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

Chapter 432: Inquiring about the Sickness and Health
Even during the Spring Festival, Taiyuan cannot hide its inherent desolation in winter, which is in stark contrast to the prosperous and peaceful scene of Bianjing.

Zhou Li has a rule: the emperor's funeral is seven days and the burial is seven months; the princes' funeral is five days and the burial is five months. Since the Tang Dynasty, although Zhou Li is still nominally respected as the standard, the actual period of funeral and burial has been greatly shortened. However, after the death of Jin Wang Li Keyong, the crown prince Li Cunxu strictly followed the ancient rituals, causing the entire Taiyuan city to be shrouded in white.

The Jinyang Palace was high and steep. Li Cunren, the so-called Jin State Inspector General and the Governor of Daizhou, who was the leader of the four gates, finished discussing matters in the palace but did not leave. Instead, he climbed up the tower alone.

The man was dressed in mourning clothes, with one hand behind his back, standing by the railing. His eyes then passed through the numerous houses and cast a faraway look at a small black dot hanging on the main gate of the southeast city. It was a head, the head of "Li Siyuan" who killed his father and betrayed his master, which had been displayed in the cold wind for more than two months.

The so-called Li Cunren was actually Li Siyuan. He just squinted his eyes slightly, and slowly twisted a string of fine red sandalwood Buddhist beads with one hand. His expression was peaceful, as if he was meditating. He looked at the distant black spot with interest for a long time, until a servant came up quietly and whispered. He concentrated on thinking for a while, then slowly walked down the tower, left the palace, and returned to the residence of Li Cunren, the inspector general.

In the secret room deep inside the mansion, the candlelight was dim. Li Cunzhong, who had been waiting for a long time, was fidgeting. When he saw Li Siyuan walking in leisurely, he stood up hastily, but his respectful posture was accompanied by an imperceptible tension.

"Big brother..."

Li Siyuan did not answer immediately while twirling his Buddhist beads. Instead, he sat down behind a large rosewood desk. There was nothing else on the desk except a warm mutton-fat jade paperweight and a few open ancient books.

At this time, he raised his eyes and smiled faintly: "Big brother's head has been hanging on the city wall for two months. Now there is only fourth brother, how can ninth brother be called 'big brother'?"

Li Cunzhong smiled bitterly, but just stood in the shadows with his hands down, and lowered his voice very low, with a bit of caution: "Brother, please stop joking, there are no outsiders here. I am really a little uneasy..."

Li Siyuan's hands did not stop twisting the Buddhist beads, and his eyes fell on Li Cunzhong's face: "Tell me, what made you risk coming back in person? Did you find the whereabouts of Li Cunren?"

"That's exactly it." Li Cunzhong felt even more uneasy. Ever since the incident at Yinquan Mountain, he had always been more cautious in front of this eldest brother who looked and sounded like his fourth brother but was completely different on the inside. When talking about this matter, he simply bowed and clasped his fists.

"However, the Taihang Mountain siege ultimately failed. Thirteenth Sister took advantage of the wind and snow to escape off the cliff, and no trace of her was left. Bal and the others claimed that they had tried their best, but due to the unfavorable weather and location... they were unable to complete their mission."

Li Siyuan had a blank expression on his face, he just nodded to indicate to continue.

Li Cunzhong paused for a moment, observing Li Siyuan's expression before continuing, "Since Baer didn't mention it, he would have gone to ask the bad commander for instructions. But according to what Baer said, he seemed to have some complaints about Bago's response at the critical moment."

"Baguo..." Li Siyuan's fingers twisting the Buddhist beads remained steady, his voice as gentle as water, without any ripples, "You have some complaints? What do you mean?"

He raised his eyes, and under the dim candlelight, a sharp light flashed in the depths of those seemingly gentle eyes.

Li Cunzhong did not dare to look directly at them, but quickly told them all the information he knew and the arguments of all parties. Although there were only a few key passes in the Taihang Mountains, it was impossible to rely on only three people from Bal to track down a person in the vast mountains. Li Cunzhong's men also led Li Siyuan's men to support them from the outside, but because they were not in the same place, they could only rely on Ba Ye's arguments for the details.

And Ba and Bago were not on good terms to begin with, so his words were inevitably biased and his malicious intent was obvious.

After listening to this, Li Siyuan pondered for a while, without asking for details, but leaned back slightly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade paperweight. The voice slowly drifted away in the silent room.

"I heard from my sixth brother... that my foster father had an important task before he passed away, and it seems that he gave it directly to Bago to handle?"

"It seems...it's true." Li Cunzhong thought for a moment and replied hesitantly.

Li Siyuan spoke slowly, his tone still showing no emotion, instead it sounded gentle as if he was recalling something carefully.

"And according to what my sixth brother said, although this Bago is his disciple, he is unaware of the inside story of this important task arranged by my adoptive father. The person who is responsible for the liaison and delivering my adoptive father's instructions..." His hand twisting the Buddhist beads suddenly stopped, the elegant and peaceful expression on his face instantly faded, and there was a slight cold light in his eyes, "Is it Li Cunren?"

Li Cunzhong was startled, his back tensed instantly: "Brother, what you mean is that this failure was caused by Bago deliberately letting us win?!"

But he hesitated again: "But... this Bago is someone that Sixth Brother values ​​after all. With Sixth Brother's ability to judge people, even if he may not know all the inside story, he would not allow such an unstable factor to ruin Big Brother's plan, right?"

Li Siyuan seemed to smile, let go of the Buddhist beads, picked up a delicate bronze incense shovel on the table, and slowly and methodically stirred the fine incense ash in the incense burner. His movements were still elegant and calm: "Brother, have you ever said that Ba Ge deliberately let you win?"

Li Cunzhong was stunned again, not understanding what he meant.

"My sixth brother was promoted to Marquis of Xue and is in charge of Tongwenguan. He is highly trusted by our new king. It is normal for him to be negligent in some trivial matters." Li Siyuan's voice returned to a steady state, and even had a gentle smile on it, as if he was talking about an insignificant matter.

"But since Sixth Brother is too busy to handle everything, I, as the Fourth Brother, must share his worries and eliminate some potential instability." Li Siyuan put down the incense shovel and looked up at Li Cunzhong in the shadows. "Send a message to Ba Ge, using Sixth Brother's name. Tell her that she and Ba Ye have many problems, and continuing to participate in the pursuit of Li Cunren will only hinder her. Order her to return to Taiyuan immediately and rest."

"Also, my sixth brother, replace a group of people in the Tongwen Pavilion. The new people should be smart and know the rules. I want to know everything that Bago did before and after she returned to Taiyuan, including who she met, what she said, and where her eyes were. If she or the people around her did anything wrong, for example, if they tried to get close to our new king..."

The smile on his lips suddenly disappeared, and he said coldly: "Capture her immediately, without alerting others. I want to ask her in person, which one is more important, her loyalty to me or to my adoptive father, and how much weight she has. Can you handle this properly, Lao Jiu?"

"Don't worry, big brother. I will make sure it goes flawlessly." Li Cunzhong did not dare to hesitate at all and bowed quickly to agree.

At this time, Li Siyuan stood up from the desk and walked to Li Cunzhong. He gently stroked his back with his hand and said in a gentle and sincere tone, "Ninth brother, I know you are wronged. But before and after the incident of my adoptive father, you showed up too many times and met too many people. Our new king is very suspicious because of my adoptive father. He thinks everyone has ulterior motives. If I force you to stay by my side at this time, it will harm you. Please bear with the grievance for a while. When I... take over, you and I will be vindicated and see the light of day again. It is just around the corner."

"I will follow you till death." Upon hearing this, Li Cunzhong's voice was somewhat moved, and he immediately responded by expressing his opinion.

Li Siyuan smiled, then narrowed his eyes again, with a gleam in his eyes: "There is one more thing. When my foster father was alive, he assigned Bago to handle this important task. Try to find out how much of the inside story my sixth brother...knows."

Li Cunzhong immediately understood the implication of this sentence, and his back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, but he just lowered his head and said in a deeper voice: "Yes."

The man immediately bowed and left. The heavy door closed silently, isolating the last flickering candlelight and the lingering fragrance of agarwood. The secret room fell into absolute darkness and silence.

Li Siyuan sat alone in absolute darkness, the gentle expression on his face disappeared without a trace, leaving only endless coldness.

If Li Cunren really escaped, it would be a serious problem and everything would be over. But the Marshal would never sit idly by and watch this happen, so he was not too worried about this.

But the matter of Bago, and the speculation that Li Cunli seemed to be concealing something about this issue, were like a poisonous thorn, causing him to feel deeply uneasy and suspicious.

He has already given up everything, even his true identity, to get to this point today. If there are any hidden dangers, anyone dares to threaten his hard-earned position...

In the darkness, his fingers that were twisting the Buddhist beads suddenly tightened, his knuckles turned white, and a hint of ferocity flashed across his face.

Who else cannot be killed?

------

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, in the meeting hall of Tiance Mansion.

A huge map occupied the entire wall, and a few rare rays of warm sunlight shone in through the high windows, casting slender shadows on the mirror-like floor tiles. Xiao Yan leaned against the main seat, wearing a round-necked red robe, but his eyes were calm, and he was concentrating on peeling the orange in his hand. His slender fingers slowly tore off the orange peel, and a small pile of golden orange peels had accumulated on the large table in front of him.

There were only a few people in the hall. Since the annual leave had not yet ended, there were only three real staff members present today. Among the people who were hastily summoned, on the left was Han Yanhui, who looked capable and thin; on the right was Jing Xiang, who had slightly frosted hair and a calm temperament; Li Ting, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, simply sat behind the small desk below Xiao Yan and waited to record.

As for Duan Chengtian, Wen Tao and Shangguan Yunque who were sitting at the bottom waiting, they simply didn't feel like participating at all.

In the hall, a middle-aged messenger dressed in Chu costume and covered in dust was lying on the ground, looking haggard and speaking in a hoarse and angry voice:
"…Your Highness, the King of Qin, Prime Minister, Lord Han, Lord Li! Please help us, the King! The second son's mother, Yuan, took advantage of our king's illness and suddenly launched an attack. She imprisoned our king in the deep palace, cut off from the outside world, and handed the military order to the second son. The prince was extremely worried and wanted to enter the palace to serve medicine and fulfill his filial piety, but he was attacked by Yuan's followers and almost met with an unexpected disaster. Now in Changsha City, the second son relies on military power to cover the sky with one hand, and the prince is alone and in danger. I beg your Highness to issue a heavenly decree to reprimand the rebellious son. Or, or send the royal army to the south to restore order and save our master from danger…"

By the end of his speech, he was in tears and sobbing.

The hall fell into silence, with only the suppressed sobbing of the Chu envoy echoing in the empty hall. Xiao Yan was still focused on the orange in his hand, and his slender fingers carefully tore off the last strand of orange peel, with a calm expression, as if the wailing in the hall was just the sound of wind and snow outside.

Han Yanhui and Jing Xiang exchanged glances. Jing Xiang nodded slightly and turned to the envoy crawling on the ground. His voice was as steady as an ancient well, but with unquestionable penetrating power:

"Your Excellency said that the Second Young Master and his mother Yuan imprisoned the King of Chu, isolated him from the outside world, and took control of the military order. The Crown Prince wanted to fulfill his filial duty but was attacked by weapons... These are all one-sided statements. From what I have heard, the cause and effect of the situation in front of Your Highness may not be so."

He paused for a moment, staring at the envoy with a sharp gaze: "The decree issued by our dynasty last time has not yet been responded to by the King of Chu. On the eve of the Chinese New Year, your prince held a banquet and invited the King of Chu and the second son to attend. What was the purpose? It is said that the prince was deeply afraid that after the decree of our dynasty arrived in Changsha, the King of Chu would not take any action, which might be disadvantageous to him. In addition, the second son has been trusted by the King of Chu in recent months, so the prince felt uneasy and wanted to take advantage of this banquet to force the King of Chu to pass on the throne. Unexpectedly, the plan was not kept secret, the news leaked, and the second son took control of it. The King of Chu is old and weak, and he was shocked and angry when he encountered such a dramatic change of fratricide, which made his condition worse. That's why he had to return to the palace to rest. The so-called 'isolation from the inside and outside' is actually to protect the safety of the King of Chu and prevent him from being disturbed again! What your envoy said just now is not a reversal of right and wrong, confusing people?"

The Chu envoy's back tensed up suddenly, and his forehead almost sunk into the cold floor tiles. He raised his head abruptly, tears streaming down his face, mixed with the dust from the long journey, making him look even more miserable and distressed. His voice was trembling with urgency and sharpness:
"Please be clear, my Lord! Heaven and earth can prove that my prince has absolutely no such intention!"

He unconsciously grasped the hem of his robe with both hands and argued hastily, "The prince did hold a banquet, but, but it was definitely not to force the king to abdicate! It was because the king was seriously ill and the prince was overly worried. He was deeply afraid that the king of Chu had not seen outsiders for a long time and that the king's poor health was unknown to outsiders. He was even more afraid that some villains would isolate the king from the outside world, making the king deaf and dumb, and his heart unclear. That's why he wanted to take the opportunity of a family reunion to invite the king to sit at the same table with the second son. On the one hand, it would comfort the king's loneliness during his illness, and on the other hand, he also wanted the king to personally give instructions in front of the royal family and relatives to reassure the people of the country! This is purely a sincere filial piety, and heaven and earth can witness it!"

His voice was tearful, but he spoke sincerely to Xiao Yan, who seemed calm from beginning to end.

"Who would have thought that Concubine Yuan and the Second Young Master had already had ulterior motives. They must have had evil intentions long ago. Seeing that the Crown Prince was doing this for the sake of the King and the country, they were afraid that their evil plot would be exposed, so they brazenly launched an attack, reversed right and wrong, and falsely accused the Crown Prince. They even imprisoned the King in the deep palace, ostensibly for rest, but in reality for imprisonment! The Crown Prince wanted to see the King of Chu to fulfill his filial duty, but was unable to do so. Such acts of defying human ethics, imprisoning one's father and bullying one's brother are truly outrageous to both humans and gods! Your Highness the King of Qin! My Lords! The country of Chu is in danger, the Crown Prince's life is hanging by a thread, and the King's safety is in the hands of the traitors! I hope Your Highness will understand!"

After the messenger finished speaking, he kowtowed heavily once more. The sound of his forehead hitting the ground echoed in the empty hall. It was as if he had used up all his strength, leaving only his shoulders twitching violently.

Han Yanhui and Jing Xiang looked at each other and actually agreed with the messenger's words. Han Yanhui immediately turned to Xiao Yan.

"Your Highness, the words of the Chu envoy are sincere. The King of Chu, Ma Yin, is a pillar of the court, kind and loving to the people. Now that he is seriously ill, his sons and heirs are at odds with each other, and the disaster is caused by internal strife, which is not a blessing for the country. The second son, Ma Xisheng, is so-called "resting in peace", but in fact it is tantamount to imprisonment. He even resorted to violence against the crown prince, which is against human ethics and his heart is punishable."

Li Ting picked up the pen and quickly wrote down the key points on the paper.

Xiao Yan swallowed the orange petal, broke off another one, and looked at the land of Jingchu on the map. He said calmly, "King Ma Gong of Chu guards the southern border and has made great contributions to the country. I heard that he is ill, and I am very worried."

He paused, then changed his tone, "As for the second young master, Ma Xisheng, I have also heard of him. Although he was naughty when he was young, he has been decisive in his actions recently. He has the appearance of a hero, and he is quite like Mr. Ma in his youth. He is also a leader in Chu."

The messenger raised his head, with a hint of confusion and anxiety in his tearful eyes.

Xiao Yan's eyes swept over Han Yanhui, Jing Xiang, and Li Ting, and finally landed on Duan Chengtian and the others. His tone suddenly turned solemn: "At the beginning of the new year, when everything is renewed, I want to hold a 'political banquet' in Bianliang, inviting talented people from all over the world and heroes from all towns to gather together to show the peaceful atmosphere of the Central Plains and discuss strategies for recuperation and enriching the country and strengthening the army."

"Draft an imperial edict immediately." Xiao Yan's voice was clear and powerful, leaving no room for doubt. "In the name of the emperor, summon Ma Xisheng, the second son of the King of Chu, to immediately set off for Bianliang to inquire about his health and attend to his illness."

As soon as these words came out, the messenger's face turned pale as paper. Han Yanhui's eyes flashed, Jing Xiang's mouth corners slightly curved upwards, and Li Ting wrote quickly.

Xiao Yan's voice continued to echo in the meeting hall: "The imperial edict states: This king sympathizes with the King of Chu's serious illness and cannot bear to see him travel a long distance and suffer from fatigue. He specially summoned his son Xisheng to come to Bianliang on his father's behalf. First, to greet his father and pray for his well-being, set up an altar in the Daxiangguo Temple, and pray to God to bless the King of Chu to recover soon; second, to participate in this grand event, discuss with the world's heroes, increase knowledge and experience, hone talents, and live up to the high expectations of the King of Chu. This is the filial piety of a son, and also the duty of a vassal!"

He looked back at the messenger and said calmly, "In addition, I give the King of Chu a pair of Liaodong century-old mountain ginseng, three Tianshan snow lotuses, and some precious medicinal supplements such as Ganoderma lucidum and deer antlers. You are to take them back to Changsha to show my sympathy and concern. The Ministry of Rites will immediately arrange for it, seal the edict, and rush it eight hundred miles. It must be delivered to Ma Xisheng in Changsha within three days."

"I obey your command!" Li Ting responded solemnly and kept writing.

The messenger finally understood what was going on. His lips trembled instantly, and he was surprised and delighted: "Thank... Thank you for your grace, Your Highness!"

After the messenger was taken away, Duan Chengtian, who had been motionless, stood up and took out a letter from his sleeve that looked extremely ordinary and even a little worn. He presented it respectfully with both hands: "Your Highness, from the direction of Jin State, channel A3, urgent confidential letter."

Xiao Yan took the letter and opened the wax seal. Inside was a piece of ordinary letter paper commonly used in Tongwenguan, filled with irrelevant information such as "Food and fodder have arrived at a certain warehouse" and "A certain branch needs to replenish weapons". He calmly picked up an inconspicuous white porcelain bottle on the table, poured out a few drops of colorless and odorless liquid, and evenly smeared it on the blank edge of the letter paper. After a moment, several lines of clear and sharp ink appeared.

"On New Year's Eve, in Taihang Mountain, Li Cunren was killed by Ba'er and Baye. Li Cunren risked his life to get a chance, and escaped into the snowy abyss with the secret, his life or death is uncertain. The death of King Jin is not what it seems, there may be a huge hidden secret. I am trapped in a den of tigers and wolves, surrounded by spies, and it is difficult to escape for the time being. Only this information may help Your Highness understand the source of the chaos in Jin and point directly to the core of Taiyuan..."

Seeing the word "Bar", Xiao Yan's eyes moved slightly, and he understood. He placed the letter paper on the candle flame, and the flames quickly devoured the paper, turning it into ashes and falling.

"The cause of Li Keyong's death remains a mystery... Li Cunren disappeared with a secret..." Xiao Yan's voice broke the silence in the meeting hall, and was particularly calm. He looked at several trusted ministers, "The secret of Li Cunren is enough to overturn the foundation of the Jin State."

"Duan Chengtian."

"I'm here!" Duan Chengtian took a step forward, bowed and clasped his fists.

"Use all the forces we can in Jin State, and send an edict to Zhao Wang Rong and Beiping Wang Chuzhi, and order them to cooperate." Xiao Yan said calmly: "Turn Taihang Mountain over. If she is alive, I want to see her. If she is dead, I want to see her body. This king wants to see Li Cunren and the things on her body."

"Keep close watch on Taiyuan Tongwenguan and Jinyang Palace, and pay attention to Baguo's situation. If his life is in danger, you can use the preset 'life gate' to help him hide, provided that the 'A-3' and all the hidden agents are absolutely safe. If things are impossible..." Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, and then said, "The first priority is to preserve our strength."

"Here!"

"As for Taiyuan..." Xiao Yan's eyes swept across Jinyang City on the map, as if looking down at a chessboard, "Send an order to the three armies: Prepare your troops, prepare your forces, and be ready for battle. Although our dynasty will rest with the people, if any villain dares to invade, no matter who they are, no matter where they come from——"

He paused for a moment, and said word by word: "Give it all to me, and crush it."

Everyone was in awe and stood up to respond.

"Also, the northern border grasslands and southern Chu Changsha must act according to the plan and not make any mistakes."

"Yes, sir!" Duan Chengtian immediately accepted the order, exchanged a glance with Shangguan Yunque and Wen Tao, turned around and left quickly.

The meeting hall returned to silence. Han Yanhui, Jing Xiang, and Li Ting did not fully understand the specific contents of the letter. However, from Xiao Yan's few words and decisive deployment, they guessed that something might have happened in Taiyuan. They looked at each other, each thinking, and were speechless.

Outside the window, Bianliang City was bathed in the warm afternoon sun, and the hustle and bustle of the city could be heard faintly. In the meeting hall, the sun moved on the floor tiles, and the location of Taiyuan on the map seemed to be shrouded in an invisible haze. Xiao Yan stood in front of the map with his hands behind his back, thinking for a long time without saying a word.

The fight with the Marshal seemed to have begun like this.

(End of this chapter)