between the two factions who started the action, this farce probably wouldn't have lasted for such a long time at all. Even the eldest son Li Yan had rushed back from Haihan Kingdom thousands of miles away, and the two factions were still there. There were intrigues in the city, and they failed to reach an agreement on a plan for power transition.
The reason why it took so long to make the situation go out of control is mainly because Kim Sang-heon and Cui Ming-gil don't trust each other, and they have been secretly using means to calculate their opponents.
When the two old foxes were making the plan, they agreed that the king Li Ji would be "assassinated and killed." There is no way to clean it by yourself.In this way, it can be regarded as a reasonable explanation to the whole court, both at home and abroad.
When the time comes, the two will have made great contributions to the chaos. Of course, they will continue to take charge of the government for the next king, and then call on the whole country to turn their grief and anger into strength and revenge against the Qing Dynasty as soon as possible.Even if the Haihan people sensed that there was something wrong with Li Zhen, they couldn't produce any evidence, and most of them could only admit it with their noses.
This plan seems quite comprehensive and very feasible, but the problem is that both Kim Sang-heon and Cui Mingji want to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring down their old opponents.
But perseveringly, the two have been fighting openly and secretly in the officialdom for half their lives, so how could they be put to death so easily by the other party, each of them was a little careful during the operation, and then discovered the other's small movements without accident.
It was Kim Sang-heon who was in charge of doing things in the palace, but afterward Cui Mingji sent people to the palace for an autopsy and found that there was something wrong with the king's body, and it was suspected that someone had transferred it.How could Cui Mingji dare to speak out about this kind of thing, so he sent people to investigate secretly, and at the same time postponed the original plan, and has been delaying the issuance of the edict announcing the assassination of the king.
And Kim Sang-heon is also waiting for Cui Mingji to issue an edict in the name of leading the government, and then he can launch a big move to subdue the opponent.Cui Mingji didn't move, and he couldn't move either, so he could only wait patiently.
So after going back and forth like this, a month passed.Seeing that Haihan's army stopped when they arrived at Ganghwa Island and did not take the initiative to intervene as they feared, they gradually felt relieved, thinking that Haihan should have no intention of interfering in the chaos in Seoul, as long as they can give a reasonable explanation afterwards can handle it.
But what Cui Mingji and Jin Shangxian didn't expect was that Li Yi came back so quickly. According to the news from outside the city today, the Haihan army left Ganghwa Island and came to Seoul because Li Yi had already returned.Obviously, without knowing the situation in Seoul, Hai Han decisively chose to support the son, which is to protect him and come back to seize power.
At this time, Cui Mingji really started to panic. The whereabouts of the king have not been found out, and it is likely that it is in the hands of Kim Sang-heon.It has been so many days, maybe Kim Sang-heon has created many "iron evidence" long ago, using the king's testimony to push everything on himself.At that time, there will be no way to argue, and Jin Shangxian can only let Jin Shangxian put the hat of rebellious minister and thief on his head.
Of course, Cui Mingji couldn't just sit and wait to die. Since there was no way out, he could only fight to the death.If he can confirm the whereabouts of the king, send troops in time to silence him, and then kill Kim Sang-heon with his backhand, then he will still have time to use the same script on the opponent.When the time comes, the dead will not be able to defend themselves, and the blame for rebellion will naturally be blamed on the other party.
But the time left for him to deal with the crisis is very limited. The Haihan army outside the city only gave one night's buffer time. If there is no reply after tomorrow morning, the Haihan army will attack the city.
This means that between him and Kim Sang-heon, only one side may survive tonight, and tomorrow the winner will take the head of the other side to claim credit for the Haihan people.
"Unexpectedly, in the end, this competition is not only about the winner, but also about life and death!" Cui Mingji sighed secretly.
He has played all the cards in his hands now, no matter whether he can find the whereabouts of the king tonight, he has to fight to the death with Kim Sang-heon.
Now that things have happened, Cui Mingji actually regrets working with La Jin Shangxian a little bit, otherwise there would be no such troubles now.But without the cooperation of Kim Sang-heon in this matter, it would never be possible to bring everything inside and outside Seoul under control so smoothly.
The so-called good fortune depends on misfortune, probably this is the reason.
After nightfall, the tower outside the city observed that several places in the city were on fire, and there was even a faint cry of killing, and quickly reported to the headquarters in the stronghold.
After receiving the news, Tom Wang and Qian Tiandun both put down what they were doing and rushed to the tower to check the movement in the city for themselves.
"It must be fighting!" Tom Wang observed for a moment and came to a conclusion: "It has been quiet for a few days, and suddenly started fighting at this time. Someone should want to protect themselves."
"It may also be due to the uneven distribution of spoils. Don't forget that there are many civil and military officials involved in this matter. With so many people sharing the cake, it is difficult to divide it evenly." Qian Tiandun added.
Tom Wang has a different opinion on this: "I would rather believe that they are trying to clean themselves up, kill some people, and just put the blame on the dead."
"Yes, dead people can't testify for themselves." Qian Tiandun immediately came to his senses and nodded in agreement: "Tomorrow they only need to hand over some dead people, and all their sins will be covered."
Although they knew little about the current situation in the city, the two had stayed in North Korea for so long, and they had a better understanding of the country's various traditions.They have also studied the relevant historical materials for the court coups in the history of North Korea one after another, and they have some expectations for the tricks that the North Koreans may play.
"Who do you think will come forward to negotiate with us?" Qian Tiandun asked.
Wang Tom thought for a while before answering: "Jin Shangxian! If you can't even grasp this opportunity, then I can only persuade Li Yan to give up on him earlier."
Since Haehan sent troops to North Korea last year, Kim Sang-heon has maintained close contacts with the Hae-han army. The negotiations on the cooperative industries in Datong River were made by Kim Sang-heon, and the officials sent by North Korea to coordinate various affairs were also involved. They are all his subordinates.Even after Haehan decided to invite North Korea to send overseas students represented by his son, Kim Sang-heon was the first to express his approval.
In their view, Jin Shangxian should be a smart person who knows how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. Regardless of whether he participated in the coup in the city or not, he should have a way to protect himself.
As for whether to keep this person at that time, it probably depends on his follow-up performance.In Wang Tom and Qian Tiandun's plan, except for the king himself, everyone else in the city can be targeted to be cleaned up.Li Yan didn't dare to do things that were inconvenient, they didn't have much scruples, they were nothing more than arranging a crime with their lips.
Of course, the person who caused the chaos in Seoul might also abscond overnight in fear of crime, but in that case, his identity would be exposed, and all previous efforts would be wasted.Besides, even if you escaped from Seoul, where can you escape?Therefore, Haihan didn't think about blocking Seoul at all, and chose to camp in the south of the city, guarding the area from Sungnyemun to the bank of the Han River, ensuring that it can be attacked and defended.
The chaos in the city did not end quickly, but the movement became louder and louder. The faint flames from the city indicated that there were more than one or two places on fire, and there were occasional gunshots in the flames, obviously an armed conflict broke out .
According to Fu Li, the movement at this time seems to be no less than the level of the night when the accident happened.However, the city has been quiet for so long, and there is sudden chaos tonight. It is very likely that the ultimatum issued in the evening played a role.
Fighting started in many places in the city that night, and it didn't calm down until early morning.However, the closed Sungnyemun Gate was still closed overnight, and no one escaped through it.
Li Yan took the initiative to go to the headquarters early in the morning to meet Wang Tom and Qian Tiandun, but seeing the obvious dark circles on his face, it was obvious that he didn't have a good rest last night.
"The two generals have worked hard. I heard that there was another chaos in the city last night. Is there any new news?" Li Yan asked after meeting.
Wang Tom replied: "There is no news yet, son, don't worry, the chaos in the city means that the people inside have panicked, they are either planning to rob property and then abandon the city and flee, or they are fighting each other, waiting for the fire to come together." Then we'll decide a winner to explain it all to us."
Li Yan said: "General Wang is so confident, is it true that he will not encounter resistance?"
Wang Tom said: "Of course there is such a possibility, but if the people in the city really planned to resist by force, such a situation would not have happened last night. Now that the situation has been messed up, it will be difficult to unite the hearts of the people. Your Excellency , Whoever comes forward to contact us afterwards will be the winner of the chaos in the city last night."
Although Li Yan felt that what Tom Wang said was somewhat reasonable, he did not dare to be too optimistic. If Haihan really let the rebellious party in the city surrender without a single soldier, then the purpose of this rebellion and What is the meaning?
Tom Wang raised his hand to check the time, and then ordered: "Send a letter into the city, and in another hour, if you don't open the door and surrender, we will do it!"
Immediately, a rider rushed out from the stronghold, arrived at the city, drew his bow and shot an arrow at the top of the city. The arrow had no arrowhead, and only a letter was tied to the shaft.After the defenders on the top of the city receive it, they will naturally send it to those who can make a decision.
"My son hasn't had breakfast yet, right? Sit down and eat something together, and wait while you eat." Qian Tiandun gestured for his orderly to bring the breakfast.
Seeing that they were all relaxed, Li Yan finally relaxed a little, smiled and sat down to have breakfast with them.
An hour is not a long time, but it is really difficult for Li Yan. He hopes that the rebellious party in the city can open the door and surrender, so as to prevent the war from spreading to Seoul.But at the same time, he didn't want to see those daring rebels cowering in front of the Haihan people. The defenders of Seoul and the royal guards are the elite of the country's army. If they don't resist, they will surrender directly. , that is too weak.
Seeing that the time was approaching, but there was still no movement from Sungnye Gate, Qian Tiandun sent an order to reload the artillery that had been aimed at the city gate, and the follow-up infantry units entered the fighting state. After receiving the order, they immediately started Siege.
Li Yan was about to persuade Qian Tiandun to see if he could give Qian Tiandun a little more time, when a soldier came to report that the Chongli Gate had been opened.
"That's it?" Tom Wang smiled and gave Li Yan a look, which means you see that I am right.
Li Yan forced a smile, Xin Dao really just surrendered like this?
However, after the city gate was opened, it was not the civil and military officials who surrendered, but one person and one horse, who came straight to the stronghold, apparently also to deliver a letter.
After inspection, the courier was brought to Wang Tom and others, and presented a letter.
The content of the letter was not much, Tom Wang took it and quickly read it, and handed it to Qian Tiandun, and Qian Tiandun read it before passing it to Li Yan for review.
Li Xun has been helping his father review the memorials for the past two years, so the familiar handwriting can be seen to be the handwriting of Chief Minister Kim Sang-heon.
Kim Sang-heon’s description is very simple. A month ago, Choi Ming-gil, the political leader, colluded with Manchu spies, summoned his party members to launch a coup in Seoul, put officials and members of the royal family under house arrest, and tried to coerce the king to tear up various diplomatic agreements signed with Haehan. Re-conclude the alliance with the Manchu Qing.
Under his coercion, Kim Sang-hsun made false promises and dealt with the chaotic party slowly, waiting for an opportunity to rescue the king and others.But because the time dragged on for too long, the rebellious party had lost patience, and the Haihan army also arrived in Seoul, so they were ready to massacre the city and blame the matter on the court officials who did not cooperate with them.
As a result, the two sides started fighting last night, and it didn't subside until dawn. However, there are still remnants of rebels in the city, and they are currently being arrested. Therefore, Jin Shangxian suggested that the Haihan army enter the city a day later for safety.
(End of this chapter)