Lanting prelude
Chapter 33 Fufa
Chapter 33 Fufa
In Chang'an, summer cicadas neigh, and the heat is unbearable.
Early in the morning, Li Ke took an unremarkable carriage, left Wu Wangfu in Qinrenfang, and went straight west along the horizontal street south of Dongshi.The purpose of this trip is to pay a visit to Li Tai at Wei Wangfu in Yankangfang.
Qinrenfang and Yankangfang are only four lifangs apart, and the carriage soon arrived at the west gate of Wei Wangfu.Li Ke sent someone to deliver a letter to Li Tai yesterday, saying that he would come to visit him. The reply he received was that he is very welcome, but he must go through the small gate to the west.Li Ke understands Li Tai's cautiousness very much—the situation is sensitive now, and he and Li Tai are the two princes with the highest voices for succession, so the communication between the two of them should naturally be as low-key as possible.
The carriage entered the small gate along the street, and after it came to a complete stop, as soon as Li Ke lifted the curtain, Li Tai, who was waiting at the inner gate, greeted him with a smile on his face, and said loudly: "Third brother, you are a rare visitor, why did you suddenly Remember to visit me?"
"Look at what the fourth brother said." Li Ke said with a smile, "How long have we not seen each other? We don't need any reason to walk around each other, right?"
"That's that, that's that." Li Tai laughed, "I wish my third brother would come every day!"
The two talked and laughed, and walked into the inner door side by side.
After sitting down in the main hall, Li Taiping withdrew his servants.The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, and the topic turned to hunting down the criminals. "Third brother is not easy!" Li Tai said, "I heard that a few days ago, you arrested Shi Yaoxing, the former Governor of Los Angeles who had fled for several months?"
Ever since he learned that the imperial court had captured Yao Xing, Li Tai was in a state of panic all day long, and immediately went to Wang Hongyi, telling him to get Yang Bingjun away quickly, but Wang Hongyi told him confidently: "Yao Xing will never tell the imperial court anything. , Your Highness, don't be nervous." Li Tai asked him why he was so confident.Wang Hongyi said: "Yao Xing has followed me for many years, and he knows that I am a person with clear grievances and grievances. If he dares to speak casually, he is not afraid that his family members in exile in Lingnan will suffer from mistakes." Li Tai was relieved, but he was not at ease, and immediately ordered Du Chuke to inquire. Unexpectedly, as Wang Hongyi expected, Yao Xing was severely tortured by the Ministry of Criminal Justice for many days, but he never said a word.
Just as Li Tai was relieved, he received another message from Li Ke yesterday, saying that he would come to visit him.Li Tai's heart suddenly rose again—God knows if Yao Xing said anything to him before being handed over by Li Ke?
So at this moment, Li Tai couldn't wait to speak out.
"The news about the fourth brother is really well-informed." Li Ke smiled, "I'm afraid there is nothing about the affairs of the court that you don't know."
"Third brother is flattering me by saying that." Li Tai also laughed, "I just heard about it by chance."
"Then what else has fourth brother heard about Yao Xing?"
"It's nothing. It seems that this guy's bones are quite hard. He suffered a lot in the Ministry of Criminal Justice, but he didn't say a word."
"Yao Xing didn't say anything in the Ministry of Punishment, but..." Li Ke kept it a secret on purpose.
"But what?" Li Tai resisted the tension in his heart.
"He told me something before, and it shocked me."
Li Tai suddenly had an ominous premonition, and stared at Li Ke: "What did he say to Third Brother?"
Li Ke met his gaze: "The whereabouts of Yang Bingjun."
Li Tai's heart started beating wildly, but he still pretended to be confused: "Yang Bingjun? Is it Yao Xing's boss, former Luozhou governor Yang Bingjun?"
"Exactly."
"The third brother just said he was shocked, what's going on?"
"Fourth brother, if someone suddenly told you that Yang Bingjun was hiding in my house, would you be shocked?"
No matter how hard Li Tai tried to keep calm, his face couldn't help but change at this moment.He narrowed his eyes: "Third Brother, what do you mean by that?"
Li Ke smiled slightly: "Since fourth brother is such a smart person, do you still need me to clarify my words?"
Li Tai's face darkened: "Third brother, it's just us two brothers here, if you have anything to say, you may as well say it clearly."
"Okay, then I'll make it clear. Yao Xing told me that Yang Bingjun is hiding in your house!"
Li Taiteng suddenly jumped up from the couch, and said sharply: "Framing, this is completely framing! How can the third brother listen to such a person?!"
"Fourth brother, don't get excited." Li Ke said with a faint smile, "Didn't you just say that there are only two brothers here, and there are no outsiders, why are you so excited?"
Li Tai stared at him closely, his chest heaving and heaving: "Third brother, tell me clearly, what exactly do you want to do here today?"
"What do you think I'm here for?" Li Ke asked back with a smile, "If I really want to do something, shouldn't I go to the palace to meet the emperor?"
"Stop threatening me with such nonsense, Father will not believe what a rebellious person like Yao Xing says!"
"Fourth brother, according to what you mean, did I come here by mistake today?" Li Ke said coldly, "Do you think I should report this news to my father and let him make a decision? Or let him directly Send Xuanjiawei to search your house to see if Yao Xing is framed?"
Li Tai was stunned, cold sweat broke out on his forehead for a moment, and he sat back on the couch in a moment: "Third brother, tell me why you didn't report to the emperor?"
This is tantamount to the default.Li Ke smiled: "I have no holiday with you, why did I hurt you? If something happened to you, wouldn't Chengqian be satisfied?"
Li Tai heard the meaning behind his words, and frowned: "Third brother, from what you said, it seems that you have something to do with elder brother?"
"To be honest, I have opinions on him." Li Ke said, "I don't think he is a qualified prince, and he will never be a good emperor in the future. On the contrary, I am more optimistic about you, fourth brother."
Li Tai was greatly surprised, but at the same time he was full of suspicion: "Third brother, I dare not say such things casually..."
"Fourth brother!" Li Ke interrupted him abruptly, "Why are you still seeing me now? If I didn't really think so, why bother to come to you today? If you don't want to tell me what's on your mind, then I'm leaving now." After saying that, he stood up.
"Third Brother, stop." Li Tai hurriedly stopped, "It's not that I don't want to have a heart-to-heart relationship with you, it's just...it just feels a little sudden."
Li Ke smiled, and sat back down again: "I have been in Anzhou for the past few years, and my brother and I don't move around much, so you think it's sudden. It doesn't mean that I just had this idea today."
Li Tai nodded: "Since we've talked about this, then... about Yang Bingjun, what is the third brother's good plan?"
"It's very simple, you hand him over to me, and I hand him over to Father Emperor, and this matter is over."
"It's absolutely impossible!" Li Tai was startled, "Just hand him over like this, once he opens his mouth, wouldn't it be all over for me?"
Li Ke smiled lightly: "I didn't say that I would give my father a Yang Bingjun who could speak."
"Third Brother means..."
"I mean you still don't understand?"
"Of course I understand, but..." Li Tai now hopes that Yang Bingjun will turn into a corpse immediately. The problem is that if Yang Bingjun dies like this, how should Mingzang explain it?
Regarding Li Tai's thoughts, Li Ke has a clear understanding of the fire-since Yang Bingjun will hide in Wei Wangfu, it means that Li Tai has already joined forces with Mingzang.Now that the matter has come to an end, Li Ke simply opened the skylight to him and said bluntly: "Fourth brother, if I guessed right, you are worried about the Mingzang of the Heavenly Punishment Alliance, right?"
Li Tai was startled, and subconsciously wanted to deny it, but after thinking about it, now that Li Ke knew everything, it was unnecessary and dishonest to lie to him, so he hesitated for a moment, then fell silent.
"I don't know what relationship you have with Mingzang, and I'm not interested in it. I just want to say, if you are worried about Mingzang, I have a way."
"any solution?"
"Let Yang Bingjun go to the brothel, and I will send someone to kill him there, and then hand over his body to the emperor. You can tell Mingzang that it was Yang Bingjun who sneaked out to find flowers and ask Liu without telling you, so he can't blame him. It's up to you, and I can also deal with the father."
Li Tai thought for a while, and finally showed a smile on his face: "Third brother's plan is indeed a good way to kill two birds with one stone!"
"Okay, since you agree, let's do it as soon as possible." Li Ke said, standing up, "After the arrangement is made, tell me the time and place, and you don't have to worry about the rest."
Li Tai also got up quickly, looked at Li Ke, and his eyes filled with gratitude: "Third brother, this time is thanks to you, little brother, I... I am really grateful!"
"Look, are you seeing me again?" Li Ke walked over with a smile, and patted his arm vigorously, "Third brother, I don't ask for anything else. If you sit in the world in the future, let me continue Be a carefree prince with idle clouds, wild cranes, and no worries about food and clothing, and just don’t cook me to death!"
"Look at what the third brother said." Li Tai laughed, "If you inherit the auspicious words of the third brother, one day, I would like to sit with the third brother in the world!"
"Oh?" Li Ke smiled meaningfully, "Are you really willing to sit with me?"
Li Tai immediately raised his right hand: "Third Brother, if you don't believe me, I can swear to God..."
Li Ke laughed and pressed down his hand: "Okay, okay, what are you swearing, I'm just kidding with you! As I said, it's enough to be a happy prince! Well, I still have something to do. This is my farewell, you don't have to give it away." After speaking, he patted Li Tai on the shoulder, turned and walked out.
Li Tai followed closely: "Third Brother, I'll see you off..."
"If you don't give it away, you won't give it away, and you are being polite to me?!" Li Ke turned his head and glared at him.
Li Tai smiled and stopped: "Third brother, go away, I will be the host another day, and we two brothers have a good drink."
"It's easy to say." Li Ke waved his hand and strode out of the main hall with brisk and powerful steps.
Seeing Li Ke's back going away, Li Tai's brows slowly tightened, and a cloud of cloud floated on his face.
At some point, Su Jinse was already standing behind him.Li Tai was startled, and turned around: "Jinse, you...why did you come out?"
Su Jinse didn't speak, but looked at the door, and said leisurely: "This King Wu is not just waiting for you!"
Since she was rescued by Wang Hongyi a few days ago, Su Jinse has been recuperating in Wei Wang's mansion. At this moment, her face is still a little pale, obviously her body has not fully recovered.
"Jinse, you...you heard what you just said?"
Su Jinse nodded: "Forgive me, Your Highness. Yesterday when I heard that King Wu was coming, I felt that the person who came was not kind. Today I couldn't help but listened behind the screen. As expected..."
Li Tai sighed: "I really can't do anything about Yang Bingjun..."
"Your Highness needn't say anything." Su Jinse smiled wryly, "To be honest, I didn't quite agree with letting him hide here at the time. Now that the news has been leaked, we can only use King Wu's method. The matter of Yang Bingjun, Let the servants arrange everything, so His Highness doesn't need to ask. My father, I will explain it to him later, Your Highness doesn't need to worry."
When Li Tai heard this, she was very moved, and couldn't help but take her hand: "Jinse, I, Li Tai, have cultivated so many merits and done many good deeds in my previous life that I can only meet you in this life!"
Su Jinse looked up at him, her eyes suddenly became moist: "His Royal Highness, if I can hear you say that, I will have no regrets in this life."
"Jinse, I assure you, if I sit in the world in the future, I will definitely make you a queen!"
There was a happy smile on Su Jinse's face, but when he thought of something, the smile dimmed: "Your Highness, do you know who is your real opponent if you want to sit in this world?"
Li Tai turned his head to look at the direction Li Ke was leaving, and smiled coldly: "You mean my third brother, right?"
"Your Highness is a smart person. Normally, I don't need to babble. I just want His Highness to remember a word. The king of Wu is joining hands with you at this moment. He just wants to use your hand to bring down the prince and deal with you later. This man's scheming is deeper than that of the prince. Too much."
"I know it all. It's just that before the prince falls, I can only join forces with him, or in other words, I can only use him to make use of each other. As for the future..." Li Tai's eyes flashed a cold light, "Who wins the battle, it's still not over yet." We can see."
At Xunyang Wharf, there are many mast sails and boats and boats.
The afternoon sun shone on the river, and the whole pier was filled with heat.
A dozen or so Xuanjia guards were scattered in the shade on the shore, watching the passing business travelers up and down with haughty expressions, and at the same time staring at the arresting officers who were checking the places.Lang told Xue An a long time ago, saying that the arresters in these places are lazy and mostly unreliable, and we should beware of them stealing and cheating, and don't let criminals slip under their noses.
At this time, Ding Butou led five policemen swaggeringly onto the pier.A policeman greeted: "Brother Ding, where are you going?"
"Under the order of the Ming Mansion, I am on an errand in Yunxiang County." Ding Butou said, "Help me find a boat, and I need to anchor right away. I have an urgent errand and I have to hurry."
The catcher agreed, and immediately went back to help him find the boat.Not far away, the two Xuanjia guards under the shade of the tree heard the sound and glanced this way. Seeing that it was Ding Butou, they looked away.A policeman with triangular eyes next to him saw the faces behind Ding Toutou, so he came over: "Where are these brothers from, why haven't I seen them?"
"From Fengyang County." A handsome bearded policeman responded quickly, "I have ordered you to go to Yunxiang with Lao Ding to do business." The triangular-eyed "Oh", but the eyes were on the two little men behind him Quickly sweep around.
Mei Xuran suddenly cursed in a low voice.Triangular eyes puzzled, looking back at him.Mei Xuran spat, and nuzzled at those Xuanjia guards: "Brother, this world is really unfair, we are busy working under the sun, those bastards are good, everyone is hiding under the tree."
"Isn't it?" Triangular Eyes felt the same way, "Those grandsons are from the imperial court, they are all coquettish and dog-like, and I don't like them either."
"What's so great about Xuanjiawei?" Mei Xuran said again, "They're nothing if they take off the black armor!"
Complaining and scolding mothers is the fastest way to build a good relationship between two strange men.Xiao Junmo is well versed in this way, so he talked to you and me with Triangular Eyes, and within a few words, he became as warm as an old acquaintance.After a while, the catcher just helped them find a boat boss, saying that it was a large sailing boat going to Jiangling, and it immediately weighed anchor.
Ding Butou quickly questioned Xiao Junmo with his eyes, Xiao Junmo nodded, and said to the triangular eyes: "Brother, I am on business, so I won't chat with you. I will treat you to drink after I finish my errands. Let's talk to each other!"
"Okay! It's a deal!"
At this time, Xue An suddenly came out from the tax customs, and set up an awning to look towards the pier.Chu Lisang and Hua Linger were a little nervous.Although they are easily overwhelmed, they still have the figure and appearance of a woman, and their triangular eyes can't help but glance at them.Xiao Junmo quickly put his arms around his shoulders, and said in a low voice: "Hey, look at my two little brothers, don't they look like women?"
Yile with triangular eyes: "Don't say it, it really does look alike."
Xiao Junmo laughed: "These are our two apprentices. They have just come out to work. They are thin-skinned and tender. The brothers all say that one of them is my first wife and the other is my second wife."
The triangular eyes laughed: "Brother, you are so beautiful and blessed!"
Xiao Junmo laughed and thumped him: "Okay, I won't talk nonsense with you, let's take a step first!"
"Brother, go slowly, have a smooth journey!"
Xue An looked at a group of arresters from afar, chatting and laughing, and took a closer look. It was Ding Butou, Triangle Eye and others. He immediately disdainful, and said to his followers: "Look at this bunch of useless people, they can't catch people, they're talking It’s quite capable! Let’s go and look elsewhere.” After speaking, he walked towards the other side of the pier.
Chu Lisang and Hua Ling'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly followed Xiao Junmo and Ding Tutou towards the mooring on the river, while Biancai and Mi Mancang on the side also followed quickly.A group of six people quickly walked through a long board and jumped onto a three-masted sailboat that was heaving anchor. Xiao Junmo did not forget to turn his head and wave to Triangle Eye.
Triangle Eyes also raised his hand and waved, and said to himself: "Eldest Wife, Second Wife... Hehe, this taste is really not as heavy as usual!"
With the wind rising and the sails hanging, the three-masted sailboat quickly sailed away from Xunyang County, chopping the waves on the broad Hanshui River, and sailed eastward.
Ding Tutou crouched in a corner of the ship's side, looking depressed, while Biancai and Mi Mancang looked at him from left to right.Xiao Junmo, Chu Lisang and Hua Linger stood at the bow of the boat against the wind.The three chatted about the thrilling scene at Qianmianhu's house just now.
Chu Lisang asked Xiao Junmo how he saw through Qianmianhu's deceit, Xiao Junmo said: "At first, before we arrived at his house, Miss Hua said that Qianmianhu had a cousin who was working in Xunyang County. People in the underworld only want money. Thinking about these two sentences together, I have an ominous premonition in my heart. Since Qianmianhu has relatives working on errands, he must be very clear about our situation. If you want to make money, what kind of money is more attractive than a reward of [-] gold? Of course, these are just my random guesses, and they are not really suspicious."
"Then what's the real doubt?" Chu Lisang asked.
Xiao Junmo said: "The first suspicious point is that just after arriving at his house, Miss Hua finished the code with him. At that time, the room was quiet for a while, and then there was a little movement behind the house. I suspect it was a bird flapping its wings. The sound. What kind of bird didn’t fly early and didn’t fly late, but flew up at that moment? So I had doubts.”
"And then?" Chu Lisang asked again.
"Then it's time to bargain. It is said that he asked for four gold, which is not too outrageous, but I deliberately cut off half of it, and the tone was very bad, just to provoke him. If he has no ghosts in his heart, he will Dao Shang’s identity will definitely turn against me. But on the contrary, not only did he not turn against me, but he readily agreed, which is not normal. So I have a second point of doubt.”
Chu Lisang and Hua Linger were stunned at the same time.No wonder he had to bargain so much, it turned out to be because of this.
"The third point is to talk about the bird." Xiao Junmo continued, "I pretended to go to the toilet, just to confirm what kind of bird flew out before. Then I went to the backyard and saw a bird hanging on the peach tree. The empty birdcage, with water and bird food in the cage, looks very clean, which means that the bird was still there just now, and it was deliberately released by Qianmianhu. Then what kind of bird did he release? The most likely answer is Carrier pigeon. I found a feather under the tree, which confirmed my guess. Then I asked him what kind of bird he kept, and he said it was a starling, and he said it died a few days ago, obviously lying. At this point, I can basically be sure that he has made a plan with someone in advance, just to wait for us to arrive, and then let the carrier pigeon go to report."
"This person is his cousin Ding Tutou?" Hua Ling'er interjected.
"That's right. Catcher Ding must have been coveting the five hundred gold reward for a long time. He expected that we would probably go to Qianmianhu to disguise himself and buy a house, so he set up this situation in advance. But if we want to catch us smoothly, It's not that easy, so the most important part of their plan is to try to confuse us, which is why Qianmianhu is so kind to invite us to eat soup cakes."
Chu Lisang and Hua Linger suddenly realized again.
"Afterwards, the thousand-faced fox entered the kitchen, and as soon as he boiled a pot of water, he took out a small bottle of drug from his sleeve and poured it into the pot. I guess the amount of drug is enough for five of us. I slept alone for a day and a night. Unfortunately, when he put the drug, I stood behind him." Xiao Junmo smiled and looked at the two of them, "Is there anything else I don't understand?"
"You said that you can tell that Qianmianhusa is not lying, why is that?" Hua Ling'er was still confused, "Do you have what Buddhism calls 'other minds'?"
"I'm not that smart." Xiao Jun smiled silently, "I have been a Xuanjiawei in the past few years, and I have interrogated many criminals. After careful observation and repeated verification, I can gradually see through people's subtle expressions and body movements. The secret of the heart. This is a little bit of accumulated experience, not some supernatural power."
"In my opinion, this is amazing!" Hua Ling'er was very interested, "Then tell me, what kind of expression does the thousand-faced fox make you see through the secret?"
"He had four unusual expressions and movements. The first time, when he was thinking about the price, he touched his neck with his hand, which indicated that he was not confident or stressed. The second time, When I asked him what kind of bird he kept, he made a smiling expression, but his jaw muscles were tense, which betrayed him, indicating that he was nervous. The third time, he said that he was going to eat soup When the bread and water were boiling, he touched his nose with his hand, which showed that what he thought in his heart was different from what he said, and he was covering up and lying. The fourth time, when he opened the iron box, Chu The girl said to open it for him, and he licked his lips, and then tightened his lips, which showed that he was in a state of high worry and tension, so I realized that there might be a problem with the iron box."
After Xiao Junmo finished speaking, Chu Lisang showed admiration on his face, while Hua Linger's expression was almost admiring.
"Hey, how come you have so much knowledge! When will you teach me, I will worship you as my teacher!" Hua Ling'er looked excited, and wrapped his arm intentionally or unintentionally, as if acting like a spoiled child.
Xiao Junmo gently pulled out his hand, and smiled: "How dare you be a teacher for such a small skill?"
"What should I do with this Ding Tutou?" Chu Lisang didn't want Hua Linger to pester Xiao Junmo, so he hurried to help him out.
Just now at Qianmianhu's house, after they took off the clothes of the five fast catchers, Hua Linger was about to kill Ding catcher and them all, but Xiao Junmo stopped her: "Although these people are not good people, they must be It’s nothing serious, let’s spare their lives. What’s more, we still need this Chief Ding.”
"Then let Ding catch the head and kill the others!" Hua Ling'er said without thinking, as if killing a few ants.
Xiao Junmo smiled wryly in his heart, although this Hua Ling'er is a chivalrous man, it's a pity that he doesn't take human life seriously.Although Xiao Junmo himself has killed a lot since he served as the Xuanjia Guard, he only kills in self-defense or as a last resort.Confucianism says "Heaven has the virtue of loving life", and Buddhism says that killing will create extremely bad karma, so every time he is forced to kill, he feels very uncomfortable.In Xiao Junmo's view, there is nothing more worthy of awe than life in the world, so whether a person has strength does not depend on how many people he kills, but how many people he saves.
"As long as they can shut up, there is no need to kill them." Xiao Junmo said.
"Then how do you tell them to shut up?"
"Aren't you the head of the Thousand Devils Cave, I need to teach you this?" Xiao Jun smiled silently.
Hua Linger thought for a while, walked over and grabbed Ding Butou by the collar: "Do you know who I am?"
Ding Butou shook his head in horror.
"Listen, I'm Hua Ling'er, the head of the Thousand Demon Cave. If you and your subordinates forget about today's events, I'll let your heads rest on your shoulders for two more years. If you dare to talk nonsense and leak half of the Words, our brothers from Thousand Demon Cave will come to fetch your dog heads at any time, including your wives and children. Do you understand?"
"Understand, nothing happened today, I...we didn't see anything."
"Your cousin's body, you have to take care of it."
"Okay, okay, I'll handle it, leave it to me, don't worry."
Afterwards, Xiao Junmo ordered those arresters to drink all the drugged water of Qianmianhu, then tied each other tightly, and finally locked them in the house, and then brought Ding Butou to the south of the city wharf...
"When we get to the next pier, let him go." Xiao Junmo looked at Ding Butou and answered Chu Lisang's question just now.
"Are you sure that neither he nor those subordinates will reveal our whereabouts?" Chu Lisang asked.
"Hua Ling'er has already told him about that, and he definitely wouldn't dare to gamble with the lives of his whole family." Xiao Junmo was very sure, "The people in Thousand Demon Cave can do what they say, Ding Butou very clear."
Chu Lisang felt relieved after hearing the words.
In the Imperial City of Chang'an, on the top of the Suzaku Gate.
Li Shimin stood by the battlements with his hands behind his back, squinting at a flagpole four or five feet away.Li Ke stood behind him, and Li Shiji, Zhao Dequan and others stood behind him, and everyone's eyes were focused on the flagpole.
The flagpole outside the city tower is not hanging a flag at this moment, but a human head, two bloody human heads.One belongs to Yang Bingjun and the other belongs to Yao Xing.
A few days ago, according to Li Ke's plan, Su Jinse sent someone to lure Yang Bingjun to a brothel in Pingkangfang, and then Sun Boyuan took Sun Pu and others and Li Ke's soldiers into the brothel, deliberately bluffing and making noise, forcing Yang Bingjun to take the road He fled and resisted arrest with a knife, and then killed him easily.Later, Li Ke handed over Yang Bingjun's body to the court and reported to Li Shimin that Yang Bingjun was accidentally killed by his subordinates while resisting arrest.
Although he regretted not being able to catch a living person, Li Shimin still rewarded Li Ke.Soon, Li Shimin decreed that Yao Xing, who had been imprisoned for a long time but refused to confess, was executed by the Ministry of Punishment, and the heads of Yang Bingjun and Yao Xing were hung in front of the Suzaku gate of the imperial city at the same time.
With the two's subjugation, the Gantangyi murder case that shocked the government and the public finally came to an end.
However, the principal culprit in this case, Wang Hongyi, the rudder master of Mingzang, is still at large, which still makes Li Shimin quite unhappy.In addition, Xiao Junmo, Biancai and others have repeatedly escaped from Xuanjiawei's pursuit, and the court's investigation of the Tianxing League has not made any progress. All these make Li Shimin even more depressed.
"Ke'er, tell me, based on your judgment, is Mingzang still in Chang'an?" Li Shimin asked without turning his head.
Li Ke was taken aback.Of course he knew that Ming Zang must be in Chang'an, because this person was joining forces with Li Tai, but this matter was a secret between him and Li Tai, so naturally he couldn't tell Li Shimin. "Returning to Father, regarding this person Mingzang, I have not yet grasped any clues related to him, so...so I dare not make false remarks."
Li Shimin snorted coldly, and he didn't know if he was dissatisfied with Li Ke's answer, or he was expressing his disgust for Mingzang.He looked down at the bustling and prosperous imperial capital below his feet, and at the bustling crowds in the distant market, and said to himself: "If you want me to tell you, this guy must still be in Chang'an. He is like a poisonous snake, hiding in the city's In a certain corner, the core of his tongue is hissing, ready to jump out and bite me at any time. The hateful thing is that this snake is clearly under my nose, but I can't see it, and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty Gentlemen, no one has the ability to catch it, every time I think about it, I feel helpless!"
At the end of the emperor's words, it was obvious that he was already blaming.
When Li Ke, Li Shiji, Zhao Dequan and others heard the words, they immediately fell to their knees on the ground, with expressions of panic on their faces.
"Father, it's all because of the incompetence of the sons and ministers, who failed to share the worries of the emperor and father." Li Ke said while lying on the ground.
In fact, his words were not all against his will, because he really felt guilty for concealing the truth from his father.Now Li Ke only hopes to bring down the prince as soon as possible, and then he can deal with Li Tai and Mingzang in a legitimate manner.He secretly swore in his heart that one day he would personally capture Ming Zang before his father.
"I can't blame you for this, you don't have to blame yourself." Li Shimin said lightly, "Didn't you catch Yang Bingjun and Yao Xing? You have done your best."
"Thank you, Father!"
Li Shimin looked at him, and suddenly said: "By the way, it's been a while since you returned to Beijing. It's not unreasonable for a dignified prince to always have no official position. Maybe I should reward you with an official position."
Li Ke was overjoyed, it was obvious that his recent performance had won his father's appreciation.He suppressed his joy: "I just want to do things for the court and share my father's worries. As for whether I have an official position, I don't care about it..."
"You don't have to refuse. If you are not in your position, you must have a position if you want to do something." Li Shimin pondered for a while, and said to Zhao Dequan, "Dequan, pass on my oral order, ordering the Secretary to draw up an order, and pay homage on the same day The King of Wu is the Marquis General of Zuo Wu."
"The old slave leads the decree." Zhao Dequan smiled and was also happy for Li Ke.
"Thank you, father and emperor Long En!" Li Ke hurriedly fell to the ground and kowtowed three times.
General Zuo Wuhou is a third-rank official, who is in charge of guards in the palace and day and night patrols in the capital.Li Shimin's appointment has fully demonstrated his respect and trust in Li Ke, which naturally made Li Ke overjoyed.
Li Ke on this side was overjoyed, but Li Shiji on the other side was full of sadness.
As General Xuanjiawei, the emperor's accusations just now were aimed at him in the first place, so he is duty-bound and cannot be shirked.In fact, he wanted to take the initiative to plead guilty just now, but he couldn't get in the way, and now he finally found a space, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, it is my fault for not being able to crack the Heavenly Punishment League and capture Mingzang for so long, and I am willing to accept the guilt. "
"Speaking of you, I would like to congratulate you." Li Shimin glanced back at him, his eyes full of sarcasm.
Li Shiji became more and more frightened, knowing that the emperor would definitely say Xiao Junmo next, so he didn't dare to take the blame at all.
"You have taught a good apprentice! You broke through Xuanjiawei's siege time and time again, and killed dozens of former colleagues, and now they have escaped without a trace. You always praised him as a rare young talent , and intends to train him to succeed you, now it seems that he is right, this kid is really good, and he is indeed worthy of your true inheritance!"
When Li Ke heard that his father hated Xiao Junmo so much, he felt very upset.
Hearing the emperor's cynicism, Li Shiji was so ashamed that he couldn't bear it, so he took off the black gauze, and put his hands on the top of his head: "The dead body of the guilty minister has a vegetarian meal, neglect of duty, and dereliction of duty. I am ashamed of the court and have owed the grace of the emperor. Please let your majesty go immediately. post, and then punish the crime of dereliction of duty and dereliction of duty."
"So you want to put down the pick?" Li Shimin squinted at him, "Don't worry, the black gauze will be sent on your head first, and it won't be too late to punish you when Xiao Junmo and Biancai are caught."
Li Shiji knew that the emperor's purpose was just to spur him, but in fact he still trusted him, so he couldn't help feeling grateful.
These days, Xiao Junmo's affairs have troubled him to the core.In terms of public affairs, he certainly hoped that Xuanjiawei would catch Xiao Junmo as soon as possible, but in terms of personal interests, he secretly hoped that this kid would escape.Such contradictions and entanglements accompany him almost all the time, making him unwilling to eat and sleep restlessly.Yesterday, he was a little distraught, and casually picked up a report form Xiao Junmo had investigated Biancai several months ago, and accidentally discovered a major clue, which immediately scared him to death.
In fact, he had already read this memorandum before, but these things hadn't happened at that time, so he forgot after reading it. Looking at it now, the meaning is completely different.In other words, following this rediscovered clue, it is very possible to capture Biancai and Xiao Junmo in one fell swoop.For this reason, he couldn't sleep all night last night, hesitating whether to report this matter to the emperor.In the end, personal affection still prevailed over the public heart - after all, Xiao Junmo was his most proud disciple, and in his mind, he had already regarded Xiao Junmo as his own son, so he couldn't be cruel no matter what.
However, at this moment, facing the emperor's tolerance and trust, Li Shiji suddenly felt extremely guilty.
He suddenly remembered an incident that happened last year.At that time, he suddenly fell ill and stayed in bed for many days. The doctor told him that there must be something as a medicine, so that the medicine can cure the disease.Li Shiji asked what it was, and the doctor said it was "dragon beard ash", that is, the ashes burned from dragon beard.He suddenly couldn't laugh or cry, there are no dragons in the world, where did the dragon's beard come from?The doctor told him in a low voice that the real dragon emperor's beard is "dragon beard".Li Shiji turned pale with shock, and quickly asked the doctor not to speak nonsense.Unexpectedly, a few days later, Li Shimin heard about this from nowhere, and actually cut off his own beard, burned it into powder, and ordered Zhao Dequan to send it to Li Shiji's residence.
Li Shiji was astonished and grateful at the same time.Miraculously, after taking this dose of "dragon beard ash" as a primer, his illness was really cured.Li Shiji immediately entered the palace and wept to thank the emperor...
Recalling this past event, a hot current suddenly surged in his heart.Just when Li Shiji was hesitating again whether to report the clue to the emperor, Li Shimin suddenly said: "Shiji, I looked through the memorial table Xiao Junmo presented yesterday, and I seem to have made an important discovery."
Li Shiji was taken aback, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
Wouldn't the emperor's discovery be exactly the same as his own?How could there be such a coincidence in the world?
"Dare to ask Your Majesty, how did you find it?"
Just as Li Shimin was about to speak, he suddenly glanced at Li Ke subconsciously, and said to Li Shiji: "I can't explain this matter clearly in a few words. Go back to the palace first, and I will tell you slowly." After speaking, he turned to Li Ke and said, "Ke'er, My appointment to you will take effect immediately, go to Zuo Wuhou's mansion and wait for the order to take over, you don't have to accompany me anymore."
"Yes, my son obeys the order."
"Let's get back together and go back to the palace." Li Shimin strode down the tower.
Zhao Dequan got up quickly, and said in a drawn-out tone, "My Majesty, get up—"
"My son respectfully sends off my father." Li Ke watched his father, Li Shiji and others leave the tower in a hurry, feeling a sense of foreboding in his heart.
Based on his intuition, he concluded that the "discovery" mentioned by his father must be related to Xiao Junmo's whereabouts and whereabouts.
It seems that this kid is more ominous this time!
Li Ke's heart tightened when he thought that Xiao Junmo, who was in exile, didn't know where he was now, let alone whether he could escape the catastrophe, and the joy of worshiping the official just now disappeared without a trace.
At night, in the study of Prince Wei's residence.
Li Tai sat quietly in front of the desk, on which was a volume of books.His eyes stayed on the book, but his thoughts had already drifted away.
Although the Yang Bingjun incident passed without any risk, Li Tai still had lingering fears. If Li Ke hadn't calculated for his own benefit and helped him objectively, he would definitely be ruined now.
As far as Yang Bingjun's matter was concerned, Li Tai was still grateful to Li Ke, even though he also knew that Li Ke would sooner or later become his strong enemy in the next battle for succession, but this was also after the fall of the prince.At least for now, the goal of the two is still the same, which is how to bring down the prince.
After fighting with the prince for so long, the two sides have won and lost each other, and they have not been able to decide the male and female, which makes Li Tai feel quite depressed.Because the prince is the defender and Li Tai is the attacker, if he can't attack for a long time, the prince will be considered a winner if he doesn't win, and Li Tai will be considered a loser if he doesn't lose. So these days, Li Tai is extremely anxious and has been thinking about a once-for-all solution.
A few days ago, Li Tai suddenly thought of Du He by ecstasy, and then a nearly perfect plan gradually took shape in his mind, which made him overjoyed.Li Tai immediately consulted with Su Jinse, who also believed that the plan was feasible and was willing to provide assistance in key links.
At this moment, Li Tai couldn't help but smile when he thought that once this plan was successful, he would most likely be in charge of the East Palace.
Outside the door, an eunuch came in lightly and said in a low voice, "His Royal Highness, Du Changshi has arrived."
"Let him in." Li Tai said with a smile, without raising his head.
After a while, Du Chuke came in, and just as he was about to salute, Li Tai waved his hand: "Sit down."
Du Chuke sat down with a slightly embarrassed expression.Ever since Li Tai proposed to kill Du He last time, and he clearly opposed it, there has been a subtle gap between the two.
"I came to you today to discuss something." Li Tai cut to the chase.
"Please make it clear, Your Highness." Du Chuke carefully observed Li Tai's expression.
"Chuke, let me ask you a digression first. When you play Go, if one of your pieces is surrounded by your opponent, you will die. Will you throw it away?"
Du Chuke frowned slightly, thinking about Li Tai's implication: "Of course not. I will treat the dead chess as a living chess and force the opponent to take the move, so that I can get the upper hand and let the opponent follow my pace. To put it bluntly, it is to use the death of this abandoned son in exchange for my best interests."
Li Tai smiled: "That's right. Obviously a chess piece has to be discarded, and you can't throw it away casually, but use it to interfere with the opponent, or even defeat the opponent. This is the clever way of playing the game."
Du Chuke looked at him suspiciously: "I don't know who on His Highness's chessboard... who is this abandoned child?"
"You understand." Li Tai still smiled, "We talked about him not long ago."
Du Chuke understood immediately, and said with a wry smile: "Your Highness still doesn't want to let him go."
"You are wrong. It's not that you don't let him go, but that you want him to play the role that an abandoned child should have, and let him die well."
"A worthy death?"
"Yes. Think about it, if the death of this abandoned son can bring you a prime minister's black hat in the future, wouldn't that be a worthy death?"
Du Chuke was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.Li Tai's meaning is clear: only if he succeeds in seizing the throne and becomes the emperor in the future, can Du Chuke fulfill his lifelong ambition and become a prime minister.But the question is, what does this matter have to do with Du He?
"Your Highness means to use Du He to deal with the Eastern Palace?"
"clever."
"Then what is your Highness going to do?"
"Didn't you always object to me getting rid of Du He?" Li Tai teased, "I thought your uncle and nephew were deeply affectionate, but now that you ask me that, can I understand that you have changed your mind?"
Du Chuke was embarrassed: "If it helps His Highness to be in the East Palace, then...then I will naturally not object."
Li Tai chuckled: "What you think in your heart should help you become prime minister, right?"
Du Chuke became more and more embarrassed: "I was born as a man of His Highness, and died as a ghost of His Highness. If I can't assist you to become a great treasure, how can my subordinates dare to expect the position of prime minister?"
"So, we have reached an agreement?"
Du Chuke sighed: "Anyway, this kid is not a thing, so the subordinates should be... just kill relatives with righteousness!"
"Okay, this is the one who does great things!" Li Tai patted the desk.
"Then, may I ask Your Highness, what is your plan?"
"The plan is not complicated to say the least. Send someone to assassinate Du He, and then arrest the assassin and let him attack the East Palace. Think about it, although Du He is not an important court official, he is still the son-in-law of the emperor, the dignified son-in-law. Once it is confirmed that he was killed by the crown prince, will the crown prince be able to keep his position as the crown prince?"
Du Chuke was slightly startled: "This is a good strategy, and it can kill two birds with one stone. It's just easy to say, but I'm afraid it's not easy to implement it!"
Li Tai smiled reservedly: "Then tell me, why is it so difficult?"
"First of all, if we want to make the assassination case look like it, we have to help the prince find the motive—why did he assassinate Du He?"
"In order to cheat my trust, Du He once revealed some problems about the prince, such as the specifications and interior of the car in the East Palace, and many details seemed to be beyond the control. I will ask Liu Jie to report these matters to the emperor tomorrow, and then Specify that the source of the news is Du He. Du He is in charge of the emperor, and he is in charge of these matters, so the father will not doubt it after seeing the memorial. Pave the ground first, and then do it. When the time comes, Du He After being killed, the court investigated and found that he had offended the crown prince in this matter, isn't this the crown prince's reasonable motive for taking revenge on Du He?"
"It's indeed a motive, but...it doesn't feel strong enough."
"Besides that, there is another motive ready-made. Now everyone in the government and the public knows that Du He belongs to me, even my father thinks so. If so, the crown prince has reason to hold a grudge against Du He. With This, together with Liu Jie's memorial, is a new enmity plus an old enmity, so the prince sent someone to assassinate Du He in a fit of anger, isn't that logical?"
"It seems that Your Highness has considered this matter carefully." Du Chuke was thinking, "There is another point, that is, the process of arresting the assassin must be natural, otherwise it will be easy to reveal flaws."
"Of course I thought of this, so we don't have to do it ourselves, so we don't have to do it ourselves, we leave it to my third brother."
"King Wu?"
"That's right. Recently, he has arrested Yao Xing and Yang Bingjun one after another, and he has just been appointed as General Zuo Wuhou. He is in the limelight. It is most appropriate to leave it to him, so that the emperor will not be suspicious."
Du Chuke nodded: "The final question is, what kind of person is willing to die for His Highness, and no matter what the situation is, he can bite the East Palace and never let go?"
Li Tai smiled again: "Of course there are people like this, and their names are dead soldiers!"
"Could it be that His Highness has already been chosen?"
"The reason why I join forces with Mingzang is not for today's sake? The most indispensable thing in a Jianghu organization like the Tianxingmeng League is the dead."
"Then how does His Highness plan to implement it?"
"Find a place, ask Duhe to come over for a drink, and then kill him at the banquet." Li Tai paused, looked at Du Chuke, "In order to make this scene more realistic, I think it is necessary for you or me Hang some color."
Du Chuke was surprised: "A bitter trick?"
"Yes, this link is essential."
Du Chuke rolled his eyes and smiled wryly: "If you have to do this, then it can only be your subordinate's injury. How can His Highness's golden body be damaged?"
In fact, this is what Li Tai wanted to hear, but he pretended not to take it seriously, and said: "That's what I said, but this king has practiced bowing and horses since he was a child, and his body is not that delicate, so it is not a problem to receive a knife or two."
"Absolutely not!" Du Chuke waved his hands again and again, "Swords have no eyes, Your Highness must not take this risk, leave this matter to your subordinates, Your Highness don't argue."
Li Tai made a look of unbearable expression, and sighed: "If that's the case, then I will wrong you." After a pause, he added: "I will tell them to be careful, at most they will suffer a little. The pain will not hurt your bones."
Du Chuke smiled wryly: "This subordinate said that this life belongs to His Highness. As long as he can help His Highness achieve a great cause, this subordinate will not hesitate to go through fire and water!"
Li Tai was a little moved when he heard this.His emotion this time is real.
"Chu Ke, I assure you that if I sit in the world in the future, I will definitely worship you as my prime minister!"
(End of this chapter)
In Chang'an, summer cicadas neigh, and the heat is unbearable.
Early in the morning, Li Ke took an unremarkable carriage, left Wu Wangfu in Qinrenfang, and went straight west along the horizontal street south of Dongshi.The purpose of this trip is to pay a visit to Li Tai at Wei Wangfu in Yankangfang.
Qinrenfang and Yankangfang are only four lifangs apart, and the carriage soon arrived at the west gate of Wei Wangfu.Li Ke sent someone to deliver a letter to Li Tai yesterday, saying that he would come to visit him. The reply he received was that he is very welcome, but he must go through the small gate to the west.Li Ke understands Li Tai's cautiousness very much—the situation is sensitive now, and he and Li Tai are the two princes with the highest voices for succession, so the communication between the two of them should naturally be as low-key as possible.
The carriage entered the small gate along the street, and after it came to a complete stop, as soon as Li Ke lifted the curtain, Li Tai, who was waiting at the inner gate, greeted him with a smile on his face, and said loudly: "Third brother, you are a rare visitor, why did you suddenly Remember to visit me?"
"Look at what the fourth brother said." Li Ke said with a smile, "How long have we not seen each other? We don't need any reason to walk around each other, right?"
"That's that, that's that." Li Tai laughed, "I wish my third brother would come every day!"
The two talked and laughed, and walked into the inner door side by side.
After sitting down in the main hall, Li Taiping withdrew his servants.The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, and the topic turned to hunting down the criminals. "Third brother is not easy!" Li Tai said, "I heard that a few days ago, you arrested Shi Yaoxing, the former Governor of Los Angeles who had fled for several months?"
Ever since he learned that the imperial court had captured Yao Xing, Li Tai was in a state of panic all day long, and immediately went to Wang Hongyi, telling him to get Yang Bingjun away quickly, but Wang Hongyi told him confidently: "Yao Xing will never tell the imperial court anything. , Your Highness, don't be nervous." Li Tai asked him why he was so confident.Wang Hongyi said: "Yao Xing has followed me for many years, and he knows that I am a person with clear grievances and grievances. If he dares to speak casually, he is not afraid that his family members in exile in Lingnan will suffer from mistakes." Li Tai was relieved, but he was not at ease, and immediately ordered Du Chuke to inquire. Unexpectedly, as Wang Hongyi expected, Yao Xing was severely tortured by the Ministry of Criminal Justice for many days, but he never said a word.
Just as Li Tai was relieved, he received another message from Li Ke yesterday, saying that he would come to visit him.Li Tai's heart suddenly rose again—God knows if Yao Xing said anything to him before being handed over by Li Ke?
So at this moment, Li Tai couldn't wait to speak out.
"The news about the fourth brother is really well-informed." Li Ke smiled, "I'm afraid there is nothing about the affairs of the court that you don't know."
"Third brother is flattering me by saying that." Li Tai also laughed, "I just heard about it by chance."
"Then what else has fourth brother heard about Yao Xing?"
"It's nothing. It seems that this guy's bones are quite hard. He suffered a lot in the Ministry of Criminal Justice, but he didn't say a word."
"Yao Xing didn't say anything in the Ministry of Punishment, but..." Li Ke kept it a secret on purpose.
"But what?" Li Tai resisted the tension in his heart.
"He told me something before, and it shocked me."
Li Tai suddenly had an ominous premonition, and stared at Li Ke: "What did he say to Third Brother?"
Li Ke met his gaze: "The whereabouts of Yang Bingjun."
Li Tai's heart started beating wildly, but he still pretended to be confused: "Yang Bingjun? Is it Yao Xing's boss, former Luozhou governor Yang Bingjun?"
"Exactly."
"The third brother just said he was shocked, what's going on?"
"Fourth brother, if someone suddenly told you that Yang Bingjun was hiding in my house, would you be shocked?"
No matter how hard Li Tai tried to keep calm, his face couldn't help but change at this moment.He narrowed his eyes: "Third Brother, what do you mean by that?"
Li Ke smiled slightly: "Since fourth brother is such a smart person, do you still need me to clarify my words?"
Li Tai's face darkened: "Third brother, it's just us two brothers here, if you have anything to say, you may as well say it clearly."
"Okay, then I'll make it clear. Yao Xing told me that Yang Bingjun is hiding in your house!"
Li Taiteng suddenly jumped up from the couch, and said sharply: "Framing, this is completely framing! How can the third brother listen to such a person?!"
"Fourth brother, don't get excited." Li Ke said with a faint smile, "Didn't you just say that there are only two brothers here, and there are no outsiders, why are you so excited?"
Li Tai stared at him closely, his chest heaving and heaving: "Third brother, tell me clearly, what exactly do you want to do here today?"
"What do you think I'm here for?" Li Ke asked back with a smile, "If I really want to do something, shouldn't I go to the palace to meet the emperor?"
"Stop threatening me with such nonsense, Father will not believe what a rebellious person like Yao Xing says!"
"Fourth brother, according to what you mean, did I come here by mistake today?" Li Ke said coldly, "Do you think I should report this news to my father and let him make a decision? Or let him directly Send Xuanjiawei to search your house to see if Yao Xing is framed?"
Li Tai was stunned, cold sweat broke out on his forehead for a moment, and he sat back on the couch in a moment: "Third brother, tell me why you didn't report to the emperor?"
This is tantamount to the default.Li Ke smiled: "I have no holiday with you, why did I hurt you? If something happened to you, wouldn't Chengqian be satisfied?"
Li Tai heard the meaning behind his words, and frowned: "Third brother, from what you said, it seems that you have something to do with elder brother?"
"To be honest, I have opinions on him." Li Ke said, "I don't think he is a qualified prince, and he will never be a good emperor in the future. On the contrary, I am more optimistic about you, fourth brother."
Li Tai was greatly surprised, but at the same time he was full of suspicion: "Third brother, I dare not say such things casually..."
"Fourth brother!" Li Ke interrupted him abruptly, "Why are you still seeing me now? If I didn't really think so, why bother to come to you today? If you don't want to tell me what's on your mind, then I'm leaving now." After saying that, he stood up.
"Third Brother, stop." Li Tai hurriedly stopped, "It's not that I don't want to have a heart-to-heart relationship with you, it's just...it just feels a little sudden."
Li Ke smiled, and sat back down again: "I have been in Anzhou for the past few years, and my brother and I don't move around much, so you think it's sudden. It doesn't mean that I just had this idea today."
Li Tai nodded: "Since we've talked about this, then... about Yang Bingjun, what is the third brother's good plan?"
"It's very simple, you hand him over to me, and I hand him over to Father Emperor, and this matter is over."
"It's absolutely impossible!" Li Tai was startled, "Just hand him over like this, once he opens his mouth, wouldn't it be all over for me?"
Li Ke smiled lightly: "I didn't say that I would give my father a Yang Bingjun who could speak."
"Third Brother means..."
"I mean you still don't understand?"
"Of course I understand, but..." Li Tai now hopes that Yang Bingjun will turn into a corpse immediately. The problem is that if Yang Bingjun dies like this, how should Mingzang explain it?
Regarding Li Tai's thoughts, Li Ke has a clear understanding of the fire-since Yang Bingjun will hide in Wei Wangfu, it means that Li Tai has already joined forces with Mingzang.Now that the matter has come to an end, Li Ke simply opened the skylight to him and said bluntly: "Fourth brother, if I guessed right, you are worried about the Mingzang of the Heavenly Punishment Alliance, right?"
Li Tai was startled, and subconsciously wanted to deny it, but after thinking about it, now that Li Ke knew everything, it was unnecessary and dishonest to lie to him, so he hesitated for a moment, then fell silent.
"I don't know what relationship you have with Mingzang, and I'm not interested in it. I just want to say, if you are worried about Mingzang, I have a way."
"any solution?"
"Let Yang Bingjun go to the brothel, and I will send someone to kill him there, and then hand over his body to the emperor. You can tell Mingzang that it was Yang Bingjun who sneaked out to find flowers and ask Liu without telling you, so he can't blame him. It's up to you, and I can also deal with the father."
Li Tai thought for a while, and finally showed a smile on his face: "Third brother's plan is indeed a good way to kill two birds with one stone!"
"Okay, since you agree, let's do it as soon as possible." Li Ke said, standing up, "After the arrangement is made, tell me the time and place, and you don't have to worry about the rest."
Li Tai also got up quickly, looked at Li Ke, and his eyes filled with gratitude: "Third brother, this time is thanks to you, little brother, I... I am really grateful!"
"Look, are you seeing me again?" Li Ke walked over with a smile, and patted his arm vigorously, "Third brother, I don't ask for anything else. If you sit in the world in the future, let me continue Be a carefree prince with idle clouds, wild cranes, and no worries about food and clothing, and just don’t cook me to death!"
"Look at what the third brother said." Li Tai laughed, "If you inherit the auspicious words of the third brother, one day, I would like to sit with the third brother in the world!"
"Oh?" Li Ke smiled meaningfully, "Are you really willing to sit with me?"
Li Tai immediately raised his right hand: "Third Brother, if you don't believe me, I can swear to God..."
Li Ke laughed and pressed down his hand: "Okay, okay, what are you swearing, I'm just kidding with you! As I said, it's enough to be a happy prince! Well, I still have something to do. This is my farewell, you don't have to give it away." After speaking, he patted Li Tai on the shoulder, turned and walked out.
Li Tai followed closely: "Third Brother, I'll see you off..."
"If you don't give it away, you won't give it away, and you are being polite to me?!" Li Ke turned his head and glared at him.
Li Tai smiled and stopped: "Third brother, go away, I will be the host another day, and we two brothers have a good drink."
"It's easy to say." Li Ke waved his hand and strode out of the main hall with brisk and powerful steps.
Seeing Li Ke's back going away, Li Tai's brows slowly tightened, and a cloud of cloud floated on his face.
At some point, Su Jinse was already standing behind him.Li Tai was startled, and turned around: "Jinse, you...why did you come out?"
Su Jinse didn't speak, but looked at the door, and said leisurely: "This King Wu is not just waiting for you!"
Since she was rescued by Wang Hongyi a few days ago, Su Jinse has been recuperating in Wei Wang's mansion. At this moment, her face is still a little pale, obviously her body has not fully recovered.
"Jinse, you...you heard what you just said?"
Su Jinse nodded: "Forgive me, Your Highness. Yesterday when I heard that King Wu was coming, I felt that the person who came was not kind. Today I couldn't help but listened behind the screen. As expected..."
Li Tai sighed: "I really can't do anything about Yang Bingjun..."
"Your Highness needn't say anything." Su Jinse smiled wryly, "To be honest, I didn't quite agree with letting him hide here at the time. Now that the news has been leaked, we can only use King Wu's method. The matter of Yang Bingjun, Let the servants arrange everything, so His Highness doesn't need to ask. My father, I will explain it to him later, Your Highness doesn't need to worry."
When Li Tai heard this, she was very moved, and couldn't help but take her hand: "Jinse, I, Li Tai, have cultivated so many merits and done many good deeds in my previous life that I can only meet you in this life!"
Su Jinse looked up at him, her eyes suddenly became moist: "His Royal Highness, if I can hear you say that, I will have no regrets in this life."
"Jinse, I assure you, if I sit in the world in the future, I will definitely make you a queen!"
There was a happy smile on Su Jinse's face, but when he thought of something, the smile dimmed: "Your Highness, do you know who is your real opponent if you want to sit in this world?"
Li Tai turned his head to look at the direction Li Ke was leaving, and smiled coldly: "You mean my third brother, right?"
"Your Highness is a smart person. Normally, I don't need to babble. I just want His Highness to remember a word. The king of Wu is joining hands with you at this moment. He just wants to use your hand to bring down the prince and deal with you later. This man's scheming is deeper than that of the prince. Too much."
"I know it all. It's just that before the prince falls, I can only join forces with him, or in other words, I can only use him to make use of each other. As for the future..." Li Tai's eyes flashed a cold light, "Who wins the battle, it's still not over yet." We can see."
At Xunyang Wharf, there are many mast sails and boats and boats.
The afternoon sun shone on the river, and the whole pier was filled with heat.
A dozen or so Xuanjia guards were scattered in the shade on the shore, watching the passing business travelers up and down with haughty expressions, and at the same time staring at the arresting officers who were checking the places.Lang told Xue An a long time ago, saying that the arresters in these places are lazy and mostly unreliable, and we should beware of them stealing and cheating, and don't let criminals slip under their noses.
At this time, Ding Butou led five policemen swaggeringly onto the pier.A policeman greeted: "Brother Ding, where are you going?"
"Under the order of the Ming Mansion, I am on an errand in Yunxiang County." Ding Butou said, "Help me find a boat, and I need to anchor right away. I have an urgent errand and I have to hurry."
The catcher agreed, and immediately went back to help him find the boat.Not far away, the two Xuanjia guards under the shade of the tree heard the sound and glanced this way. Seeing that it was Ding Butou, they looked away.A policeman with triangular eyes next to him saw the faces behind Ding Toutou, so he came over: "Where are these brothers from, why haven't I seen them?"
"From Fengyang County." A handsome bearded policeman responded quickly, "I have ordered you to go to Yunxiang with Lao Ding to do business." The triangular-eyed "Oh", but the eyes were on the two little men behind him Quickly sweep around.
Mei Xuran suddenly cursed in a low voice.Triangular eyes puzzled, looking back at him.Mei Xuran spat, and nuzzled at those Xuanjia guards: "Brother, this world is really unfair, we are busy working under the sun, those bastards are good, everyone is hiding under the tree."
"Isn't it?" Triangular Eyes felt the same way, "Those grandsons are from the imperial court, they are all coquettish and dog-like, and I don't like them either."
"What's so great about Xuanjiawei?" Mei Xuran said again, "They're nothing if they take off the black armor!"
Complaining and scolding mothers is the fastest way to build a good relationship between two strange men.Xiao Junmo is well versed in this way, so he talked to you and me with Triangular Eyes, and within a few words, he became as warm as an old acquaintance.After a while, the catcher just helped them find a boat boss, saying that it was a large sailing boat going to Jiangling, and it immediately weighed anchor.
Ding Butou quickly questioned Xiao Junmo with his eyes, Xiao Junmo nodded, and said to the triangular eyes: "Brother, I am on business, so I won't chat with you. I will treat you to drink after I finish my errands. Let's talk to each other!"
"Okay! It's a deal!"
At this time, Xue An suddenly came out from the tax customs, and set up an awning to look towards the pier.Chu Lisang and Hua Linger were a little nervous.Although they are easily overwhelmed, they still have the figure and appearance of a woman, and their triangular eyes can't help but glance at them.Xiao Junmo quickly put his arms around his shoulders, and said in a low voice: "Hey, look at my two little brothers, don't they look like women?"
Yile with triangular eyes: "Don't say it, it really does look alike."
Xiao Junmo laughed: "These are our two apprentices. They have just come out to work. They are thin-skinned and tender. The brothers all say that one of them is my first wife and the other is my second wife."
The triangular eyes laughed: "Brother, you are so beautiful and blessed!"
Xiao Junmo laughed and thumped him: "Okay, I won't talk nonsense with you, let's take a step first!"
"Brother, go slowly, have a smooth journey!"
Xue An looked at a group of arresters from afar, chatting and laughing, and took a closer look. It was Ding Butou, Triangle Eye and others. He immediately disdainful, and said to his followers: "Look at this bunch of useless people, they can't catch people, they're talking It’s quite capable! Let’s go and look elsewhere.” After speaking, he walked towards the other side of the pier.
Chu Lisang and Hua Ling'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly followed Xiao Junmo and Ding Tutou towards the mooring on the river, while Biancai and Mi Mancang on the side also followed quickly.A group of six people quickly walked through a long board and jumped onto a three-masted sailboat that was heaving anchor. Xiao Junmo did not forget to turn his head and wave to Triangle Eye.
Triangle Eyes also raised his hand and waved, and said to himself: "Eldest Wife, Second Wife... Hehe, this taste is really not as heavy as usual!"
With the wind rising and the sails hanging, the three-masted sailboat quickly sailed away from Xunyang County, chopping the waves on the broad Hanshui River, and sailed eastward.
Ding Tutou crouched in a corner of the ship's side, looking depressed, while Biancai and Mi Mancang looked at him from left to right.Xiao Junmo, Chu Lisang and Hua Linger stood at the bow of the boat against the wind.The three chatted about the thrilling scene at Qianmianhu's house just now.
Chu Lisang asked Xiao Junmo how he saw through Qianmianhu's deceit, Xiao Junmo said: "At first, before we arrived at his house, Miss Hua said that Qianmianhu had a cousin who was working in Xunyang County. People in the underworld only want money. Thinking about these two sentences together, I have an ominous premonition in my heart. Since Qianmianhu has relatives working on errands, he must be very clear about our situation. If you want to make money, what kind of money is more attractive than a reward of [-] gold? Of course, these are just my random guesses, and they are not really suspicious."
"Then what's the real doubt?" Chu Lisang asked.
Xiao Junmo said: "The first suspicious point is that just after arriving at his house, Miss Hua finished the code with him. At that time, the room was quiet for a while, and then there was a little movement behind the house. I suspect it was a bird flapping its wings. The sound. What kind of bird didn’t fly early and didn’t fly late, but flew up at that moment? So I had doubts.”
"And then?" Chu Lisang asked again.
"Then it's time to bargain. It is said that he asked for four gold, which is not too outrageous, but I deliberately cut off half of it, and the tone was very bad, just to provoke him. If he has no ghosts in his heart, he will Dao Shang’s identity will definitely turn against me. But on the contrary, not only did he not turn against me, but he readily agreed, which is not normal. So I have a second point of doubt.”
Chu Lisang and Hua Linger were stunned at the same time.No wonder he had to bargain so much, it turned out to be because of this.
"The third point is to talk about the bird." Xiao Junmo continued, "I pretended to go to the toilet, just to confirm what kind of bird flew out before. Then I went to the backyard and saw a bird hanging on the peach tree. The empty birdcage, with water and bird food in the cage, looks very clean, which means that the bird was still there just now, and it was deliberately released by Qianmianhu. Then what kind of bird did he release? The most likely answer is Carrier pigeon. I found a feather under the tree, which confirmed my guess. Then I asked him what kind of bird he kept, and he said it was a starling, and he said it died a few days ago, obviously lying. At this point, I can basically be sure that he has made a plan with someone in advance, just to wait for us to arrive, and then let the carrier pigeon go to report."
"This person is his cousin Ding Tutou?" Hua Ling'er interjected.
"That's right. Catcher Ding must have been coveting the five hundred gold reward for a long time. He expected that we would probably go to Qianmianhu to disguise himself and buy a house, so he set up this situation in advance. But if we want to catch us smoothly, It's not that easy, so the most important part of their plan is to try to confuse us, which is why Qianmianhu is so kind to invite us to eat soup cakes."
Chu Lisang and Hua Linger suddenly realized again.
"Afterwards, the thousand-faced fox entered the kitchen, and as soon as he boiled a pot of water, he took out a small bottle of drug from his sleeve and poured it into the pot. I guess the amount of drug is enough for five of us. I slept alone for a day and a night. Unfortunately, when he put the drug, I stood behind him." Xiao Junmo smiled and looked at the two of them, "Is there anything else I don't understand?"
"You said that you can tell that Qianmianhusa is not lying, why is that?" Hua Ling'er was still confused, "Do you have what Buddhism calls 'other minds'?"
"I'm not that smart." Xiao Jun smiled silently, "I have been a Xuanjiawei in the past few years, and I have interrogated many criminals. After careful observation and repeated verification, I can gradually see through people's subtle expressions and body movements. The secret of the heart. This is a little bit of accumulated experience, not some supernatural power."
"In my opinion, this is amazing!" Hua Ling'er was very interested, "Then tell me, what kind of expression does the thousand-faced fox make you see through the secret?"
"He had four unusual expressions and movements. The first time, when he was thinking about the price, he touched his neck with his hand, which indicated that he was not confident or stressed. The second time, When I asked him what kind of bird he kept, he made a smiling expression, but his jaw muscles were tense, which betrayed him, indicating that he was nervous. The third time, he said that he was going to eat soup When the bread and water were boiling, he touched his nose with his hand, which showed that what he thought in his heart was different from what he said, and he was covering up and lying. The fourth time, when he opened the iron box, Chu The girl said to open it for him, and he licked his lips, and then tightened his lips, which showed that he was in a state of high worry and tension, so I realized that there might be a problem with the iron box."
After Xiao Junmo finished speaking, Chu Lisang showed admiration on his face, while Hua Linger's expression was almost admiring.
"Hey, how come you have so much knowledge! When will you teach me, I will worship you as my teacher!" Hua Ling'er looked excited, and wrapped his arm intentionally or unintentionally, as if acting like a spoiled child.
Xiao Junmo gently pulled out his hand, and smiled: "How dare you be a teacher for such a small skill?"
"What should I do with this Ding Tutou?" Chu Lisang didn't want Hua Linger to pester Xiao Junmo, so he hurried to help him out.
Just now at Qianmianhu's house, after they took off the clothes of the five fast catchers, Hua Linger was about to kill Ding catcher and them all, but Xiao Junmo stopped her: "Although these people are not good people, they must be It’s nothing serious, let’s spare their lives. What’s more, we still need this Chief Ding.”
"Then let Ding catch the head and kill the others!" Hua Ling'er said without thinking, as if killing a few ants.
Xiao Junmo smiled wryly in his heart, although this Hua Ling'er is a chivalrous man, it's a pity that he doesn't take human life seriously.Although Xiao Junmo himself has killed a lot since he served as the Xuanjia Guard, he only kills in self-defense or as a last resort.Confucianism says "Heaven has the virtue of loving life", and Buddhism says that killing will create extremely bad karma, so every time he is forced to kill, he feels very uncomfortable.In Xiao Junmo's view, there is nothing more worthy of awe than life in the world, so whether a person has strength does not depend on how many people he kills, but how many people he saves.
"As long as they can shut up, there is no need to kill them." Xiao Junmo said.
"Then how do you tell them to shut up?"
"Aren't you the head of the Thousand Devils Cave, I need to teach you this?" Xiao Jun smiled silently.
Hua Linger thought for a while, walked over and grabbed Ding Butou by the collar: "Do you know who I am?"
Ding Butou shook his head in horror.
"Listen, I'm Hua Ling'er, the head of the Thousand Demon Cave. If you and your subordinates forget about today's events, I'll let your heads rest on your shoulders for two more years. If you dare to talk nonsense and leak half of the Words, our brothers from Thousand Demon Cave will come to fetch your dog heads at any time, including your wives and children. Do you understand?"
"Understand, nothing happened today, I...we didn't see anything."
"Your cousin's body, you have to take care of it."
"Okay, okay, I'll handle it, leave it to me, don't worry."
Afterwards, Xiao Junmo ordered those arresters to drink all the drugged water of Qianmianhu, then tied each other tightly, and finally locked them in the house, and then brought Ding Butou to the south of the city wharf...
"When we get to the next pier, let him go." Xiao Junmo looked at Ding Butou and answered Chu Lisang's question just now.
"Are you sure that neither he nor those subordinates will reveal our whereabouts?" Chu Lisang asked.
"Hua Ling'er has already told him about that, and he definitely wouldn't dare to gamble with the lives of his whole family." Xiao Junmo was very sure, "The people in Thousand Demon Cave can do what they say, Ding Butou very clear."
Chu Lisang felt relieved after hearing the words.
In the Imperial City of Chang'an, on the top of the Suzaku Gate.
Li Shimin stood by the battlements with his hands behind his back, squinting at a flagpole four or five feet away.Li Ke stood behind him, and Li Shiji, Zhao Dequan and others stood behind him, and everyone's eyes were focused on the flagpole.
The flagpole outside the city tower is not hanging a flag at this moment, but a human head, two bloody human heads.One belongs to Yang Bingjun and the other belongs to Yao Xing.
A few days ago, according to Li Ke's plan, Su Jinse sent someone to lure Yang Bingjun to a brothel in Pingkangfang, and then Sun Boyuan took Sun Pu and others and Li Ke's soldiers into the brothel, deliberately bluffing and making noise, forcing Yang Bingjun to take the road He fled and resisted arrest with a knife, and then killed him easily.Later, Li Ke handed over Yang Bingjun's body to the court and reported to Li Shimin that Yang Bingjun was accidentally killed by his subordinates while resisting arrest.
Although he regretted not being able to catch a living person, Li Shimin still rewarded Li Ke.Soon, Li Shimin decreed that Yao Xing, who had been imprisoned for a long time but refused to confess, was executed by the Ministry of Punishment, and the heads of Yang Bingjun and Yao Xing were hung in front of the Suzaku gate of the imperial city at the same time.
With the two's subjugation, the Gantangyi murder case that shocked the government and the public finally came to an end.
However, the principal culprit in this case, Wang Hongyi, the rudder master of Mingzang, is still at large, which still makes Li Shimin quite unhappy.In addition, Xiao Junmo, Biancai and others have repeatedly escaped from Xuanjiawei's pursuit, and the court's investigation of the Tianxing League has not made any progress. All these make Li Shimin even more depressed.
"Ke'er, tell me, based on your judgment, is Mingzang still in Chang'an?" Li Shimin asked without turning his head.
Li Ke was taken aback.Of course he knew that Ming Zang must be in Chang'an, because this person was joining forces with Li Tai, but this matter was a secret between him and Li Tai, so naturally he couldn't tell Li Shimin. "Returning to Father, regarding this person Mingzang, I have not yet grasped any clues related to him, so...so I dare not make false remarks."
Li Shimin snorted coldly, and he didn't know if he was dissatisfied with Li Ke's answer, or he was expressing his disgust for Mingzang.He looked down at the bustling and prosperous imperial capital below his feet, and at the bustling crowds in the distant market, and said to himself: "If you want me to tell you, this guy must still be in Chang'an. He is like a poisonous snake, hiding in the city's In a certain corner, the core of his tongue is hissing, ready to jump out and bite me at any time. The hateful thing is that this snake is clearly under my nose, but I can't see it, and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty Gentlemen, no one has the ability to catch it, every time I think about it, I feel helpless!"
At the end of the emperor's words, it was obvious that he was already blaming.
When Li Ke, Li Shiji, Zhao Dequan and others heard the words, they immediately fell to their knees on the ground, with expressions of panic on their faces.
"Father, it's all because of the incompetence of the sons and ministers, who failed to share the worries of the emperor and father." Li Ke said while lying on the ground.
In fact, his words were not all against his will, because he really felt guilty for concealing the truth from his father.Now Li Ke only hopes to bring down the prince as soon as possible, and then he can deal with Li Tai and Mingzang in a legitimate manner.He secretly swore in his heart that one day he would personally capture Ming Zang before his father.
"I can't blame you for this, you don't have to blame yourself." Li Shimin said lightly, "Didn't you catch Yang Bingjun and Yao Xing? You have done your best."
"Thank you, Father!"
Li Shimin looked at him, and suddenly said: "By the way, it's been a while since you returned to Beijing. It's not unreasonable for a dignified prince to always have no official position. Maybe I should reward you with an official position."
Li Ke was overjoyed, it was obvious that his recent performance had won his father's appreciation.He suppressed his joy: "I just want to do things for the court and share my father's worries. As for whether I have an official position, I don't care about it..."
"You don't have to refuse. If you are not in your position, you must have a position if you want to do something." Li Shimin pondered for a while, and said to Zhao Dequan, "Dequan, pass on my oral order, ordering the Secretary to draw up an order, and pay homage on the same day The King of Wu is the Marquis General of Zuo Wu."
"The old slave leads the decree." Zhao Dequan smiled and was also happy for Li Ke.
"Thank you, father and emperor Long En!" Li Ke hurriedly fell to the ground and kowtowed three times.
General Zuo Wuhou is a third-rank official, who is in charge of guards in the palace and day and night patrols in the capital.Li Shimin's appointment has fully demonstrated his respect and trust in Li Ke, which naturally made Li Ke overjoyed.
Li Ke on this side was overjoyed, but Li Shiji on the other side was full of sadness.
As General Xuanjiawei, the emperor's accusations just now were aimed at him in the first place, so he is duty-bound and cannot be shirked.In fact, he wanted to take the initiative to plead guilty just now, but he couldn't get in the way, and now he finally found a space, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, it is my fault for not being able to crack the Heavenly Punishment League and capture Mingzang for so long, and I am willing to accept the guilt. "
"Speaking of you, I would like to congratulate you." Li Shimin glanced back at him, his eyes full of sarcasm.
Li Shiji became more and more frightened, knowing that the emperor would definitely say Xiao Junmo next, so he didn't dare to take the blame at all.
"You have taught a good apprentice! You broke through Xuanjiawei's siege time and time again, and killed dozens of former colleagues, and now they have escaped without a trace. You always praised him as a rare young talent , and intends to train him to succeed you, now it seems that he is right, this kid is really good, and he is indeed worthy of your true inheritance!"
When Li Ke heard that his father hated Xiao Junmo so much, he felt very upset.
Hearing the emperor's cynicism, Li Shiji was so ashamed that he couldn't bear it, so he took off the black gauze, and put his hands on the top of his head: "The dead body of the guilty minister has a vegetarian meal, neglect of duty, and dereliction of duty. I am ashamed of the court and have owed the grace of the emperor. Please let your majesty go immediately. post, and then punish the crime of dereliction of duty and dereliction of duty."
"So you want to put down the pick?" Li Shimin squinted at him, "Don't worry, the black gauze will be sent on your head first, and it won't be too late to punish you when Xiao Junmo and Biancai are caught."
Li Shiji knew that the emperor's purpose was just to spur him, but in fact he still trusted him, so he couldn't help feeling grateful.
These days, Xiao Junmo's affairs have troubled him to the core.In terms of public affairs, he certainly hoped that Xuanjiawei would catch Xiao Junmo as soon as possible, but in terms of personal interests, he secretly hoped that this kid would escape.Such contradictions and entanglements accompany him almost all the time, making him unwilling to eat and sleep restlessly.Yesterday, he was a little distraught, and casually picked up a report form Xiao Junmo had investigated Biancai several months ago, and accidentally discovered a major clue, which immediately scared him to death.
In fact, he had already read this memorandum before, but these things hadn't happened at that time, so he forgot after reading it. Looking at it now, the meaning is completely different.In other words, following this rediscovered clue, it is very possible to capture Biancai and Xiao Junmo in one fell swoop.For this reason, he couldn't sleep all night last night, hesitating whether to report this matter to the emperor.In the end, personal affection still prevailed over the public heart - after all, Xiao Junmo was his most proud disciple, and in his mind, he had already regarded Xiao Junmo as his own son, so he couldn't be cruel no matter what.
However, at this moment, facing the emperor's tolerance and trust, Li Shiji suddenly felt extremely guilty.
He suddenly remembered an incident that happened last year.At that time, he suddenly fell ill and stayed in bed for many days. The doctor told him that there must be something as a medicine, so that the medicine can cure the disease.Li Shiji asked what it was, and the doctor said it was "dragon beard ash", that is, the ashes burned from dragon beard.He suddenly couldn't laugh or cry, there are no dragons in the world, where did the dragon's beard come from?The doctor told him in a low voice that the real dragon emperor's beard is "dragon beard".Li Shiji turned pale with shock, and quickly asked the doctor not to speak nonsense.Unexpectedly, a few days later, Li Shimin heard about this from nowhere, and actually cut off his own beard, burned it into powder, and ordered Zhao Dequan to send it to Li Shiji's residence.
Li Shiji was astonished and grateful at the same time.Miraculously, after taking this dose of "dragon beard ash" as a primer, his illness was really cured.Li Shiji immediately entered the palace and wept to thank the emperor...
Recalling this past event, a hot current suddenly surged in his heart.Just when Li Shiji was hesitating again whether to report the clue to the emperor, Li Shimin suddenly said: "Shiji, I looked through the memorial table Xiao Junmo presented yesterday, and I seem to have made an important discovery."
Li Shiji was taken aback, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
Wouldn't the emperor's discovery be exactly the same as his own?How could there be such a coincidence in the world?
"Dare to ask Your Majesty, how did you find it?"
Just as Li Shimin was about to speak, he suddenly glanced at Li Ke subconsciously, and said to Li Shiji: "I can't explain this matter clearly in a few words. Go back to the palace first, and I will tell you slowly." After speaking, he turned to Li Ke and said, "Ke'er, My appointment to you will take effect immediately, go to Zuo Wuhou's mansion and wait for the order to take over, you don't have to accompany me anymore."
"Yes, my son obeys the order."
"Let's get back together and go back to the palace." Li Shimin strode down the tower.
Zhao Dequan got up quickly, and said in a drawn-out tone, "My Majesty, get up—"
"My son respectfully sends off my father." Li Ke watched his father, Li Shiji and others leave the tower in a hurry, feeling a sense of foreboding in his heart.
Based on his intuition, he concluded that the "discovery" mentioned by his father must be related to Xiao Junmo's whereabouts and whereabouts.
It seems that this kid is more ominous this time!
Li Ke's heart tightened when he thought that Xiao Junmo, who was in exile, didn't know where he was now, let alone whether he could escape the catastrophe, and the joy of worshiping the official just now disappeared without a trace.
At night, in the study of Prince Wei's residence.
Li Tai sat quietly in front of the desk, on which was a volume of books.His eyes stayed on the book, but his thoughts had already drifted away.
Although the Yang Bingjun incident passed without any risk, Li Tai still had lingering fears. If Li Ke hadn't calculated for his own benefit and helped him objectively, he would definitely be ruined now.
As far as Yang Bingjun's matter was concerned, Li Tai was still grateful to Li Ke, even though he also knew that Li Ke would sooner or later become his strong enemy in the next battle for succession, but this was also after the fall of the prince.At least for now, the goal of the two is still the same, which is how to bring down the prince.
After fighting with the prince for so long, the two sides have won and lost each other, and they have not been able to decide the male and female, which makes Li Tai feel quite depressed.Because the prince is the defender and Li Tai is the attacker, if he can't attack for a long time, the prince will be considered a winner if he doesn't win, and Li Tai will be considered a loser if he doesn't lose. So these days, Li Tai is extremely anxious and has been thinking about a once-for-all solution.
A few days ago, Li Tai suddenly thought of Du He by ecstasy, and then a nearly perfect plan gradually took shape in his mind, which made him overjoyed.Li Tai immediately consulted with Su Jinse, who also believed that the plan was feasible and was willing to provide assistance in key links.
At this moment, Li Tai couldn't help but smile when he thought that once this plan was successful, he would most likely be in charge of the East Palace.
Outside the door, an eunuch came in lightly and said in a low voice, "His Royal Highness, Du Changshi has arrived."
"Let him in." Li Tai said with a smile, without raising his head.
After a while, Du Chuke came in, and just as he was about to salute, Li Tai waved his hand: "Sit down."
Du Chuke sat down with a slightly embarrassed expression.Ever since Li Tai proposed to kill Du He last time, and he clearly opposed it, there has been a subtle gap between the two.
"I came to you today to discuss something." Li Tai cut to the chase.
"Please make it clear, Your Highness." Du Chuke carefully observed Li Tai's expression.
"Chuke, let me ask you a digression first. When you play Go, if one of your pieces is surrounded by your opponent, you will die. Will you throw it away?"
Du Chuke frowned slightly, thinking about Li Tai's implication: "Of course not. I will treat the dead chess as a living chess and force the opponent to take the move, so that I can get the upper hand and let the opponent follow my pace. To put it bluntly, it is to use the death of this abandoned son in exchange for my best interests."
Li Tai smiled: "That's right. Obviously a chess piece has to be discarded, and you can't throw it away casually, but use it to interfere with the opponent, or even defeat the opponent. This is the clever way of playing the game."
Du Chuke looked at him suspiciously: "I don't know who on His Highness's chessboard... who is this abandoned child?"
"You understand." Li Tai still smiled, "We talked about him not long ago."
Du Chuke understood immediately, and said with a wry smile: "Your Highness still doesn't want to let him go."
"You are wrong. It's not that you don't let him go, but that you want him to play the role that an abandoned child should have, and let him die well."
"A worthy death?"
"Yes. Think about it, if the death of this abandoned son can bring you a prime minister's black hat in the future, wouldn't that be a worthy death?"
Du Chuke was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.Li Tai's meaning is clear: only if he succeeds in seizing the throne and becomes the emperor in the future, can Du Chuke fulfill his lifelong ambition and become a prime minister.But the question is, what does this matter have to do with Du He?
"Your Highness means to use Du He to deal with the Eastern Palace?"
"clever."
"Then what is your Highness going to do?"
"Didn't you always object to me getting rid of Du He?" Li Tai teased, "I thought your uncle and nephew were deeply affectionate, but now that you ask me that, can I understand that you have changed your mind?"
Du Chuke was embarrassed: "If it helps His Highness to be in the East Palace, then...then I will naturally not object."
Li Tai chuckled: "What you think in your heart should help you become prime minister, right?"
Du Chuke became more and more embarrassed: "I was born as a man of His Highness, and died as a ghost of His Highness. If I can't assist you to become a great treasure, how can my subordinates dare to expect the position of prime minister?"
"So, we have reached an agreement?"
Du Chuke sighed: "Anyway, this kid is not a thing, so the subordinates should be... just kill relatives with righteousness!"
"Okay, this is the one who does great things!" Li Tai patted the desk.
"Then, may I ask Your Highness, what is your plan?"
"The plan is not complicated to say the least. Send someone to assassinate Du He, and then arrest the assassin and let him attack the East Palace. Think about it, although Du He is not an important court official, he is still the son-in-law of the emperor, the dignified son-in-law. Once it is confirmed that he was killed by the crown prince, will the crown prince be able to keep his position as the crown prince?"
Du Chuke was slightly startled: "This is a good strategy, and it can kill two birds with one stone. It's just easy to say, but I'm afraid it's not easy to implement it!"
Li Tai smiled reservedly: "Then tell me, why is it so difficult?"
"First of all, if we want to make the assassination case look like it, we have to help the prince find the motive—why did he assassinate Du He?"
"In order to cheat my trust, Du He once revealed some problems about the prince, such as the specifications and interior of the car in the East Palace, and many details seemed to be beyond the control. I will ask Liu Jie to report these matters to the emperor tomorrow, and then Specify that the source of the news is Du He. Du He is in charge of the emperor, and he is in charge of these matters, so the father will not doubt it after seeing the memorial. Pave the ground first, and then do it. When the time comes, Du He After being killed, the court investigated and found that he had offended the crown prince in this matter, isn't this the crown prince's reasonable motive for taking revenge on Du He?"
"It's indeed a motive, but...it doesn't feel strong enough."
"Besides that, there is another motive ready-made. Now everyone in the government and the public knows that Du He belongs to me, even my father thinks so. If so, the crown prince has reason to hold a grudge against Du He. With This, together with Liu Jie's memorial, is a new enmity plus an old enmity, so the prince sent someone to assassinate Du He in a fit of anger, isn't that logical?"
"It seems that Your Highness has considered this matter carefully." Du Chuke was thinking, "There is another point, that is, the process of arresting the assassin must be natural, otherwise it will be easy to reveal flaws."
"Of course I thought of this, so we don't have to do it ourselves, so we don't have to do it ourselves, we leave it to my third brother."
"King Wu?"
"That's right. Recently, he has arrested Yao Xing and Yang Bingjun one after another, and he has just been appointed as General Zuo Wuhou. He is in the limelight. It is most appropriate to leave it to him, so that the emperor will not be suspicious."
Du Chuke nodded: "The final question is, what kind of person is willing to die for His Highness, and no matter what the situation is, he can bite the East Palace and never let go?"
Li Tai smiled again: "Of course there are people like this, and their names are dead soldiers!"
"Could it be that His Highness has already been chosen?"
"The reason why I join forces with Mingzang is not for today's sake? The most indispensable thing in a Jianghu organization like the Tianxingmeng League is the dead."
"Then how does His Highness plan to implement it?"
"Find a place, ask Duhe to come over for a drink, and then kill him at the banquet." Li Tai paused, looked at Du Chuke, "In order to make this scene more realistic, I think it is necessary for you or me Hang some color."
Du Chuke was surprised: "A bitter trick?"
"Yes, this link is essential."
Du Chuke rolled his eyes and smiled wryly: "If you have to do this, then it can only be your subordinate's injury. How can His Highness's golden body be damaged?"
In fact, this is what Li Tai wanted to hear, but he pretended not to take it seriously, and said: "That's what I said, but this king has practiced bowing and horses since he was a child, and his body is not that delicate, so it is not a problem to receive a knife or two."
"Absolutely not!" Du Chuke waved his hands again and again, "Swords have no eyes, Your Highness must not take this risk, leave this matter to your subordinates, Your Highness don't argue."
Li Tai made a look of unbearable expression, and sighed: "If that's the case, then I will wrong you." After a pause, he added: "I will tell them to be careful, at most they will suffer a little. The pain will not hurt your bones."
Du Chuke smiled wryly: "This subordinate said that this life belongs to His Highness. As long as he can help His Highness achieve a great cause, this subordinate will not hesitate to go through fire and water!"
Li Tai was a little moved when he heard this.His emotion this time is real.
"Chu Ke, I assure you that if I sit in the world in the future, I will definitely worship you as my prime minister!"
(End of this chapter)
Tap the screen to use advanced tools
Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.
You'll Also Like
-
Douluo: Tara's Mask, the Ultimate Darkness!
Chapter 87 5 hours ago -
Double penetration: This Three Kingdoms has dragon energy
Chapter 113 5 hours ago -
Game of Thrones: Dawn of Justice
Chapter 49 5 hours ago -
Huayu: The Best Actor starts with obtaining the role entry
Chapter 88 5 hours ago -
Douluo Jueshi: My body was penetrated by the Snow Queen
Chapter 105 5 hours ago -
Douluo: Marry Shui Binger, reward Puni Martial Soul
Chapter 78 5 hours ago -
Xiuxian: I use magnetic fields to prove my truth
Chapter 118 5 hours ago -
CS: A young talent from Peking University, you want me to play professionally?
Chapter 101 5 hours ago -
American Horror Story: A Tale of Terror from Silent Hill
Chapter 117 5 hours ago -
Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny
Chapter 116 5 hours ago
