Fan Xuan and Zhou Gaolang have been comrades-in-arms for many years and have a deep relationship. Before leaving for the Eastern Capital, Fan Xuan said something to Zhou Gaolang, who would have expected that this would become a prophecy of his fate. At that time, Zhou Gaolang did not want Fan Xuan to accompany him, because he was only a civil official. But Fan Xuan insisted on going, so as not to leave Zhou Gaolang uncovered on the battlefield. Sure enough, Fan Xuan blocked Zhou Gaolang's arrows in the battle to break through the Eastern Capital, and the old illness recurred, which eventually led to his untimely death. Before he died, in order to avoid the incompatibility between his son Fan Yu and Zhou Gaolang, he deliberately set up an edict. However, he never expected that his good intentions would cause a catastrophe, and Fan Yu would be so vicious and ruthless, not only killing the cabinet ministers, but also the Zhou family! What did Fan Xuan say? What was his arrangement? Why did he come to such a tragic end? All the mysteries will be solved one by one in the following story...
The war raged, and Fan Xuan became a prophecy
The rule of the Great Liang Dynasty was at the end of its power, and internal and external troubles continued. The dissatisfaction of the government and the opposition with King Liang has reached the point of no return. King Liang was not only mediocre, tyrannical and cruel, but also extravagant, squandering the country's wealth and making the people miserable. The festivals in various places are eyeing the tiger, just waiting for an opportunity to regain their sight.
At this moment of crisis, King Liang suddenly sent troops to besiege the eastern capital, intending to eliminate the orphans of the Ming family in one fell swoop. The news spread all over the world and caused an uproar. After Fan Xuan learned of the news, he immediately convened a meeting of hundreds of civil and military officials to discuss.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this time King Liang sent troops to the Eastern Capital, with the intention of destroying the Ming Dynasty's will, how can we, as the widows of the Ming Dynasty, sit idly by? Although the Eastern Capital is far away, we should work together to rescue the driver!" Fan Xuan said generously and categorically.
Zhou Gaolang is Fan Xuan's confidant and friend, the two have known each other since childhood, and they have followed the establishment of the Ming Dynasty all the way. After hearing this, he did not hesitate to take the case: "What Brother Fan said is extremely true! King Liang is so absurd and unreasonable, as the relics of the Ming Dynasty, we should serve the Ming Lord, drive out the traitors, and help Sheji!"
"But Brother Fan, you are only a civil official, how can you go out on an adventure in person? It is better to stay in Youzhou and sit in the town, and I will lead the army to the Eastern Capital!" Zhou Gaolang persuaded. He knew that Fan Xuan was knowledgeable and stylish, but he was not a battle-hardened general, and he was worried that it would be difficult for him to escape from the flames of war.
Fan Xuan shook his head, his face full of determination: "Gao Lang, you and I have known each other since childhood, how can the friendship between you and me be clear in a few words? You are the first soldier on the battlefield, how can I ignore it? You are like a big bull, relying on your own courage to always rush and kill in front of the battle, if I don't go, who will block those cold arrows for you?"
Zhou Gaolang was stunned for a moment, and then smiled. Fan Xuan's words were nothing less than a prophecy, and they actually foreshadowed their later fate. At the moment, hundreds of civil and military officials in Youzhou are working together to help the eastern capital.
However, no one expected that this was not only a decisive battle of life and death, but also doomed Fan Xuan to a tragic end. In order to block Zhou Gaolang's arrows, he not only relapsed from his old illness, but eventually died young, and before he died, he set up a hidden edict to avoid the incompatibility between his son Fan Yu and Zhou Gaolang...
In the face of danger, Fan Xuan has good intentions
The battle of the Eastern Capital was extremely tragic. King Liang's army was outnumbered, and the eastern capital was strong, and the two sides encountered a protracted tug-of-war. During this period, the Youzhou army suffered numerous casualties, and even Fan Xuan blocked a sharp feather arrow for Zhou Gaolang during a charge.
The feather arrow shot straight into Zhou Gaolang's heart, and Fan Xuan immediately made a decision when he saw this, stepped forward, and blocked this fatal arrow for him. But who knew that this arrow hit Fan Xuan's old disease, and he was sprayed with a mouthful of blood on the spot, and he was about to die when he saw it.
Zhou Gaolang witnessed this thrilling scene with his own eyes, and immediately became grief-stricken, he helped the seriously injured Fan Xuan, and said with tears in his eyes: "Brother Fan, why are you so reckless?
Fan Xuan shook his head with difficulty, gasped and said, "Gao Lang, you and I have known each other since childhood, and you are my best friend... If I can't even protect your life, what's the point of my Fan Xuan's life?"
Zhou Gaolang couldn't cry, and could only watch Fan Xuan's injuries get worse day by day. In the end, on the day of conquering the Eastern Capital, Fan Xuan finally couldn't hold it anymore, he called Zhou Gaolang to his side before he died, and solemnly instructed: "Gao Lang, the Eastern Capital has been broken, and your long-cherished wish has been fulfilled, but I'm afraid time is running out." The only thing I care about is my unsuccessful son Fan Yu... ＂
Zhou Gaolang nodded again and again, and Fan Xuan continued: "You and I have a deep friendship, of course I also hope that you can protect Fan Yu well." However, Fan Yu has a perverse temperament, and it may be difficult to get along with you, so I specially set up an edict to form a cabinet composed of you and me and other confidants and important ministers to jointly assist Fan Yu in government. checks and balances of power and containment of each other, so that Fan Yu will not be arbitrary. ＂
"In addition, I have secretly arranged some cronies to protect Fan Yu. After he ascends the throne, these cronies will pay tribute to the beauties, and when Fan Yu gives birth to a son-in-law, let him abdicate, so that you and I can regain power. Fan Xuan gasped and continued.
After hearing this, Zhou Gaolang couldn't help frowning: "Brother Fan, your arrangement is too complicated. Although Fan Yu has a strange temperament, he is your own flesh and blood after all, so why bother going around in circles like this? Why don't you just let me guard Youzhou directly, and you and Fan Yu can govern the East together?"
Fan Xuan shook his head: "No, if Fan Yu is a one-man power, he will inevitably do nothing." I am making this arrangement in the hope of protecting him in the balance of power and preventing him from going astray. ＂
Zhou Gaolang could only nod helplessly, he really couldn't figure out why Fan Xuan was going around in circles like this. However, for the sake of the friendship between the two for many years, he still agreed.
No one thought that Fan Xuan's well-intentioned arrangement would eventually lead to a catastrophe. He underestimated the conspiracy and tricks of the traitorous minister of Lhotse Shang, and also underestimated Fan Yu's vicious nature, which led to a series of tragic tragedies later...
The bane of power, Fan Yu showed his edge viciously
Fan Xuan died young, and he was full of regret. However, what is even more distressing is that the edict he carefully set up in order to avoid the incompatibility between his son Fan Yu and Zhou Gaolang turned out to be the root cause of the disaster.
At that time, Fan Yu inherited the throne, and cabinet ministers such as Zhou Gaolang, Gu Jiusi and others were jointly assisted. According to Fan Xuan's arrangement, although Fan Yu is named the emperor, his real power is scattered in the hands of the cabinet ministers, and he can only limit his power. Who knew that after Fan Yu ascended to the throne, his vicious nature was soon exposed.
He first secretly cultivated a group of cronies and important ministers, such as Lhotse Shang and others. Although these people come from humble backgrounds, they are afraid that the world will not be chaotic and do evil everywhere. At their instigation, Pham became more and more wary of cabinet ministers, believing that they were trying to assert their authority.
At a cabinet meeting, Gu Jiusi dissuaded Fan Yu from being greedy for pleasure and being authoritarian and selfish, Fan Yu was furious, and dragged Gu Jiusi off the dragon chair on the spot and kicked him hard. Since then, the cabinet has been afraid of Fan Yu.
Seeing that Fan Yu was already ruthless, Luo Zishang and others struck while the iron was hot and instigated him to completely seize power. They fabricated rumours that the cabinet ministers were plotting a rebellion, and that if Pham Ngoc did not strike first, he would be imprisoned.
Fan Yu was furious, and he actually killed the killer and imprisoned Zhou Gaolang, Gu Jiusi and others. After hearing the news, Zhou Gaolang's wife brought her son Zhou Ye to intercede, but was sternly rejected by Fan Yu. Fan Yu even ordered the women and children of the Zhou family to be imprisoned together.
At this juncture, Lhotse Shang even instigated Fan Yu to completely eradicate dissidents. So one night, Fan Yu actually ordered Zhou Gaolang and others to be killed, and even the women and children of the Zhou family were not spared. When the morning bell and dusk drum rang, the eastern capital was full of wailing and screaming.
The news soon spread all over the country, causing an uproar. After hearing the news, Zhou Gaolang's cronies Jiang He and others were furious, so they led the pro-army to the eastern capital. Seeing that the general trend was gone, Fan Yu hurriedly fled for his life, but was beaten to death by the palace people.
In this way, Fan Xuan's edict carefully set up in order to avoid the incompatibility between his son and Zhou Gaolang became the bane, causing a tragic disaster. The eastern capital fell into chaos, the government was no longer in power, and the people were miserable...
The rivers are down, and the Zhou Dynasty is peaceful
Fan Yu's vicious behavior completely angered Zhou Gaolang's cronies Jiang He and others. They hated Fan Yu for not only killing Zhongliang, but also killing the women and children of the Zhou family, so they gathered pro-troops and went straight to the eastern capital, intending to regain military power.
Jiang He was originally Zhou Gaolang's most trusted confidant, commanding tens of thousands of elite divisions. They fought all the way to the battlefield and soon captured the eastern capital. Fan Yu saw that the general trend was gone, and fled for his life in a hurry, but was beaten to death by the palace people, and suffered such a miserable end.
Luo Zishang, a traitorous minister, saw that the matter was getting bigger, and he also wanted to escape, but he was captured alive by Jianghe's pro-army. Jiang He immediately escorted him back to the barracks and tortured him, and Luo Zishang soon confessed to his crime of instigating Fan Yu to kill Zhongliang.
Jiang He was furious, and immediately executed Lhotse Shang Lingchi, and the body was divided by four horses and hung at the city gates on all sides of the eastern capital to show the public. Jiang He then ordered that all Fan Yu's other cronies be hunted down, and the eastern capital was restored to peace.
Jiang He then convened a meeting of civil and military officials to discuss, and everyone unanimously recommended Zhou Gaolang's son Zhou Ye to succeed him. Although Zhou Ye is young, he is quite heroic. After he ascended the throne, he first ordered the bones of Zhou Gaolang and others to be reburied, and held a grand funeral for them.
Then, Zhou Ye ordered Fan Xuan's edict to be re-executed, and the cabinet ministers jointly assisted in the administration. He personally guarded Youzhou and checked and balanced the power of the cabinet to avoid a situation where one person monopolized power again.
In this way, after some hardships and twists and turns, the eastern capital regained peace. Zhou Ye was wise and martial, and during his reign, he not only inherited the legacy of Zhou Gaolang and Fan Xuan, but also made great efforts to make the people of Li live and work in peace and contentment.
Later, when Zhou Ye died, he gave up the power to his eldest son. From then on, a new dynasty began, and the era of peace and prosperity began. The people live and work in peace and contentment, the society is prosperous, and to this day, people still remember those turbulent and tortuous years...