The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 365 The drunkard doesn’t care about drinking

I stepped onto the stairs, which seemed very long. It was very quiet on both sides, with nothing but the slightest sound of wind in the corridor.

“There is a threshold.”

After the person next to him reminded him, Zhang Zifan regained his composure and followed the instructions to step over the threshold. As there was still a black cloth wrapped in front of his eyes, he could only identify the surrounding environment through hearing. At the same time, at this moment he finally confirmed that his ninth uncle Li Cunzhong was not brought here with him.

More than ten days have passed since Zhang Zifan was captured in Hebei that day. He is not even sure where he was taken, whether to the south or the north, from the west or the east, and he does not know which force those who fought with him in Hebei belong to.

At that time, he and his ninth uncle Li Cunzhong went south to Bianliang under the orders of Li Siyuan, intending to spread the news that a large number of troops from Hebei were heading south. However, before they could cross the Yellow River, they were captured by people who appeared out of nowhere.

Although Zhang Zifan is not yet twenty and has only been in the martial arts world for a short time, as the young master of Tongwenguan, he has received first-class guidance and sparring since childhood, so his skills are naturally not comparable to those of ordinary martial artists. However, he and Li Cunzhong worked together but could not escape the encirclement of that group of mysterious people, and Li Cunzhong almost died in the process.

Thinking about it now, Zhang Zifan realized belatedly that he and his group might have been under the other party's surveillance the entire time.

After crossing the threshold, the surroundings became noticeably quieter, with a faint fragrance in the air. As one went deeper, one discovered that the fragrance was not strong and did not make one feel greasy. Instead, it had a light sweet and refreshing taste that made one feel relaxed and happy, as if even the brain had become clearer.

Ambergris.

Zhang Zifan could conclude that this was the ambergris he had only smelled in the Jin Palace. It was very rare and was said to be a product from overseas. It was more refined than the musk from the Western Regions and had a very unique fragrance. Jin Wang Li Keyong especially liked to use this thing to help him sleep. Zhang Zifan had smelled it when he followed Li Siyuan into the palace and had a deep memory of it.

This thing is very rare in the north. Zhang Zifan once wanted to spend a lot of money to buy it but there was no demand. So it is very likely that this place is not in the north.

Zhang Zifan's heart sank. Although he knew that he was most likely captured by the people of Liang State, because the people he fought with were not from Xuanming Sect, he had other guesses. At the moment, he was afraid that he could only prepare for the worst.

Brother Li, Brother Li, I'm afraid I'm in big trouble this time. It's a pity that I haven't had time to express my love to Miss Lu...

"Your Majesty, the person has been brought here."

Hearing the person next to him speak again, Zhang Zifan couldn't help but concentrate and take it seriously again.

King? Which king? Is it the Ghost King of the Xuanming Sect? Or the notorious Dark Emperor?

Liang State now owns Hebei, with vast territory and abundant resources. It is expected that ambergris is not a rare thing, but there are only a handful of people in the country who are qualified to be called kings. Zhang Zifan has not been involved in the court for long and has just entered the world, so he can only think of these two.

As for the princes who claimed to be kings in the south, although there were quite a few of them, only Yang Wo, Ma Yin, Qian Liu, Wang Shenzhi and others were qualified to be singled out. It was expected that these people would not go to the trouble of going to Hebei to capture people.

However, if he were in the territory of the southern princes, Zhang Zifan would be relieved. Although most of the southern princes were attached to the Central Plains, they were still just superficially submissive. Haven't you seen that Wu, Wuyue, and Min fought their brains out in Jiangdong? If one of these three kingdoms unified Jiangdong like Shu Kingdom did in Shuzhong, I'm afraid that the rebellion against Daliang would be even more fierce than Shu Kingdom.

But this possibility was too small. Zhang Zifan didn't think that these people took him around just to go to Jiangnan. Moreover, although he said that he had the title of the young master of Tongwenguan, he was only Li Siyuan's adopted son after all. He had no fame in the world at all. Any of the twelve masters of Tongwenguan was more important than him, and there was no reason for the southern princes to spend so much effort on him.

Zhang Zifan sighed in his heart. After thinking over and over again, he was afraid that he had really fallen into the hands of Xuanming Sect. He was probably the only one who thought that he, the young master of Tongwenguan, had some value.

"Thank you for your hard work. I have already read the note that Captain Fu handed over. You can go down and have a rest."

Hearing the person who was escorting him slowly leaving, Zhang Zifan was startled again, because the man who called himself "the king" had a very young voice, which was obviously inconsistent with the so-called Ghost King and Hades Emperor he had guessed. It was clear from the voice that he was just a young man.

Zhang Zifan was a little unsure for a moment, but when he heard the person in front of him make a slight movement, his back inexplicably tensed up.

The person he was thinking of at this moment was none other than his good brother Li Xingyun, whom he had known not too long ago and whom he wanted to become sworn brothers with.

Zhang Zifan only went to Hebei, and this guy Li Xingyun actually became a prince of the Tang Dynasty without any notice, and was furthermore conferred the title of King of Wei by King Jin at a young age. It was unbelievable to think about it, because no matter how you looked at it, Li Xingyun was obviously an unreliable guy.

No, no, even though I haven't seen you for half a year, Li Xingyun's voice is obviously not like that...

Zhang Zifan's thoughts were in a mess, but because his eyes were blindfolded and several of his energy centers were locked, he couldn't use his energy. Even though his hands and feet could move freely now, he still felt quite lost and at a loss.

However, he calmed down immediately, tilted his head slightly, roughly determined the position of the head of the palace, and saluted with his arms crossed: "I don't know why you ordered someone to bring me here..."

Xiao Yan had been observing him for a long time, and the suave and elegant Mr. Zhang did not disappoint him, and was not much different from what he had imagined.

He was standing on the right side of the table with his hands behind his back. He glanced at Ba Ge, who seemed to be burying his head behind the table and sorting out documents carefully. He asked Zhang Zifan directly, "Why did you and Li Cunzhong from Tongwenguan want to cross the Yellow River and go south a month ago?"

Zhang Zifan paused. He used his hearing to determine Xiao Yan's direction, then he turned sideways and said with a wry smile, "Your people have already tortured me before. I guess you should have read my confession before."

"Confession?" Xiao Yan couldn't help laughing, then raised his hand to the side, waited for a moment, frowned and looked at Bago, who then suddenly came to his senses, and reluctantly found a note from a pile of documents and handed it to him, clumsily, which made Xiao Yan frown.

"The confession is indeed correct. What Master Zhang said about rebuilding the Bianjing base for the Tongwenguan seems to be correct." Xiao Yan turned to the next article and smiled again: "But Li Cunzhong's confession is not quite the same as what Master Zhang said..."

Zhang Zifan's heart tightened, and he subconsciously wanted to look up at Xiao Yan, but he was still wearing the blindfold, so how could he see Xiao Yan's face clearly?

He couldn't help but worry secretly. Before he and Li Cunzhong were captured, he knew he could not escape, and he specifically asked Li Cunzhong to speak the same language with him in order to confuse the other party. Besides, the establishment of the Tongwenguan Bianliang stronghold was not fictitious, and there should be no special flaws in the rhetoric. How could Uncle Jiu be exposed?

Bago, who was pretending to be calm behind the case, felt a sudden shock in her heart and looked at Xiao Yan with some surprise. She knew that there was not much discrepancy between the confessions of Zhang Zifan and Li Cunzhong in the record.

Her scalp was tingling and she wanted to say something but stopped herself. However, when she looked up and saw Xiao Yan's half-smile, she no longer had any extra thoughts. She was originally directly under Li Keyong's line, and she had been exposed by Xiao Yan a long time ago. She could only help herself, so why should she care about Zhang Zifan?

Zhang Zifan's thoughts turned rapidly, but Xiao Yan didn't say anything more. Zhang Zifan had no choice but to pretend to be calm and smiled faintly: "Oh? Does my uncle Jiu have a mission that I don't know about? You might as well read it to me, so that I can die with a clear mind."

Bago pursed his lips and nodded secretly. The rumors were indeed true. The Holy Lord's adopted son was indeed quite alert. It was a pity that he was tricked out by Xiao Yan.

He shot himself in the foot.

Bago glanced at Xiao Yan calmly.

But to her surprise, Xiao Yan just smiled and then walked with his hands behind his back: "What's the harm in letting you know?"

"Master Zhang and Li Cunzhong may have indeed gone south to establish a stronghold, but this is only secondary. The reason you are in a hurry to cross the river and head south is to rush into Bianliang before the troops that suddenly appeared in Hebei, right?"

Bago was suddenly confused. Could it be that there was something in the confession that she had overlooked?
Zhang Zifan was speechless. Although Xiao Yan's words had some loopholes and were vague, and only linked his and Li Cunzhong's purpose to Dingbadu who was heading south, but these words alone were almost correct. How could Zhang Zifan be sure that Li Cunzhong had not been exposed?

However, he still wanted to struggle and make a clever argument, but Xiao Yan would not give him a chance and said calmly, "Your adoptive father Li Siyuan was in Hebei at the time and saw with his own eyes a large number of troops heading south. He boldly predicted that there might be changes in the Central Plains and sent you two south to spread rumors and confuse the people of Daliang. Master Zhang tried so hard to conceal the truth, but didn't he know that your uncle had already sold you out?"

Zhang Zifan couldn't help but be stunned.

Xiao Yan then raised his chin and said, "Take off the blindfold for him."

Although Bago was also in a daze, he immediately reacted and hurriedly got up and walked over.

Zhang Zifan's eyes lit up, and he subconsciously closed his eyes slightly, then looked at Xiao Yan. At this time, he would not care about Bago, who had an exotic face. After he saw that Xiao Yan was really too young, although he could not match this person's identity in Daliang, after a moment, he had the illusion that he had seen Xiao Yan somewhere.

"Mr. Zhang just said that he wanted to die with a clear mind." Xiao Yan sat on the chair behind the table with his hands crossed and chuckled, "Can I die with a clear mind right now?"

Zhang Zifan would not easily believe that Li Cunzhong would really tell the truth, but the facts were before him and he had no choice but to believe it. After thinking it over, he could only guess that Uncle Jiu might have been tortured. When he heard the question, he could only remain silent.

Xiao Yan didn't seem to be in a hurry. He tapped his thumbs together from time to time and just looked at Zhang Zifan with interest.

Zhang Zifan sighed, this purpose was not really that important, and it didn't matter if it was exposed. He looked at Bago who was standing beside Xiao Yan with a cold expression, and he was not too surprised. Hu women were very common in this era, not to mention such a charming Hu woman, it was normal for her to accompany princes and generals.

He just looked at Xiao Yan in a purple robe, and after thinking for a long time, he still couldn't figure out Xiao Yan's identity. However, the more he looked, the more certain he was that Xiao Yan's face looked familiar, so he crossed his hands and smiled bitterly, "If you wanted to kill me, you would have killed me long ago. Why wait until now? However, there is one thing I don't understand, and I hope you can help me understand it."

"Say it."

"I wonder if your Excellency is..."

"The nobleman standing in front of you is Xiao Yan, the King of Song in Daliang and the General of Tiance." Bago spoke before Xiao Yan, staring at Zhang Zifan with narrow eyes, and said, "The troops of Hebei are the personal troops of the King of Song to conquer the capital. Boy, why don't you pay your respects?"

Zhang Zifan was shocked, and finally understood why he felt that Xiao Yan looked familiar. He had seen Xiao Yan's portrait in Tongwenguan more than once, and this guy looked 70% like the deposed emperor of the Tang Dynasty, which was known to the world. He had even specially looked for portraits of the deposed emperor and Xiao Yan for comparison, so naturally he had an impression of him.

But, isn't Xiao Yan the Marquis of Daliang? How did he become the King of Song?!
And what about this General Tiance? Didn't Zhu Wen know what this title meant?
Zhang Zifan felt that his cognition was instantly shattered. However, after being imprisoned for a month, why did he feel like he had lost touch with the world? !

However, he quickly realized that if the mighty Hebei army a month ago was Xiao Yan's personal army, then considering Xiao Yan's current status, the purpose of this army's rush south was obviously self-evident...

Could it be that Xiao Yan has already coupped and taken power...

Zhang Zifan felt his head go a little stiff, and at the same time he instantly understood why Li Siyuan was in a hurry to send him south to spread the news. If he could get the news of Xiao Yan mobilizing troops out in Bianliang first, regardless of whether Xiao Yan's mutiny would succeed, Daliang would at least have a good civil war to watch.

My godfather is really far-sighted...

Zhang Zifan regretted his decision. If he succeeded, wouldn't it weaken Daliang's strength and allow Jin to reap the benefits?

Xiao Yan held his chin, narrowed his eyes with a smile, and looked at Ba Ge who didn't dare to look back at him.

Bago felt a chill down her spine. She knew that what she said was bold, but what she said was something that everyone knew at the time, so it shouldn't be too deliberate... Xiao Yan would definitely not be able to see it.

She breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and forced a smile: "My lord, can I make a pot of tea?"

"Not thirsty."

Xiao Yan just looked at Zhang Zifan below and smiled faintly, "Mr. Zhang is right. I really won't kill you. I asked you to come here because I have something to ask you."

Zhang Zifan hesitated, unable to guess what Xiao Yan was thinking, so he had to respond: "If King Song wants me to reveal the secrets of Tongwenguan, there is no need to ask." "How can you know the secrets of Tongwenguan?" Xiao Yan laughed, and then did not give Zhang Zifan time to doubt, but asked calmly: "Before Li Siyuan sent you south to spread the rumors about Dingbadu, did he not report the news to Li Keyong in advance?"

Zhang Zifan felt inexplicably pressured. Xiao Yan looked only a few years older than him, but he kept mentioning Li Siyuan and Li Keyong. This made him feel a little annoyed, but at the same time, he felt an indescribable majesty enveloping him. This feeling was just like when he followed his adoptive father to meet the Prince of Jin.

At the same time, Baguo's heart suddenly moved.

Yes, Xiao Yan had not launched the mutiny a month ago, and she had not been exposed. If the Holy Lord reported the news of the unusual movements in Hebei to Prince Jin in advance, then she would also receive Prince Jin's instructions as soon as possible.

Since the Holy Lord can use Zhang Zifan and Li Cunzhong to spread the news, Prince Jin can also use her, and this news seems so important now. If you look back, it might cause Xiao Yan to be doomed. So it is impossible for Prince Jin to hold back. Prince Jin is not an indecisive person.

Therefore, there is only one possibility, the Holy Lord did not report this news to King Jin...

Bago frowned slightly, thinking about the connection.

Zhang Zifan was not deeply involved in the court, and he did not know that Li Siyuan had been on guard against Li Keyong. At the same time, he was also a little confused. How could he know what Li Siyuan was thinking? He just shook his head and said, "I don't know."

"If Li Siyuan had told Li Keyong, I wouldn't be sitting here today."

Xiao Yan smiled. He naturally would not tell Zhang Zifan and Ba Ge that Li Siyuan was ambushed and killed by his men. He just leaned over with narrowed eyes and said, "Then let me ask you, your adoptive father Li Siyuan kept silent, but was he on guard against Li Keyong? Or, what else was he planning?"

Zhang Zifan was startled for a moment, then immediately reacted and shouted, "Song Wang, stop stirring up trouble here!"

"Whether it is gossip or not, time will tell." Xiao Yan laughed, then tapped the table with one hand and said slowly: "Li Keyong has only one son, Li Cunxu, and everyone knows that Li Cunxu will be the successor after Li Keyong's death. The position of King of Jin belongs to him."

Zhang Zifan was anxious and annoyed, but he had to try his best to calm himself down. Fortunately, he found a flaw in Xiao Yan's next words.

"But among the so-called Thirteen Guardians, your foster father Li Siyuan ranks first."

Xiao Yan said: "Tongwenguan has been controlled by Li Siyuan for more than ten years. During these ten years, Jin State has fought wars in the south and the north, and Tongwenguan has made great military achievements, even surpassing Xuanming Sect for a time. There are many masters under the tutelage. Although they were not discovered and trained by Li Siyuan personally, there must be a lot of incense left. For example, the closeness of the several major masters to the Holy Lord Li Siyuan is obviously higher than that of the Crown Prince Li Cunxu.

But it is precisely Li Siyuan who led the Tongwenguan to achieve so many merits, but he was not given any real power in Jin State except for the title of Saint Lord. Isn't it thought-provoking? Is it really that Li Siyuan is not capable enough, or is Li Keyong deliberately guarding against him? "

After hearing this, although Bago still had only a vague idea of ​​what was going on, Zhang Zifan already had cold sweat on his forehead.

"And according to rumors, your adoptive father Li Siyuan is passionate about farming and often works in the countryside. He also often advises Li Keyong to rest and recuperate, start anew with the people, and give benefits to the people. He has always had a good reputation."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly: "Whether in the Tongwen Academy or in the market and the countryside, Li Siyuan obviously has a higher popularity among the people than the Crown Prince Li Cunxu. In this world, the people's support may be useless, but it is not entirely useless. The key lies in whether someone will deliberately accumulate it. Li Keyong is not a mediocre person. Tell me, has he not heard these rumors?"

Zhang Zifan said anxiously: "Prince Jin has great trust in my foster father, how could he believe the rumors?"

Xiao Yan laughed again: "If you really trust Li Siyuan, why didn't Li Keyong let your adoptive father take charge of the military power for more than ten years?"

Zhang Zifan was stunned.

At the same time, Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes and said, "Li Keyong is not a mediocre person, and your adoptive father is certainly not a fool. Doesn't Li Siyuan know that winning the support of the people will make Li Keyong unhappy? Doesn't he know that this will threaten Li Cunxu's status as the crown prince?"

On the side, Bago finally calmed down.

"Li Siyuan knows this, so he works hard to run his Tongwenguan and is keen on farming to benefit the people." Xiao Yan's face calmed down and said, "I can see what he is thinking. Can't Li Keyong see it? Li Keyong wants to make his own son the King of Jin, so Li Siyuan must die."

Zhang Zifan seemed to have been struck by a bolt from the blue, his hands and feet freezing as he stood there in a daze.

"Likewise." Xiao Yan glanced at him and said, "Li Siyuan himself could see that Li Keyong would not tolerate him. He might have had a chance to die a good death, but as long as his ambition was slightly revealed, he would not be kept by Li Keyong to threaten Li Cunxu.

Since even if he worked hard for Li Keyong, he, as his adopted son, would not be valued, let alone become the King of Jin, then why doesn't he become the King of Jin himself? "

Xiao Yan tapped the table and smiled: "So, after your adoptive father learned about the unusual movement in Hebei, he never thought of reporting it to Li Keyong. He had his own thoughts and plans, but he just kept Li Keyong and you in the dark."

Zhang Zifan was a little confused. He wanted to say something several times but finally remained silent.

Baguo, on the other hand, was already feeling extremely upset.

Xiao Yan added thoughtfully, "At present, all parties are at war, and Jin lacks major generals. This is the only good opportunity for Li Siyuan to have access to military power in many years. No wonder he is unwilling to report military intelligence to Li Keyong. If Daliang falls into civil war, Li Keyong will naturally only use Li Cunxu as the commander. If Li Cunxu has the merit of conquering Bianliang, Li Siyuan will have no chance.

Hiss, if Li Siyuan had control of the military power this time, and was a little bolder, and gritted his teeth to start a mutiny in Taiyuan, wouldn't it be possible that the throne of King of Jin would fall on him?"

Zhang Zifan's head was dizzy, and he could no longer think about why Xiao Yan kept repeating these things to him. He only had one thought in his mind: his adoptive father's actions would probably lead to his eternal damnation...

Bago remained silent, her face expression cold, as various thoughts seemed to be fighting in her mind, determined to determine the winner.

Seeing that he could no longer get anything out of Zhang Zifan, Xiao Yan lost interest and just had him taken away to ask more questions later.

Bago didn't stay here for too long. As it was getting close to noon, she had to go downstairs to prepare lunch for Xiao Yan.

------

"What a good trick that the drunkard has other intentions."

The door was pushed open, and Jiang Chen walked in. He then walked to the right wall and knocked on it, rolling his eyes at Xiao Yan: "I finally know why you chose this room to work two days ago. It turns out that you were already planning to set a trap for that stupid snake charmer. Tsk tsk tsk, I even doubt if you only have calculations in your mind."

Xiao Yan ignored her. He had someone prepare this study room in advance. The noise from next door could be heard clearly. It was obvious that the surrendered minister was hiding over there and eavesdropping.

However, the beauty of this room was naturally not prepared for the surrendered ministers. Soon, two night guards came in, escorting a slightly hunched figure. The man was short and thin, with a pointed chin and monkey-like appearance, like an ape, which could easily leave a deep impression on people.

The surrendered minister wanted to occupy the chair behind the table, so Xiao Yan simply gave it to her, stood beside the table with his hands behind his back, and said, "Li Cunzhong, your nephew has revealed the truth, what do you have to say?"

Li Cunzhong snorted and just stared at the ground, rolling his eyes. He was brought to the next room when Xiao Yan and Zhang Zifan were halfway through their conversation. Naturally, he only heard the second half of the conversation and had no idea how Xiao Yan got the information out of him.

"presumptuous!"

Yiyebushou immediately grabbed a tuft of hair on Li Cunzhong's head that looked like a rooster's head, and said in a cold voice: "How dare I not answer the king's question?"

Li Cunzhong's face was twisted in pain, his toes were raised, and he said hurriedly: "It's not that I won't answer, it's not that I won't answer, I just have nothing to say... Ouch, be gentle, my hair is torn off..."

Xiao Yan waved his hand and said expressionlessly, "I asked you to listen to my conversation with Zhang Zifan next door. I have only one thing for you to do. Whether you want to do it or not is entirely up to you."

Li Cunzhong rubbed the top of his head which felt like his scalp had been torn off. He wanted to say something harsh, but he didn't want his hair to be pulled again. Besides, he was not good at fighting. Li Cunzhong always used his brain when doing things. So he laughed sinisterly and said, "Song Wang, just tell me. Whether it can be done or not is another matter."

"When you go back, tell Li Siyuan that if he wants to be the King of Jin, I can help him." Xiao Yan said calmly, "There will be a war between Jin and Liang. Only Li Cunxu can lead this war. I will make sure that Li Cunxu is too busy to return to Taiyuan. As for what Li Siyuan will do during this period, that is his business."

Li Cunzhong was shocked and stunned. He stared at Xiao Yan and even looked at the surrendered minister who was trimming his nails beside Xiao Yan. Then he took a breath and said with a gloomy face, "Song Wang, don't think that everyone in the world is like you."

Xiao Yan smiled and waved his hand: "My conditions have been put forward. Li Siyuan doesn't even need to do anything. I won't let him let my troops enter Jin. As for whether you want to bring my conditions to him, it's all up to you."

Li Cunzhong struggled again and again, then said with a sullen face, "Zhang Zifan wants to leave with me."

Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes.

In an instant, Li Cunzhong felt that the hair on his head was grabbed by the person behind him and he was dragged out.

"How dare you bargain with the king?"

Li Cunzhong grimaced in pain, but before he could resist, he heard Xiao Yan's voice again: "One more thing, tell Li Siyuan not to trust Yuan Tiangang too much, otherwise, he won't even know how he died."

The door was closed. Xiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back and looked for a while. Then he turned around and found Jiang Chen looking at him with his peach blossom eyes.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yan touched his cheek.

Jiang Chen was a little suspicious: "Do you really think you can outsmart the bad commander?"

Xiao Yan smiled but didn't answer.

Not long after, Ye Bushou appeared as if he had fallen from the sky, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, Liu Ming (Ba Ge) left a mark in the east wing, and it seems that he wants someone to send a message to the State of Jin."

"This woman is really not smart." The surrendered minister lay on the table bored.

"You don't need to keep a close eye on her, and you don't need to track down who contacted her later." Xiao Yan instructed Na Ye Bu Shou: "In addition, remember to keep the matter of returning Li Cunzhong secret and don't reveal your whereabouts."

"Here!"

That night, Bu Shou left without following orders. Jiang Chen covered his forehead with his hand and looked at the beams. He exclaimed, "What kind of body skills did you teach them?"

Xiao Yan also looked up at the elegant ceiling chessboard, was silent for a moment, turned his head to look at her, but answered the wrong question.

"I want to try."

The surrendered minister was stunned for a moment, then kept silent for a long time with his lips pursed.

(End of this chapter)