Lanting prelude
Chapter 65 Deposed
Chapter 65 Deposed
Xiao Junmo smiled helplessly in his heart.Sometimes, brothers are used to save lives; but sometimes, brothers may be used to betray.
On the third day of February, the sun was shining brightly.
The weather has been fine for the past few days, and the green grass sticks out from the gradually softening frozen soil, swaying in the wind, as if quietly looking at this world where everything is recovering.
Li Shimin walked in the garden of Ganlu Hall with his hands behind his back, followed by Zhao Dequan and other eunuchs and court ladies.
In this season, the plum blossoms in the garden are gradually showing signs of decay, with withered petals scattered in the soil, while the apricot blossoms of Kazuki are scrambling to burst into pink buds, like thousands of spots of rouge to attract the eyes.
"Half in bloom and half down, one flourishing and one withering. The plum blossoms are thankful, and the apricot blossoms are already red." Li Shimin looked at this half-slumped and half-splendid scene, and felt emotional, "Dequan, this situation is so different from the cold world, The world is poor!"
Ever since the prince's treason case broke out on the Shangyuan Festival, the emperor has been in a bad mood.To this day, the crown prince is still imprisoned in Xuanjiawei, but the emperor has been unable to make up his mind on how to deal with it.A few days ago, King Wei and Xuanjiawei's arrest of Wang Hongyi failed, and the candidate for the new crown prince had not been finalized, which made the emperor extremely depressed.
This morning, when the spring was bright, Zhao Dequan encouraged the emperor to go to the garden to relax. Unexpectedly, no matter how beautiful the scenery fell into the eyes of disturbed people, it became a material that hurts the spring and autumn. Zhao Dequan couldn't help sighing in his heart.
The emperor lamented the prosperity and withering of flowers and the redness of plums and apricots, and he was actually lamenting the fate of his princes.
Zhao Dequan was sure that in the emperor's mind, the crown prince and the king of Wei at this time were already withered plum blossoms, but Zhao Dequan was not sure which son was blooming like an apricot blossom in the emperor's heart now—it was probably possible It is Wu Wang Li Ke, but it is not ruled out that it is Jin Wang Li Zhi.
"Everyone, the sun and the moon rotate in the sky, the cold and heat change, and the world has the old and the new, and the metabolism of personnel. This is the principle of natural cycles, and it is also an eternal law. I also hope that everyone will take care of the dragon's body, and don't be too sad."
"As the saying goes, 'If you're not in the position, you don't plan for the government', of course you can see it." Li Shimin smiled bitterly, "By the way, what is Qingque doing these days?"
More than ten days ago, Li Tai personally carried the head of Wang Hongyi's adopted daughter Su Jinse into the palace. He pleaded guilty to Li Shimin tearfully, claiming that he did not know the relationship between this daughter and Wang Hongyi at first, but he really fell in love with her. He resolutely cut off his true identity, so as to show his determination to swear against Wang Hongyi.
Of course Li Shimin didn't believe Li Tai's confession, he suspected that Li Tai knew Su Jinse's true identity a long time ago.However, he did not doubt the relationship between Li Tai and this Su Jinse.As someone who has experienced it, he can see this from Li Tai's eyes and expression.It was precisely because of this that Li Shimin felt somewhat relieved.Because it is not an easy decision to kill a woman he really loves. Now that Li Tai has done it, it can at least prove that his repentance is true and firm.
That day, Li Shimin comforted him a few words, and then let him quit.
Seeing Li Tai trembling and walking away in panic, Li Shimin couldn't help feeling a burst of heartache.Once upon a time, this was his most beloved son. Li Shimin thought about passing the throne to him more than once, but he did not expect so many sad and disappointing things to happen in just one year.Looking back suddenly, everything seems to have passed away...
"Back to everyone," Zhao Dequan's voice pulled back Li Shimin's thoughts, "As far as I know, His Royal Highness Wei Wang has started to practice in seclusion these days, basically staying at home."
Li Shimin gave a "hmm" and was about to say something, when he suddenly saw an eunuch rushing over from the corridor with a panicked expression, obviously he had something urgent to say.
It seems that something ominous has happened again!
Li Shimin sighed deeply in his heart.
There is a beautiful artificial lake in Qujiang. There is a small island in the middle of the lake, and there is a wooden house on the island, named "Taoran".
The wooden house is made of logs without any decoration. It looks like a pavilion but not a pavilion.
This is another career of Wei Wang Li Tai.The whole island, including the cabin, was his.
Between the small island and the shore of the lake, there is only a long embankment about five feet wide.If you want to go to the island, you can either take the long embankment or take a boat, and no matter which way, it is difficult for casual people to approach casually.
At this moment, Lu Ben led dozens of soldiers in plain clothes, and stood all over the long embankment and the small island, looking heavily guarded, as if he was facing a big enemy.
Since Su Jinse's death, Li Tai was most worried about Wang Hongyi seeking revenge from him, so he has been hiding in the mansion these days and dare not go out, it is really uncomfortable.Du Chuke and Liu Ji came here today, firstly because they wanted to relax, and secondly because they liked the privacy and security here.
The breeze blows across the lake, penetrates into the wooden house, and shakes the plain white clothes.
Li Tai was dressed in white, sitting on the floor, caressing the secluded body alone in Tao Ran's residence.
The sound of the piano sobbing, like weeping and complaining, was the song "Mili" that he and Su Jinse met for the first time.
At three o'clock in the morning, a piece of "Xiao Li" was not finished, but the sound of the piano stopped abruptly.
Because a person walked onto the embankment.
Li Tai raised his eyes and looked through the open window. That person was neither Du Chuke nor Liu Ji, but Xiao Junmo.
Why him? !
Lu Ben and others drew their knives out of their sheaths, and six or seven knives were pointed at Xiao Junmo at the same time.
"Go and tell you King Wei, I have important news for him." Xiao Junmo smiled.
"Get out! Nothing good will happen when you come here!" Lu Ben gritted his teeth.What happened that day at the Zangfeng Mountain Villa still haunts him to this day.
"I'm here to save King Wei's life. If you drive me away, I'm afraid you won't be able to bear the consequences."
Lu Ben was startled: "What do you mean?"
"Well, you don't understand if you talk too much." Xiao Junmo smiled lightly, and leaned closer to him and said something, "Just report to King Wei like this, and he will definitely meet me."
Lu Ben was full of suspicion, but he dared not report it, so he walked quickly to the door of the wooden house, and just about to speak, Li Tai's displeased voice came from inside: "What does Xiao Junmo want to do?"
"My subordinates don't know either." Lu Ben said hastily, "He said that he only needs to tell you four words, and you will meet him."
"Which four words?"
"He said...the widow has a disease."
In the wooden house, Li Tai was shocked.
These four words from "Mencius" originally had no special meaning, but at the moment when Li Tai heard them, they were enough to make his heart tremble.Because this is clearly implying that he is trying to seek rebellion and kill the emperor!
However, how could Xiao Junmo know that he was conspiring with Du Chuke and Liu Ji's secret room?
This is absolutely impossible!
Frowning and thinking for a moment, Li Tai had no choice but to order Lu Ben to let Xiao Junmo in.
Soon, Xiao Junmo pushed the door open, walked to the table, and then sat down carelessly, meeting his eyes.
"I didn't ask you to sit down." Li Tai said coldly.
"Yes, you didn't invite me, but I'm still here. If you come, you'll be safe." Xiao Junmo said with a smile, "Besides, we have a long talk today, so it's comfortable to sit down and talk."
Li Tai sneered, turned his body sideways, found a comfortable position and leaned against a nanmu table behind him, and said: "Xiao Junmo, you really are a lingering soul! You have been pestering me lately, What exactly do you want to do?"
"Ghosts persist? Well, this word is used well." Xiao Junmo smiled, "Your Highness said so, could it be that you have done something wrong, and you are afraid that ghosts will come to you and claim your life?"
"This king has done a lot of bad things, which one are you referring to?" Li Tai had a provocative expression on his face.
Xiao Junmo met his gaze: "I'm referring to the one where my father died of injustice last year."
Li Tai was slightly startled, and his face darkened: "Although your father is my king's Sima, his death has nothing to do with this king. What do you mean by that?"
Before the words were finished, a bunch of crumpled things were thrown on the case.Li Tai took a closer look, and it turned out to be a tattered piece of scarlet cloth.Of course he recognized this thing, it was clearly bitten off Xiao Henian's body by a mouse!
How could this thing be in his hands?
Li Tai was surprised and suspicious, but he could only force himself to be calm: "What is this?"
"I found this in the water dungeon of your mansion last spring. I knew at that time that it was bitten off my father by a mouse in your mansion. So, it is obvious that the murderer who killed my father was You—Wei Wang Li Tai. Of course, you didn’t do it yourself, but let the rats in your mansion be your accomplices!”
Li Tai never expected that Xiao Junmo had already found out everything.He changed his posture and said with a sneer, "Since you already knew about it, you can report it, why not?"
"If suing you could bring you to justice, then I would have sued you long ago. It's a pity that this is the world of your Li family, so I can't sue you."
"Since you are so self-aware, why did you come to me today?"
"Because, the time has come."
"Timing?" Li Tai frowned, "What timing?"
Xiao Junmo smiled: "His Royal Highness, today, on the third day of February, didn't you invite two friends to come here to Tao Ranju? Why didn't you ask why it was me and not them who came here today?"
That's right, the three quarters of the hour have passed, but why didn't Du Chuke and Liu Ji show up for so long?
Li Tai subconsciously looked out the window.
Surrounded by misty lakes on all sides, except for Lu Ben and others, there was no sign of anyone else on the long embankment.
"Don't look at it." Xiao Junmo said calmly, "Du Changshi and Liu Shizhong will not come."
Li Tai sat up straight suddenly.
He couldn't believe that Xiao Junmo could accurately name the two of them.
"What do you know?" After a long while, Li Tai held back the words.
"Everything." Xiao Junmo said lightly, "I know everything. Otherwise, why would I appear here?"
"Impossible!" Li Tai finally showed a terrified expression, "You can't possibly know..."
"Impossible? Then I'll tell you." Xiao Junmo smiled brightly at him, "On the night we arrested Wang Hongyi, Du Chuke proposed a crazy plan to you, asking you to hand over Su Jinse's head, In order to restore the trust of the Holy Majesty in you, and then find an appropriate time, on the grounds of sudden illness and critical situation, deceive the Holy Majesty to the Wei Palace, and ambush the swordsmen in advance, kill the Holy Majesty in one fell swoop, and then let Liu Jie and Cen The text is a coquettish edict, killing all important officials such as Wu Wang, Jin Wang and Changsun Wuji, completely eliminating all dissidents, and finally ascending to the throne. After hearing Du Chuke's plan, you were tempted at the time, and then called Liu Jie for further discussions. These days , you conspired at least seven times, repeatedly deduced various details, and formulated several sets of preliminary plans. Du Chuke was anxious to determine the date of action, but Liu Jie was naturally cautious, and still thought it was necessary to discuss it one last time. So today, you will make an appointment at The purpose of coming here is to determine the final action plan. Am I right, His Royal Highness King Wei? If there is something missing, you can add it."
Li Tai was stunned, staring at Xiao Junmo in disbelief, his lips moved a few times, but he couldn't say a word.
Obviously, Du Chuke or Liu Ji have already betrayed themselves, otherwise Xiao Junmo would not be able to say that the whole conspiracy process was accurate!
"Xiao Junmo, you are cruel!" Li Tai smiled bitterly, "Can you tell me how you know?"
Xiao Junmo looked at him silently, savoring the pleasure of revenge, and said after a long time: "Li Tai, if I tell you that my father's ghost has returned, and will stand by your side every day, watching your every move, and then tell me in a dream. Do you believe me?"
Li Tai was startled, and subconsciously looked left and right, as if there really was Xiao Henian's dead soul beside him.
"Li Tai, you may really have done too many bad things." Xiao Junmo said quietly, "So when you stayed in Wude Hall last year, your fourth uncle's ghost haunted you; now, my father's heroic spirit surrounds you day and night By your side. Tell me, is this retribution?"
"Xiao Junmo, stop playing tricks with me!" Li Tai finally got angry, and said through gritted teeth, "Now everyone outside is my people, if you don't want to die, tell me the truth!"
"That's right, there are so many people out there, I might not be able to beat them, I'm so scared!" Xiao Junmo touched his heart pretending to be frightened, "Okay, then I'll tell you the truth, two days ago, I found Liu Ji, you moved him with affection and reason, and you also treated him with justice, and then he repented and told me all your secrets. It's as simple as that."
"Are you bluffing a three-year-old child?" Li Tai became more angry, "If you hadn't got him something, how could you make him speak?!"
Xiao Junmo was noncommittal, just looked at him with a smile.
Yes, you were right this time.Xiao Junmo said in his heart, I did hold his handle, a handle that could ruin his reputation and kill his family!
On the first day of February, Liu Ji was on duty.
When Xiao Junmo uttered the words "rebellion case", Liu Ji's eyes flashed with panic, but he still managed to calm himself down: "What rebellion case? If you dare to frame someone indiscriminately, I will make you unable to bear it! "
"Liu Shizhong, it's a long story to talk about your reasons for treason. Where do you want me to start?" Xiao Junmo walked to the desk and sat down cross-legged, "I advise you to sit down first, you Those old past events can't be finished in one or two sentences, we have to talk slowly."
Liu Ji originally thought that the treason case he was talking about referred to his conspiracy with the King of Wei, but he didn't expect it to be something old, so he was full of suspicion: "Stop talking nonsense, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"I have a hobby. I have nothing to do. I like to read some ancient poems. Recently, I especially like ancient poems from the Six Dynasties." Xiao Junmo said slowly, "I just read a poem the day before yesterday. It is a five-character long poem written by Wang Xizhi at the Orchid Pavilion. One of the lines is particularly impressive, and after repeated pondering, I deeply feel that its meaning is rich and profound, and the meaning is close. Is Liu Shizhong interested in tasting it?"
Liu Ji's face turned pale, and the horror in his eyes was fully exposed.
Xiao Junmo smiled, and chanted to himself: "Although there are no silk and bamboo, Xuanquan has a clear sound. Although there are no whistles and songs, there is lingering fragrance in the chant. Liu Shizhong, have you tasted the charm?"
"Gibberish, incomprehensible!" Liu Ji used his anger to hide his panic, "Xiao Junmo, if you have nothing else to say, then don't blame me for being rude!"
Xiao Junmo smiled coldly, and then the smile disappeared instantly: "Are you still unwilling to face the reality, Mr. Xuanquan?"
Mr. Xuanquan? !
Yes, Liu Ji is Xuanquan.
He is the undercover Xuanquan of the Tianxing League who has been lurking in the court for more than 20 years, making the emperor Li Shimin and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty change their expressions and hate him to the bone, but he has never been able to catch him!
Liu Ji was shocked all over, and he couldn't believe that Xiao Junmo would know this big secret no matter what.
Since the fall of Xiao Xian in the fourth year of Wude and the return of Liu Ji to the Tang Dynasty, for more than [-] years, he has served in the court of the Tang Dynasty in the positions of Shizhong, Shiyushi, Shangshu Youcheng, and Huangmen Shilang. Gaining Li Shimin's trust and appreciation step by step, and finally sat on the position of servant as he wished and became the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty.But his true identity has been kept hidden. No one in the world knows about it except Wang Hongyi, Mr. Mingzang, and his Xuanquan Duo's subordinates. I didn't expect that Xiao Junmo, the general of the Xuanjia guard, would reveal this secret. Tell the truth!
"Mr. Xuanquan, I know you are deeply shocked now, and you will never easily admit this secret identity that has been hidden for many years." Xiao Junmo smiled, "It's okay, we can talk about the past and ease the current tension. What do you think? , where should we start talking?"
Liu Jie closed his eyes and remained motionless, like a statue.
"Everything in the world has a relationship. How about we start with the Lanting Hui in the ninth year of Yonghe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty?" Xiao Junmo stood up and began to ask and answer. For the reason, more than forty famous scholars were invited to gather at the Lanting River in Shanyin, Kuaiji. For more than 200 years, the world thought it was an elegant gathering of literati, but you and I both know that this is not Fact. The truth is: this was a secret gathering of elites of the gentry, a political and military meeting concerning the rise and fall of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It was at this meeting that Wang Xizhi led the establishment of a huge secret organization, which was named The "Tian Xing League" has nineteen sub-rudders, including seventeen open rudders and two dark rudders. The master of one of the dark rudders is Liu Mi, one of the participants of the Lanting Club. You, Mr. Xuanquan, are his ninth grandson.
"In the early years of Wude, monk Zhiyong, the leader of the alliance at the time, took Wang Hongyi's Mingzang rudder, Xie Shaozong's Xitang rudder, and your Xuanquan dark rudder, and other six or seven sub-rudders, and went to Jiangling to assist Nanliang Xiaoxian. From the middle official of the Liang Dynasty to the servant of the Huangmen. At the beginning of the fourth year of Wude, you were ordered by Xiao Xian to lead your troops to attack Lingbiao in the south. Wherever you went, you conquered more than [-] cities in a row. You use your soldiers like a god, but you don't know, if the leader Wu Zhiyong is strategizing in the rear, and the many sub-helms of the Heavenly Punishment Alliance are fully cooperating on the hidden front, how can you achieve such impressive results?!"
Hearing this, Liu Jie finally opened his eyes, and smiled weakly: "It seems that you really know everything."
"Of course, otherwise, how dare I trespass on the prime minister's room?"
"How do you know all this?" Liu Ji finally sat down.
Xiao Junmo also sat down: "I traveled thousands of miles with Zuo Shi last year, do you think we are traveling in mountains and rivers?"
Liu Ji was thinking about something, and his eyes flashed: "Have you found the original "Lanting Preface"?"
Xiao Junmo smiled: "What do you think?"
"Impossible!" Liu Ji was suspicious, "Even if we found the authentic one, the Zuo envoy would definitely not give it to you unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you are a member of the League."
"What if I say I am?"
Liu Ji was taken aback, then narrowed his eyes unconsciously: "The envoy Zuo asked you to join?"
"Not only that, but the envoy Zuo also gave me something."
"what?"
Xiao Junmo looked at him for a while, then took out something wrapped in white silk from his arms and put it on the case.
Liu Ji narrowed his eyes, "What is this?"
"Can't you just open it and see?"
Liu Ji thought for a while, and lifted the white silk according to his words, and a complete bronze Pixiu came into his eyes, it was the cup of heavenly punishment!
Liu Ji was shocked, and his eyes widened instantly.
"If you see the Cup of Heaven's Punishment, it's like seeing the lord in person." Xiao Junmo looked at him, "Mr. Xuanquan is an old man of the guild, isn't he ignorant of this rule?"
Liu Ji was surprised and suspicious: "Where is the leader now?"
"Don't you think this is an extra question?" Xiao Junmo smiled.
"Could it be..." Liu Ji's surprise was even more serious, "Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"
"Now, do you still think it's impossible?" Xiao Junmo said with a smile on his face, "If the Zuo envoy didn't hand over the original "Lanting Preface" to me, how would I know that you are Xuanquan? If the Zuo envoy hadn't elected me to be the leader , how can I have the Cup of Heavenly Punishment in my hand? If all this is impossible, how can I sit in front of you now?"
Liu Jie's shoulders slumped and he was speechless.
Xiao Junmo put away his smile, and continued: "Xiao is not talented. He was recommended by Zuoshi, Langyou, Donggu, and Wuyu. He is currently the ninth leader of the Tianxing League. Xuanquan, should you be greeted?"
Although his expression was casual and his tone was calm, there was an irresistible majesty of his own.
Liu Ji hesitated for a moment, then stood up and knelt down to salute: "Subordinate Xuanquan Liu Ji, pay homage to the lord."
"Exemption."
Liu Ji stood up, but he didn't dare to sit back, so he bowed and said, "The lord is here today, what instructions do you have?"
"Just one thing." Xiao Junmo said calmly, "Tell me all the plots you have made with King Wei and Du Chuke in the past few days, without any omission."
"This..." Liu Ji groaned secretly in his heart.After arguing for a long time, Xiao Junmo still came here for this matter.
"What, is there a problem?"
"No, no, this subordinate wants to know, the leader intends... how to deal with this matter?"
"It's very simple, let Du Chuke surrender himself, let King Wei plead guilty and obey the law."
Liu Ji was startled: "But...but in this way, wouldn't the subordinates be exposed too?"
"Don't worry, I will tell them, not you."
Liu Jie frowned: "But...but will they listen to you?"
"If they don't want to die, they can only listen to me." Xiao Junmo said, "The reason is very simple: you are now a celebrity in front of the Holy Majesty, if Wei Wang and Du Chuke want to save their lives, they must first save you, so that you can replace them Speak; and if they confess you, who will intercede for them? What good will it do them?"
Suddenly, Liu Ji wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Yes, the leader is still thoughtful."
Xiao Junmo smiled lightly.
At this moment, in Tao Ran's residence, Xiao Junmo looked at Li Tai with a smile: "Your Highness is right, I did hold Liu Ji's handle, but the matter has come to an end, and you don't need to inquire so much. Right now you should think about it." , is how to deal with the aftermath of this matter, and everything else is irrelevant."
Li Tai sneered: "From what you say, it seems that you are here to help me deal with the aftermath?"
"In a sense, the same can be said."
"I killed your father, aren't you eager to kill me now for revenge?"
"I want revenge, but I don't intend to kill you."
"Oh?" Li Tai raised his eyebrows, "Then what do you mean by revenge?"
"To tell you the truth, I really wanted to kill you at the beginning, I was thinking about it in my dreams! But now I have changed my mind. I think it is better to let you live than to let you die, to experience the pain of being betrayed and ruined, and let you live every day. One day, savor the taste of losing power. I think this kind of ending should be more interesting for someone like you who wants to seize the throne and become emperor."
"Hahaha..." Li Tai burst into laughter suddenly, "You mean, you want my life to be worse than death?"
"Yes, that's what it means."
"But why don't you think about it..." Li Tai suddenly approached him, and said in a sinister manner, "Can you get out of Tao Ranju alive today? If I kill you now, can you still experience the thrill of revenge? Even I fell into the situation you said, can you still see it?"
"Of course you can kill me." Xiao Junmo said calmly, "But I bet you don't dare to kill me."
"why?"
"Because I know that you are a person who is very afraid of death, and if you want to save your life, you can't kill me. If you ask me why, then I will tell you that until now, your every move has been You are exposed under the eyes of the Holy One. If you kill me, you will take another life on your body. If you count my father, it will be two lives. If you count the crimes and punish them together, even if the Holy One cares about the relationship between father and son, you will be forced to do so under the laws of the Tang Dynasty. Discuss with the government and the public, and in the end, you can only kill you. So, if you kill me now, it is tantamount to killing yourself." Xiao Junmo stopped and smiled, "Think about it, am I right?"
"You came here alone today, because you expected that I would not dare to kill you?"
"Yes, the premise is that I believe you are afraid of death." Xiao Junmo emphasized again on purpose.
Finally, Li Tai couldn't bear this kind of naked humiliation, grabbed his collar, and said ruthlessly: "Xiao Junmo, you have made a big bet! I will let you come and go today!"
"Okay, then prove it to me." Xiao Junmo smiled, "But I have to remind you of one thing. While we are talking, Du Chuke has already surrendered to the Holy Lord. So, if you want to kill, do it quickly." If you don’t dare to kill, enter the palace as soon as possible. Because if you enter the palace now, maybe you can count yourself as a surrender. If you wait until Xuanjiawei is ordered to arrest you, you will be passive.”
"What did you say?" Li Tai was shocked, "Du Chuke..."
"That's right, judging by the time, he's probably done explaining it almost."
Li Tai loosened his hands and fell to the ground slumped.
Xiao Junmo straightened his neckline, reached out and grabbed Li Tai's certificate, put it behind him, leaned against it comfortably, and then looked at Li Tai with a contented expression...
After learning the full content of the coup plan from Liu Ji, Xiao Junmo found Du Chuke yesterday, clarified the matter with him, and then told him: "You have two choices now, one is to surrender yourself to the Holy One, and the other is Let me report to the Holy One. You choose, I will not force you."
Of course Du Chuke chose the former without hesitation, but he was still extremely anxious, and hurriedly said: "I can surrender myself, but after all, it involves treason, my lord...can he spare me?"
"That's a problem." Xiao Junmo thought about it seriously, "I have a way to guarantee your survival."
Du Chuke was overjoyed and asked what could be done.
"When you surrender yourself tomorrow, just confess yourself and King Wei, don't get Liu Ji involved."
Du Chuke was puzzled: "Why?"
"Liu Ji is deeply favored by the Holy One. If he intercedes, it will surely save your life. If you confess him too, no one will be able to save you."
Du Chuke suddenly realized.
At this moment, seeing Li Tai's depressed and desperate expression, Xiao Junmo smiled again and said, "Your Highness, it's getting late, how long do you plan to hang around here?"
Li Tai woke up like a dream, and then stood up in a daze.
"By the way, I almost forgot something." Xiao Junmo said, "When you turn yourself in to the Holy Majesty later, remember not to involve Liu Ji. Because Liu Ji is safe, it will be good for you and Du Chuke. Du Chuke I’ve also told you before, you’d better keep your voice consistent with him.”
Li Tai was stunned for a moment, his lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say it after all, and then walked out of Tao Ranju in a daze.
The pattering spring rain fell, and the distant mountains and near the water were vast.
Xiao Junmo casually teased Jinse on the case table.The messy sound of the piano suddenly sounded, and flew out of the wooden house, startling a few turtledoves in the nearby grass...
In the spring of the 17th year of Zhenguan, immediately after Prince Li Chengqian's Shangyuan Festival Palace Change, the attempted treason of Wei Wang Li Tai broke out in the Tang court.People in the ruling and opposition parties were panicked and discussed a lot.The common people say that today's horoscope must have violated the Tai Sui, so that the time will be so unfavorable; of course, all the officials in the court know that these things have nothing to do with the horoscope and the Tai Sui, and are purely caused by the battle for the succession.As for whether the country can restore the peace of the past as soon as possible, it is generally believed that it depends on two factors: [-]. The nature of the two cases is extremely bad. How will the prince, the king of Wei and his henchmen be dealt with today?[-]. The position of crown prince has been vacant for a long time, who will be appointed as the crown prince today?
In this rainy spring, no one knows what kind of pain and trauma Li Shimin has experienced in his heart after suffering such heavy blows one after another. His countless gray hairs made him look at least ten years older.
However, after all, Li Shimin is a hero of a generation. Although he suffered a lot of trauma in his heart, he quickly gave an explanation to the government and the opposition.A few days after the King of Wei case broke out, Li Shimin discussed with Changsun Wuji, Cen Wenwen, Liu Ji and other prime ministers, and immediately issued several edicts, announcing the results of the treatment of the prince, King Wei and his henchmen:
Prince Li Chengqian was deposed as a commoner and exiled to Qianzhou; Han Wang Li Yuanchang was given to die at home; Du He was beheaded; Hou Junji was beheaded, his family property was confiscated, his wife and children were exiled to Lingnan; .
Li Tai, the king of Wei, was demoted to be the king of Donglai County, expelled from Chang'an, and moved to Yunxiang, Junzhou. He is a commoner; the former officials of the Wei Palace, and all Li Tai's cronies, such as Dianjun Lu Ben and others, were all exiled to Lingnan.
In the imperial edict to depose the king of Wei, Li Shimin wrote such a passage with a very sad mood:
Wei Wangtai, my beloved son, is truly dear to me.Young and intelligent, he is quite good at literature, his kindness is extremely respected, and his title is more than that of pets.Don't think about the precepts of the sages, and make up the blame for arrogance; be confused by slanderous words, and believe in alienation.Although Chengqian is the eldest son, he has been suffering from illness for a long time, and he has the potential to have the hope of succeeding the ancestor, and he is obsessed with the principle of filial piety.Chengqian is afraid of being raped by him, and Tai also increases his suspicions, vying to marry court officials and attract murderers.So civil and military officials were entrusted to each other; among relatives, they were divided into cronies.My ambition is to be fair, and my righteousness is unbiased. I will show great provocations and dethrone the two obediences.Not only to lead the world, but also to be a model for generations!
Here, Li Shimin did not shy away from his past preference and monopoly on Li Tai, nor did he deny the fault of this behavior.In other words, when he said this, he was tantamount to indirectly admitting that he had an inescapable responsibility for this battle for the heir apparent—it was his excessive love for Li Tai that invisibly gave birth to his ambition of seizing the heir apparent, which led to this It was a tragedy where brothers fought against each other and father and son turned against each other.
Of course, while condemning the king of Wei and blaming himself, Li Shimin also beat the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty incidentally.The so-called "civil and military officials each have entrustments; relatives are divided into cliques" is not only stating the facts, but also reprimanding all officials: it is precisely because you have chosen sides in this battle for succession out of your own self-interest, At the same time, fueling the flames and fanning the flames, the two princes were forced onto this path of rebellion and treason!
With the abolition of the crown prince and King Wei one after another, the battle for succession, which lasted several years, finally came to an end.However, who will be the crown prince next is still a difficult problem in the emperor's heart, and it is also the focus of attention from the ruling and opposition parties.
In addition, there is another thing that worries the emperor and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, which is the "murderer" mentioned in the imperial edict.
There is no doubt that the "murderer" here refers to the Tianxing League headed by Wang Hongyi!
If Wang Hongyi is not eliminated and the Tianxing League is not destroyed, Emperor Li Shimin and Datang Sheji will not have peace for a day.
However, where is this old, treacherous and elusive Wang Hongyi now? !
"I'm sorry, leader, but my subordinates don't know where Wang Hongyi is hiding."
In the servant's room in Menxia Province, Liu Ji showed a distressed expression, and said silently to Xiao Jun.
These days, Xiao Junmo has thrown out Xi Yan, Hua Ling'er and other Tianxingmeng subordinates, Huan Dieyi, Luo Biao and other Xuanjiawei subordinates, and used all the black and white power he can control to desperately find Xu Wanniang's whereabouts , but always find nothing.Therefore, Xiao Junmo could only come to Liu Ji.
At this time, Xiao Junmo stared at Liu Ji for a while, knowing that he was not lying, he said: "Then you ask him to meet, I have my own way."
Liu Jie frowned: "Could it be that the leader wants to follow him?"
Xiao Junmo nodded: "To tell you the truth, the last time you met him in Chongdefang, I sent someone to follow me and found his hiding place in Bird Clothes Lane."
Liu Jie smiled wryly: "The lord doesn't know something, maybe because he is aware of this, Ming Zang has informed me a few days ago that he will no longer meet me directly in the future, and all communication will be done by secret letter."
This time it was Xiao Junmo's turn to smile wryly, and couldn't help cursing in his heart: "Old fox!"
Since Wang Hongyi couldn't be traced even through Liu Ji's line, there was really no other way.
"Has Mingzang contacted you recently?" Xiao Junmo asked.
Liu Ji shook his head: "Since what happened in Zhongnanshan, I haven't contacted him again."
Xiao Junmo thought about it again, and had no choice but to stand up: "If Wang Hongyi has any movements, you must notify me at any time."
Liu Jie hurriedly stood up: "Leader, don't worry, your subordinates will report to you at any time."
Xiao Junmo said goodbye, and as soon as he reached the door, Liu Jie shouted from behind: "Leader..."
"What else is there?" Xiao Junmo turned around.
Liu Jie stepped forward, thought for a while, and then said: "Last time in the case of King Wei, I thank the leader for protecting my subordinates. Please accept my bow." Then he knelt down.
Xiao Junmo quickly helped him up, and said: "It is my duty to protect the brothers of the alliance, why should I say thank you? What's more, you are also a good official who is dedicated to his duties. You neither take bribes nor bend the law for personal gain. The court needs you Such a person, how can I not protect you?"
Liu Ji was a little moved, so he bowed deeply.
Xiao Junmo patted his arm, opened the door and walked out.
As soon as he returned to the Xuanjiawei Office, Luo Biao hurried up: "Boss, where have you been? Let me find it for a while!"
"what's up?"
"The new general is officially taking up his duties today, and I am eager to see you."
Xiao Junmo frowned slightly.
The person who took over from the master finally came. Although I don't know who is holy, but the person who came was definitely not good.Because at this time, no matter who the emperor sends, the main task must be to keep an eye on him, and then dig out Wang Hongyi and the Tianxingmeng.And the person with such a special mission will definitely not be a mediocre person. It is probably more difficult to deal with than Pei Tinglong. It seems that he should be more careful in the future.
"Who is the new boss?" Xiao Junmo asked Luo Biao while turning around and walking towards the general's room.
"Didn't you know when you went?"
Xiao Junmo was a little displeased: "You kid still keep it secret from me?"
Luo Biao scratched his head: "It's not that the subordinates deliberately kept it secret from you, it's the new boss who forbids it."
Xiao Junmo was quite surprised, and couldn't figure out what tricks this new boss was playing.When he arrived outside the general's duty room, as soon as the gatekeeper saw him, he let him go in directly, saying that the general had been waiting for a long time.Xiao Junmo entered the duty room, but saw that there was no one in the huge room. After looking carefully, he found that there was a person sitting behind the screen making tea.
The screens Li Shiji used in the past were made of wood, but now they have been replaced with silk screens.The person was vaguely visible behind the screen, only the sound of making tea could be heard, but it was impossible to see who it was.
Xiao Junmo stepped forward, knelt down and saluted: "The humble Xiao Junmo pays homage to the general."
The man acted like he hadn't heard of it, he drank his tea and smacked his lips a few times, as if deliberately trying to embarrass him.
Xiao Junmo smelled the tea fragrance wafting out, and smiled wryly: It really is not a good thing, and he played the role of official authority as soon as he came.Xiao Junmo didn't take it seriously, and said it loudly again.The other party remained silent.It wasn't until Xiao Junmo shouted the third time that the man slowly got up and walked out from behind the screen.
Due to etiquette, Xiao Junmo could only lower his head - if the boss does not speak, the subordinates cannot raise their heads and look at him.
The man stopped in front of him, but still did not speak.
Xiao Junmo didn't understand what kind of medicine this guy was selling in the gourd at all, and he was confused when he suddenly heard a few uncontrollable snickers.Xiao Junmo raised his eyes, slowly looked up from the opponent's boots, and his eyes stayed on an extremely familiar face.
Li Ke was looking at him with a smirk.
Xiao Junmo rolled his eyes and stood up: "You had a great time!"
"Hey, my general hasn't asked you to get up yet!" Li Ke was still thinking, "How dare you get up without authorization?"
Xiao Junmo ignored him, walked directly behind the screen, poured out a bowl of tea, and sat down on the general's couch: "How could it be you?"
"Why can't it be me?" Li Ke walked over and sat on the same bed with him, "Looking at the civil and military affairs of the court, who else can be trusted by the emperor more than me, who is more suitable to be the general of Xuanjiawei? "
Xiao Junmo thought for a while, this is also true, there have been so many disturbances in the court recently, of course the emperor will firmly hold the "sharp blade" of Xuanjiawei in his hands, and at this time the king of Wu, Li Ke, is obviously the emperor's most trusted prince , who do you look for if you don’t look for him?
"Look at you being so chattery, is it possible that the Holy Majesty has leaked something from you?" Xiao Junmo blew on the heat steaming from the tea bowl.
Li Ke chuckled: "Father said, as long as Wang Hongyi can be caught, he will make me the crown prince."
"He seemed to have said the same thing to King Wei at the time." Xiao Junmo said lightly.
"That's different. Father suspected that the fourth brother had something to do with Wang Hongyi at that time, and he said that just to let him draw Wang Hongyi out."
"Where's your Marquis Guard?" Xiao Junmo took a sip of tea and changed the subject.
"Still cum."
"Oh?" Xiao Junmo was a little surprised.The emperor handed over to Li Ke the two most important forces guarding the capital, Wuhouwei and Xuanjiawei, which shows that he has great expectations for him.From this point of view, if there are no accidents, Li Ke will soon be able to enter the East Palace.
"So, you are now a double general?"
"Of course!" Li Ke was full of ambition, "I'm only one step away from the East Palace now. Please cheer me up and help me catch Wang Hongyi as soon as possible, and we'll be done!"
Xiao Junmo put down the tea bowl, and smiled bitterly to himself: Leaving aside that Wang Hongyi is not so easy to catch, even if he is caught, I'm afraid I have to let him go—as long as my mother is in Wang Hongyi's hands, I can't do anything to him.
"Hey, let me tell you..." Li Ke suddenly approached him and lowered his voice, "You didn't play tricks at Zhongnan Mountain last time, did you?"
"What do you mean?"
"That is to say..." Li Ke chose his words, "Are there any things between you and Pei Tinglong, and between you and Wang Hongyi that are not understandable to outsiders?"
"You doubt me?" Xiao Junmo raised his eyebrows.
"How could it be?" Li Ke smiled mischievously, "The incident that day was so big and so many people died, I was just curious and asked casually."
"The Holy One sent you to Xuanjiawei this time, did you ask you to check on me?" Xiao Junmo asked tentatively.
Li Ke's eyes flickered for a moment: "Look at what you said! It's not that Father doesn't know about our relationship. If he really wants to deal with you, he must find someone else. Why did he let me do this?"
Xiao Junmo smiled, and took another sip from the tea bowl.
After working in Xuanjiawei for so long, he has already understood the emperor's scheming and artifice, so Li Ke's words seem to make sense at first glance, but in fact it is just the opposite—it is precisely because the emperor knows that Li Ke has a good personal relationship with him, Let Li Ke come to be the general of Xuanjiawei, the purpose is to test Li Ke, to see whether he is impartial or selfish in Xiao Junmo's matter: if he can enforce the law impartially, attack Xiao Junmo, and then get rid of Wang Hongyi and Tian Xingmeng, then the prince's choice Naturally, the position belongs to him; on the contrary, if Li Ke couldn't bear to attack Xiao Junmo, the emperor would never make him the prince.
Thinking of this, Xiao Junmo smiled wryly in his heart.
Once upon a time, I was still trying my best to assist Li Ke in winning the heir apparent, and the relationship between the two was even more like brothers, but in a blink of an eye, I became an obstacle for Li Ke to enter the East Palace.The world is impermanent, and once it comes to this, how can it not be embarrassing!Judging by the way Li Ke is evasive now, it is obvious that he has set up a defense against himself.In the face of the brutal power struggle, the old brotherhood has already cast a cloud of haze.Whether it will deteriorate further in the future, Xiao Junmo dare not think about it anymore.
Seeing him in a daze, Li Ke coughed and said, "By the way, I have something to tell you. Father is always depressed these days. I suggested to him yesterday to go hunting and relax in Mount Li. The emperor agrees."
Xiao Junmo came back to his senses and put down the tea bowl: "When?"
"tomorrow."
"In such a hurry?"
"That's why I was in a hurry to find you." Li Ke said, "For tomorrow's retinues, there will be 300 people from Wuhouwei; , will escort you tomorrow."
Xiao Junmo was thinking about something: "Now that Wang Hongyi hasn't been caught yet, you are urging the sage to go out to hunt in the city. Is this appropriate?"
"What kind of thing is Wang Hongyi?!" Li Ke was displeased, "Father fought the world, which battle did not take the lead and take the lead? Just because of a mere Wang Hongyi, do you want father to hide in the palace all day? He You also know the temperament of the old man, I haven't hunted for so long, my hands are already itchy, I'm just pushing the boat along with the flow."
Xiao Junmo smiled: "I don't dare to speculate about the holy will, but I can tell that someone's hands are itchy."
Hearing this, Li Ke put on a straight face on purpose, but he still didn't hold back, and smiled: "I'm not afraid that you will see it. It's been so long since I've been back to Chang'an, and I haven't even hunted once. This king has already scratched my heart!"
"Okay." Xiao Junmo stood up, "I'll go and gather people now."
Li Ke watched him walk out, and suddenly said: "Wait, you just left?"
Xiao Junmo turned around: "What orders does the General have?"
Li Ke got up and walked in front of him, his eyes suddenly looked strange: "Do you really have nothing to tell me about Zhongnanshan?"
Xiao Junmo met his gaze: "What exactly do you want to ask?"
"The truth." Li Ke smiled, "I just want to know the truth."
"The truth has already been written in the memorial." Xiao Junmo said calmly, "You can ask the Holy One."
"Jun Mo, don't hide everything from me." Li Ke put away his smile, "I know that something extraordinary must have happened that day on Mount Zhongnan, if you treat me like a brother, tell me the truth. "
brother?
Xiao Junmo smiled helplessly in his heart.Sometimes, brothers are used to save lives; but sometimes, brothers may be used to betray.
"Okay, if you want to know the truth, then I will tell you everything." Xiao Junmo suddenly smiled, "I killed Pei Tinglong and released Wang Hongyi with my own hands. Leader, I am going to join hands with Wang Hongyi to kill the Holy Majesty, overthrow the Tang Dynasty, and finally control the world! This is the whole truth, are you satisfied now?"
Li Ke was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "What a terrible truth, you almost scared me to death."
Xiao Junmo stretched out his hands, as if catching him: "Why don't you tie me into the palace now?"
The two looked at each other silently for a while, Li Ke laughed dryly, and punched him on the shoulder:
"Go away!"
(End of this chapter)
Xiao Junmo smiled helplessly in his heart.Sometimes, brothers are used to save lives; but sometimes, brothers may be used to betray.
On the third day of February, the sun was shining brightly.
The weather has been fine for the past few days, and the green grass sticks out from the gradually softening frozen soil, swaying in the wind, as if quietly looking at this world where everything is recovering.
Li Shimin walked in the garden of Ganlu Hall with his hands behind his back, followed by Zhao Dequan and other eunuchs and court ladies.
In this season, the plum blossoms in the garden are gradually showing signs of decay, with withered petals scattered in the soil, while the apricot blossoms of Kazuki are scrambling to burst into pink buds, like thousands of spots of rouge to attract the eyes.
"Half in bloom and half down, one flourishing and one withering. The plum blossoms are thankful, and the apricot blossoms are already red." Li Shimin looked at this half-slumped and half-splendid scene, and felt emotional, "Dequan, this situation is so different from the cold world, The world is poor!"
Ever since the prince's treason case broke out on the Shangyuan Festival, the emperor has been in a bad mood.To this day, the crown prince is still imprisoned in Xuanjiawei, but the emperor has been unable to make up his mind on how to deal with it.A few days ago, King Wei and Xuanjiawei's arrest of Wang Hongyi failed, and the candidate for the new crown prince had not been finalized, which made the emperor extremely depressed.
This morning, when the spring was bright, Zhao Dequan encouraged the emperor to go to the garden to relax. Unexpectedly, no matter how beautiful the scenery fell into the eyes of disturbed people, it became a material that hurts the spring and autumn. Zhao Dequan couldn't help sighing in his heart.
The emperor lamented the prosperity and withering of flowers and the redness of plums and apricots, and he was actually lamenting the fate of his princes.
Zhao Dequan was sure that in the emperor's mind, the crown prince and the king of Wei at this time were already withered plum blossoms, but Zhao Dequan was not sure which son was blooming like an apricot blossom in the emperor's heart now—it was probably possible It is Wu Wang Li Ke, but it is not ruled out that it is Jin Wang Li Zhi.
"Everyone, the sun and the moon rotate in the sky, the cold and heat change, and the world has the old and the new, and the metabolism of personnel. This is the principle of natural cycles, and it is also an eternal law. I also hope that everyone will take care of the dragon's body, and don't be too sad."
"As the saying goes, 'If you're not in the position, you don't plan for the government', of course you can see it." Li Shimin smiled bitterly, "By the way, what is Qingque doing these days?"
More than ten days ago, Li Tai personally carried the head of Wang Hongyi's adopted daughter Su Jinse into the palace. He pleaded guilty to Li Shimin tearfully, claiming that he did not know the relationship between this daughter and Wang Hongyi at first, but he really fell in love with her. He resolutely cut off his true identity, so as to show his determination to swear against Wang Hongyi.
Of course Li Shimin didn't believe Li Tai's confession, he suspected that Li Tai knew Su Jinse's true identity a long time ago.However, he did not doubt the relationship between Li Tai and this Su Jinse.As someone who has experienced it, he can see this from Li Tai's eyes and expression.It was precisely because of this that Li Shimin felt somewhat relieved.Because it is not an easy decision to kill a woman he really loves. Now that Li Tai has done it, it can at least prove that his repentance is true and firm.
That day, Li Shimin comforted him a few words, and then let him quit.
Seeing Li Tai trembling and walking away in panic, Li Shimin couldn't help feeling a burst of heartache.Once upon a time, this was his most beloved son. Li Shimin thought about passing the throne to him more than once, but he did not expect so many sad and disappointing things to happen in just one year.Looking back suddenly, everything seems to have passed away...
"Back to everyone," Zhao Dequan's voice pulled back Li Shimin's thoughts, "As far as I know, His Royal Highness Wei Wang has started to practice in seclusion these days, basically staying at home."
Li Shimin gave a "hmm" and was about to say something, when he suddenly saw an eunuch rushing over from the corridor with a panicked expression, obviously he had something urgent to say.
It seems that something ominous has happened again!
Li Shimin sighed deeply in his heart.
There is a beautiful artificial lake in Qujiang. There is a small island in the middle of the lake, and there is a wooden house on the island, named "Taoran".
The wooden house is made of logs without any decoration. It looks like a pavilion but not a pavilion.
This is another career of Wei Wang Li Tai.The whole island, including the cabin, was his.
Between the small island and the shore of the lake, there is only a long embankment about five feet wide.If you want to go to the island, you can either take the long embankment or take a boat, and no matter which way, it is difficult for casual people to approach casually.
At this moment, Lu Ben led dozens of soldiers in plain clothes, and stood all over the long embankment and the small island, looking heavily guarded, as if he was facing a big enemy.
Since Su Jinse's death, Li Tai was most worried about Wang Hongyi seeking revenge from him, so he has been hiding in the mansion these days and dare not go out, it is really uncomfortable.Du Chuke and Liu Ji came here today, firstly because they wanted to relax, and secondly because they liked the privacy and security here.
The breeze blows across the lake, penetrates into the wooden house, and shakes the plain white clothes.
Li Tai was dressed in white, sitting on the floor, caressing the secluded body alone in Tao Ran's residence.
The sound of the piano sobbing, like weeping and complaining, was the song "Mili" that he and Su Jinse met for the first time.
At three o'clock in the morning, a piece of "Xiao Li" was not finished, but the sound of the piano stopped abruptly.
Because a person walked onto the embankment.
Li Tai raised his eyes and looked through the open window. That person was neither Du Chuke nor Liu Ji, but Xiao Junmo.
Why him? !
Lu Ben and others drew their knives out of their sheaths, and six or seven knives were pointed at Xiao Junmo at the same time.
"Go and tell you King Wei, I have important news for him." Xiao Junmo smiled.
"Get out! Nothing good will happen when you come here!" Lu Ben gritted his teeth.What happened that day at the Zangfeng Mountain Villa still haunts him to this day.
"I'm here to save King Wei's life. If you drive me away, I'm afraid you won't be able to bear the consequences."
Lu Ben was startled: "What do you mean?"
"Well, you don't understand if you talk too much." Xiao Junmo smiled lightly, and leaned closer to him and said something, "Just report to King Wei like this, and he will definitely meet me."
Lu Ben was full of suspicion, but he dared not report it, so he walked quickly to the door of the wooden house, and just about to speak, Li Tai's displeased voice came from inside: "What does Xiao Junmo want to do?"
"My subordinates don't know either." Lu Ben said hastily, "He said that he only needs to tell you four words, and you will meet him."
"Which four words?"
"He said...the widow has a disease."
In the wooden house, Li Tai was shocked.
These four words from "Mencius" originally had no special meaning, but at the moment when Li Tai heard them, they were enough to make his heart tremble.Because this is clearly implying that he is trying to seek rebellion and kill the emperor!
However, how could Xiao Junmo know that he was conspiring with Du Chuke and Liu Ji's secret room?
This is absolutely impossible!
Frowning and thinking for a moment, Li Tai had no choice but to order Lu Ben to let Xiao Junmo in.
Soon, Xiao Junmo pushed the door open, walked to the table, and then sat down carelessly, meeting his eyes.
"I didn't ask you to sit down." Li Tai said coldly.
"Yes, you didn't invite me, but I'm still here. If you come, you'll be safe." Xiao Junmo said with a smile, "Besides, we have a long talk today, so it's comfortable to sit down and talk."
Li Tai sneered, turned his body sideways, found a comfortable position and leaned against a nanmu table behind him, and said: "Xiao Junmo, you really are a lingering soul! You have been pestering me lately, What exactly do you want to do?"
"Ghosts persist? Well, this word is used well." Xiao Junmo smiled, "Your Highness said so, could it be that you have done something wrong, and you are afraid that ghosts will come to you and claim your life?"
"This king has done a lot of bad things, which one are you referring to?" Li Tai had a provocative expression on his face.
Xiao Junmo met his gaze: "I'm referring to the one where my father died of injustice last year."
Li Tai was slightly startled, and his face darkened: "Although your father is my king's Sima, his death has nothing to do with this king. What do you mean by that?"
Before the words were finished, a bunch of crumpled things were thrown on the case.Li Tai took a closer look, and it turned out to be a tattered piece of scarlet cloth.Of course he recognized this thing, it was clearly bitten off Xiao Henian's body by a mouse!
How could this thing be in his hands?
Li Tai was surprised and suspicious, but he could only force himself to be calm: "What is this?"
"I found this in the water dungeon of your mansion last spring. I knew at that time that it was bitten off my father by a mouse in your mansion. So, it is obvious that the murderer who killed my father was You—Wei Wang Li Tai. Of course, you didn’t do it yourself, but let the rats in your mansion be your accomplices!”
Li Tai never expected that Xiao Junmo had already found out everything.He changed his posture and said with a sneer, "Since you already knew about it, you can report it, why not?"
"If suing you could bring you to justice, then I would have sued you long ago. It's a pity that this is the world of your Li family, so I can't sue you."
"Since you are so self-aware, why did you come to me today?"
"Because, the time has come."
"Timing?" Li Tai frowned, "What timing?"
Xiao Junmo smiled: "His Royal Highness, today, on the third day of February, didn't you invite two friends to come here to Tao Ranju? Why didn't you ask why it was me and not them who came here today?"
That's right, the three quarters of the hour have passed, but why didn't Du Chuke and Liu Ji show up for so long?
Li Tai subconsciously looked out the window.
Surrounded by misty lakes on all sides, except for Lu Ben and others, there was no sign of anyone else on the long embankment.
"Don't look at it." Xiao Junmo said calmly, "Du Changshi and Liu Shizhong will not come."
Li Tai sat up straight suddenly.
He couldn't believe that Xiao Junmo could accurately name the two of them.
"What do you know?" After a long while, Li Tai held back the words.
"Everything." Xiao Junmo said lightly, "I know everything. Otherwise, why would I appear here?"
"Impossible!" Li Tai finally showed a terrified expression, "You can't possibly know..."
"Impossible? Then I'll tell you." Xiao Junmo smiled brightly at him, "On the night we arrested Wang Hongyi, Du Chuke proposed a crazy plan to you, asking you to hand over Su Jinse's head, In order to restore the trust of the Holy Majesty in you, and then find an appropriate time, on the grounds of sudden illness and critical situation, deceive the Holy Majesty to the Wei Palace, and ambush the swordsmen in advance, kill the Holy Majesty in one fell swoop, and then let Liu Jie and Cen The text is a coquettish edict, killing all important officials such as Wu Wang, Jin Wang and Changsun Wuji, completely eliminating all dissidents, and finally ascending to the throne. After hearing Du Chuke's plan, you were tempted at the time, and then called Liu Jie for further discussions. These days , you conspired at least seven times, repeatedly deduced various details, and formulated several sets of preliminary plans. Du Chuke was anxious to determine the date of action, but Liu Jie was naturally cautious, and still thought it was necessary to discuss it one last time. So today, you will make an appointment at The purpose of coming here is to determine the final action plan. Am I right, His Royal Highness King Wei? If there is something missing, you can add it."
Li Tai was stunned, staring at Xiao Junmo in disbelief, his lips moved a few times, but he couldn't say a word.
Obviously, Du Chuke or Liu Ji have already betrayed themselves, otherwise Xiao Junmo would not be able to say that the whole conspiracy process was accurate!
"Xiao Junmo, you are cruel!" Li Tai smiled bitterly, "Can you tell me how you know?"
Xiao Junmo looked at him silently, savoring the pleasure of revenge, and said after a long time: "Li Tai, if I tell you that my father's ghost has returned, and will stand by your side every day, watching your every move, and then tell me in a dream. Do you believe me?"
Li Tai was startled, and subconsciously looked left and right, as if there really was Xiao Henian's dead soul beside him.
"Li Tai, you may really have done too many bad things." Xiao Junmo said quietly, "So when you stayed in Wude Hall last year, your fourth uncle's ghost haunted you; now, my father's heroic spirit surrounds you day and night By your side. Tell me, is this retribution?"
"Xiao Junmo, stop playing tricks with me!" Li Tai finally got angry, and said through gritted teeth, "Now everyone outside is my people, if you don't want to die, tell me the truth!"
"That's right, there are so many people out there, I might not be able to beat them, I'm so scared!" Xiao Junmo touched his heart pretending to be frightened, "Okay, then I'll tell you the truth, two days ago, I found Liu Ji, you moved him with affection and reason, and you also treated him with justice, and then he repented and told me all your secrets. It's as simple as that."
"Are you bluffing a three-year-old child?" Li Tai became more angry, "If you hadn't got him something, how could you make him speak?!"
Xiao Junmo was noncommittal, just looked at him with a smile.
Yes, you were right this time.Xiao Junmo said in his heart, I did hold his handle, a handle that could ruin his reputation and kill his family!
On the first day of February, Liu Ji was on duty.
When Xiao Junmo uttered the words "rebellion case", Liu Ji's eyes flashed with panic, but he still managed to calm himself down: "What rebellion case? If you dare to frame someone indiscriminately, I will make you unable to bear it! "
"Liu Shizhong, it's a long story to talk about your reasons for treason. Where do you want me to start?" Xiao Junmo walked to the desk and sat down cross-legged, "I advise you to sit down first, you Those old past events can't be finished in one or two sentences, we have to talk slowly."
Liu Ji originally thought that the treason case he was talking about referred to his conspiracy with the King of Wei, but he didn't expect it to be something old, so he was full of suspicion: "Stop talking nonsense, what exactly are you trying to say?"
"I have a hobby. I have nothing to do. I like to read some ancient poems. Recently, I especially like ancient poems from the Six Dynasties." Xiao Junmo said slowly, "I just read a poem the day before yesterday. It is a five-character long poem written by Wang Xizhi at the Orchid Pavilion. One of the lines is particularly impressive, and after repeated pondering, I deeply feel that its meaning is rich and profound, and the meaning is close. Is Liu Shizhong interested in tasting it?"
Liu Ji's face turned pale, and the horror in his eyes was fully exposed.
Xiao Junmo smiled, and chanted to himself: "Although there are no silk and bamboo, Xuanquan has a clear sound. Although there are no whistles and songs, there is lingering fragrance in the chant. Liu Shizhong, have you tasted the charm?"
"Gibberish, incomprehensible!" Liu Ji used his anger to hide his panic, "Xiao Junmo, if you have nothing else to say, then don't blame me for being rude!"
Xiao Junmo smiled coldly, and then the smile disappeared instantly: "Are you still unwilling to face the reality, Mr. Xuanquan?"
Mr. Xuanquan? !
Yes, Liu Ji is Xuanquan.
He is the undercover Xuanquan of the Tianxing League who has been lurking in the court for more than 20 years, making the emperor Li Shimin and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty change their expressions and hate him to the bone, but he has never been able to catch him!
Liu Ji was shocked all over, and he couldn't believe that Xiao Junmo would know this big secret no matter what.
Since the fall of Xiao Xian in the fourth year of Wude and the return of Liu Ji to the Tang Dynasty, for more than [-] years, he has served in the court of the Tang Dynasty in the positions of Shizhong, Shiyushi, Shangshu Youcheng, and Huangmen Shilang. Gaining Li Shimin's trust and appreciation step by step, and finally sat on the position of servant as he wished and became the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty.But his true identity has been kept hidden. No one in the world knows about it except Wang Hongyi, Mr. Mingzang, and his Xuanquan Duo's subordinates. I didn't expect that Xiao Junmo, the general of the Xuanjia guard, would reveal this secret. Tell the truth!
"Mr. Xuanquan, I know you are deeply shocked now, and you will never easily admit this secret identity that has been hidden for many years." Xiao Junmo smiled, "It's okay, we can talk about the past and ease the current tension. What do you think? , where should we start talking?"
Liu Jie closed his eyes and remained motionless, like a statue.
"Everything in the world has a relationship. How about we start with the Lanting Hui in the ninth year of Yonghe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty?" Xiao Junmo stood up and began to ask and answer. For the reason, more than forty famous scholars were invited to gather at the Lanting River in Shanyin, Kuaiji. For more than 200 years, the world thought it was an elegant gathering of literati, but you and I both know that this is not Fact. The truth is: this was a secret gathering of elites of the gentry, a political and military meeting concerning the rise and fall of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It was at this meeting that Wang Xizhi led the establishment of a huge secret organization, which was named The "Tian Xing League" has nineteen sub-rudders, including seventeen open rudders and two dark rudders. The master of one of the dark rudders is Liu Mi, one of the participants of the Lanting Club. You, Mr. Xuanquan, are his ninth grandson.
"In the early years of Wude, monk Zhiyong, the leader of the alliance at the time, took Wang Hongyi's Mingzang rudder, Xie Shaozong's Xitang rudder, and your Xuanquan dark rudder, and other six or seven sub-rudders, and went to Jiangling to assist Nanliang Xiaoxian. From the middle official of the Liang Dynasty to the servant of the Huangmen. At the beginning of the fourth year of Wude, you were ordered by Xiao Xian to lead your troops to attack Lingbiao in the south. Wherever you went, you conquered more than [-] cities in a row. You use your soldiers like a god, but you don't know, if the leader Wu Zhiyong is strategizing in the rear, and the many sub-helms of the Heavenly Punishment Alliance are fully cooperating on the hidden front, how can you achieve such impressive results?!"
Hearing this, Liu Jie finally opened his eyes, and smiled weakly: "It seems that you really know everything."
"Of course, otherwise, how dare I trespass on the prime minister's room?"
"How do you know all this?" Liu Ji finally sat down.
Xiao Junmo also sat down: "I traveled thousands of miles with Zuo Shi last year, do you think we are traveling in mountains and rivers?"
Liu Ji was thinking about something, and his eyes flashed: "Have you found the original "Lanting Preface"?"
Xiao Junmo smiled: "What do you think?"
"Impossible!" Liu Ji was suspicious, "Even if we found the authentic one, the Zuo envoy would definitely not give it to you unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you are a member of the League."
"What if I say I am?"
Liu Ji was taken aback, then narrowed his eyes unconsciously: "The envoy Zuo asked you to join?"
"Not only that, but the envoy Zuo also gave me something."
"what?"
Xiao Junmo looked at him for a while, then took out something wrapped in white silk from his arms and put it on the case.
Liu Ji narrowed his eyes, "What is this?"
"Can't you just open it and see?"
Liu Ji thought for a while, and lifted the white silk according to his words, and a complete bronze Pixiu came into his eyes, it was the cup of heavenly punishment!
Liu Ji was shocked, and his eyes widened instantly.
"If you see the Cup of Heaven's Punishment, it's like seeing the lord in person." Xiao Junmo looked at him, "Mr. Xuanquan is an old man of the guild, isn't he ignorant of this rule?"
Liu Ji was surprised and suspicious: "Where is the leader now?"
"Don't you think this is an extra question?" Xiao Junmo smiled.
"Could it be..." Liu Ji's surprise was even more serious, "Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"
"Now, do you still think it's impossible?" Xiao Junmo said with a smile on his face, "If the Zuo envoy didn't hand over the original "Lanting Preface" to me, how would I know that you are Xuanquan? If the Zuo envoy hadn't elected me to be the leader , how can I have the Cup of Heavenly Punishment in my hand? If all this is impossible, how can I sit in front of you now?"
Liu Jie's shoulders slumped and he was speechless.
Xiao Junmo put away his smile, and continued: "Xiao is not talented. He was recommended by Zuoshi, Langyou, Donggu, and Wuyu. He is currently the ninth leader of the Tianxing League. Xuanquan, should you be greeted?"
Although his expression was casual and his tone was calm, there was an irresistible majesty of his own.
Liu Ji hesitated for a moment, then stood up and knelt down to salute: "Subordinate Xuanquan Liu Ji, pay homage to the lord."
"Exemption."
Liu Ji stood up, but he didn't dare to sit back, so he bowed and said, "The lord is here today, what instructions do you have?"
"Just one thing." Xiao Junmo said calmly, "Tell me all the plots you have made with King Wei and Du Chuke in the past few days, without any omission."
"This..." Liu Ji groaned secretly in his heart.After arguing for a long time, Xiao Junmo still came here for this matter.
"What, is there a problem?"
"No, no, this subordinate wants to know, the leader intends... how to deal with this matter?"
"It's very simple, let Du Chuke surrender himself, let King Wei plead guilty and obey the law."
Liu Ji was startled: "But...but in this way, wouldn't the subordinates be exposed too?"
"Don't worry, I will tell them, not you."
Liu Jie frowned: "But...but will they listen to you?"
"If they don't want to die, they can only listen to me." Xiao Junmo said, "The reason is very simple: you are now a celebrity in front of the Holy Majesty, if Wei Wang and Du Chuke want to save their lives, they must first save you, so that you can replace them Speak; and if they confess you, who will intercede for them? What good will it do them?"
Suddenly, Liu Ji wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Yes, the leader is still thoughtful."
Xiao Junmo smiled lightly.
At this moment, in Tao Ran's residence, Xiao Junmo looked at Li Tai with a smile: "Your Highness is right, I did hold Liu Ji's handle, but the matter has come to an end, and you don't need to inquire so much. Right now you should think about it." , is how to deal with the aftermath of this matter, and everything else is irrelevant."
Li Tai sneered: "From what you say, it seems that you are here to help me deal with the aftermath?"
"In a sense, the same can be said."
"I killed your father, aren't you eager to kill me now for revenge?"
"I want revenge, but I don't intend to kill you."
"Oh?" Li Tai raised his eyebrows, "Then what do you mean by revenge?"
"To tell you the truth, I really wanted to kill you at the beginning, I was thinking about it in my dreams! But now I have changed my mind. I think it is better to let you live than to let you die, to experience the pain of being betrayed and ruined, and let you live every day. One day, savor the taste of losing power. I think this kind of ending should be more interesting for someone like you who wants to seize the throne and become emperor."
"Hahaha..." Li Tai burst into laughter suddenly, "You mean, you want my life to be worse than death?"
"Yes, that's what it means."
"But why don't you think about it..." Li Tai suddenly approached him, and said in a sinister manner, "Can you get out of Tao Ranju alive today? If I kill you now, can you still experience the thrill of revenge? Even I fell into the situation you said, can you still see it?"
"Of course you can kill me." Xiao Junmo said calmly, "But I bet you don't dare to kill me."
"why?"
"Because I know that you are a person who is very afraid of death, and if you want to save your life, you can't kill me. If you ask me why, then I will tell you that until now, your every move has been You are exposed under the eyes of the Holy One. If you kill me, you will take another life on your body. If you count my father, it will be two lives. If you count the crimes and punish them together, even if the Holy One cares about the relationship between father and son, you will be forced to do so under the laws of the Tang Dynasty. Discuss with the government and the public, and in the end, you can only kill you. So, if you kill me now, it is tantamount to killing yourself." Xiao Junmo stopped and smiled, "Think about it, am I right?"
"You came here alone today, because you expected that I would not dare to kill you?"
"Yes, the premise is that I believe you are afraid of death." Xiao Junmo emphasized again on purpose.
Finally, Li Tai couldn't bear this kind of naked humiliation, grabbed his collar, and said ruthlessly: "Xiao Junmo, you have made a big bet! I will let you come and go today!"
"Okay, then prove it to me." Xiao Junmo smiled, "But I have to remind you of one thing. While we are talking, Du Chuke has already surrendered to the Holy Lord. So, if you want to kill, do it quickly." If you don’t dare to kill, enter the palace as soon as possible. Because if you enter the palace now, maybe you can count yourself as a surrender. If you wait until Xuanjiawei is ordered to arrest you, you will be passive.”
"What did you say?" Li Tai was shocked, "Du Chuke..."
"That's right, judging by the time, he's probably done explaining it almost."
Li Tai loosened his hands and fell to the ground slumped.
Xiao Junmo straightened his neckline, reached out and grabbed Li Tai's certificate, put it behind him, leaned against it comfortably, and then looked at Li Tai with a contented expression...
After learning the full content of the coup plan from Liu Ji, Xiao Junmo found Du Chuke yesterday, clarified the matter with him, and then told him: "You have two choices now, one is to surrender yourself to the Holy One, and the other is Let me report to the Holy One. You choose, I will not force you."
Of course Du Chuke chose the former without hesitation, but he was still extremely anxious, and hurriedly said: "I can surrender myself, but after all, it involves treason, my lord...can he spare me?"
"That's a problem." Xiao Junmo thought about it seriously, "I have a way to guarantee your survival."
Du Chuke was overjoyed and asked what could be done.
"When you surrender yourself tomorrow, just confess yourself and King Wei, don't get Liu Ji involved."
Du Chuke was puzzled: "Why?"
"Liu Ji is deeply favored by the Holy One. If he intercedes, it will surely save your life. If you confess him too, no one will be able to save you."
Du Chuke suddenly realized.
At this moment, seeing Li Tai's depressed and desperate expression, Xiao Junmo smiled again and said, "Your Highness, it's getting late, how long do you plan to hang around here?"
Li Tai woke up like a dream, and then stood up in a daze.
"By the way, I almost forgot something." Xiao Junmo said, "When you turn yourself in to the Holy Majesty later, remember not to involve Liu Ji. Because Liu Ji is safe, it will be good for you and Du Chuke. Du Chuke I’ve also told you before, you’d better keep your voice consistent with him.”
Li Tai was stunned for a moment, his lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't say it after all, and then walked out of Tao Ranju in a daze.
The pattering spring rain fell, and the distant mountains and near the water were vast.
Xiao Junmo casually teased Jinse on the case table.The messy sound of the piano suddenly sounded, and flew out of the wooden house, startling a few turtledoves in the nearby grass...
In the spring of the 17th year of Zhenguan, immediately after Prince Li Chengqian's Shangyuan Festival Palace Change, the attempted treason of Wei Wang Li Tai broke out in the Tang court.People in the ruling and opposition parties were panicked and discussed a lot.The common people say that today's horoscope must have violated the Tai Sui, so that the time will be so unfavorable; of course, all the officials in the court know that these things have nothing to do with the horoscope and the Tai Sui, and are purely caused by the battle for the succession.As for whether the country can restore the peace of the past as soon as possible, it is generally believed that it depends on two factors: [-]. The nature of the two cases is extremely bad. How will the prince, the king of Wei and his henchmen be dealt with today?[-]. The position of crown prince has been vacant for a long time, who will be appointed as the crown prince today?
In this rainy spring, no one knows what kind of pain and trauma Li Shimin has experienced in his heart after suffering such heavy blows one after another. His countless gray hairs made him look at least ten years older.
However, after all, Li Shimin is a hero of a generation. Although he suffered a lot of trauma in his heart, he quickly gave an explanation to the government and the opposition.A few days after the King of Wei case broke out, Li Shimin discussed with Changsun Wuji, Cen Wenwen, Liu Ji and other prime ministers, and immediately issued several edicts, announcing the results of the treatment of the prince, King Wei and his henchmen:
Prince Li Chengqian was deposed as a commoner and exiled to Qianzhou; Han Wang Li Yuanchang was given to die at home; Du He was beheaded; Hou Junji was beheaded, his family property was confiscated, his wife and children were exiled to Lingnan; .
Li Tai, the king of Wei, was demoted to be the king of Donglai County, expelled from Chang'an, and moved to Yunxiang, Junzhou. He is a commoner; the former officials of the Wei Palace, and all Li Tai's cronies, such as Dianjun Lu Ben and others, were all exiled to Lingnan.
In the imperial edict to depose the king of Wei, Li Shimin wrote such a passage with a very sad mood:
Wei Wangtai, my beloved son, is truly dear to me.Young and intelligent, he is quite good at literature, his kindness is extremely respected, and his title is more than that of pets.Don't think about the precepts of the sages, and make up the blame for arrogance; be confused by slanderous words, and believe in alienation.Although Chengqian is the eldest son, he has been suffering from illness for a long time, and he has the potential to have the hope of succeeding the ancestor, and he is obsessed with the principle of filial piety.Chengqian is afraid of being raped by him, and Tai also increases his suspicions, vying to marry court officials and attract murderers.So civil and military officials were entrusted to each other; among relatives, they were divided into cronies.My ambition is to be fair, and my righteousness is unbiased. I will show great provocations and dethrone the two obediences.Not only to lead the world, but also to be a model for generations!
Here, Li Shimin did not shy away from his past preference and monopoly on Li Tai, nor did he deny the fault of this behavior.In other words, when he said this, he was tantamount to indirectly admitting that he had an inescapable responsibility for this battle for the heir apparent—it was his excessive love for Li Tai that invisibly gave birth to his ambition of seizing the heir apparent, which led to this It was a tragedy where brothers fought against each other and father and son turned against each other.
Of course, while condemning the king of Wei and blaming himself, Li Shimin also beat the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty incidentally.The so-called "civil and military officials each have entrustments; relatives are divided into cliques" is not only stating the facts, but also reprimanding all officials: it is precisely because you have chosen sides in this battle for succession out of your own self-interest, At the same time, fueling the flames and fanning the flames, the two princes were forced onto this path of rebellion and treason!
With the abolition of the crown prince and King Wei one after another, the battle for succession, which lasted several years, finally came to an end.However, who will be the crown prince next is still a difficult problem in the emperor's heart, and it is also the focus of attention from the ruling and opposition parties.
In addition, there is another thing that worries the emperor and the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, which is the "murderer" mentioned in the imperial edict.
There is no doubt that the "murderer" here refers to the Tianxing League headed by Wang Hongyi!
If Wang Hongyi is not eliminated and the Tianxing League is not destroyed, Emperor Li Shimin and Datang Sheji will not have peace for a day.
However, where is this old, treacherous and elusive Wang Hongyi now? !
"I'm sorry, leader, but my subordinates don't know where Wang Hongyi is hiding."
In the servant's room in Menxia Province, Liu Ji showed a distressed expression, and said silently to Xiao Jun.
These days, Xiao Junmo has thrown out Xi Yan, Hua Ling'er and other Tianxingmeng subordinates, Huan Dieyi, Luo Biao and other Xuanjiawei subordinates, and used all the black and white power he can control to desperately find Xu Wanniang's whereabouts , but always find nothing.Therefore, Xiao Junmo could only come to Liu Ji.
At this time, Xiao Junmo stared at Liu Ji for a while, knowing that he was not lying, he said: "Then you ask him to meet, I have my own way."
Liu Jie frowned: "Could it be that the leader wants to follow him?"
Xiao Junmo nodded: "To tell you the truth, the last time you met him in Chongdefang, I sent someone to follow me and found his hiding place in Bird Clothes Lane."
Liu Jie smiled wryly: "The lord doesn't know something, maybe because he is aware of this, Ming Zang has informed me a few days ago that he will no longer meet me directly in the future, and all communication will be done by secret letter."
This time it was Xiao Junmo's turn to smile wryly, and couldn't help cursing in his heart: "Old fox!"
Since Wang Hongyi couldn't be traced even through Liu Ji's line, there was really no other way.
"Has Mingzang contacted you recently?" Xiao Junmo asked.
Liu Ji shook his head: "Since what happened in Zhongnanshan, I haven't contacted him again."
Xiao Junmo thought about it again, and had no choice but to stand up: "If Wang Hongyi has any movements, you must notify me at any time."
Liu Jie hurriedly stood up: "Leader, don't worry, your subordinates will report to you at any time."
Xiao Junmo said goodbye, and as soon as he reached the door, Liu Jie shouted from behind: "Leader..."
"What else is there?" Xiao Junmo turned around.
Liu Jie stepped forward, thought for a while, and then said: "Last time in the case of King Wei, I thank the leader for protecting my subordinates. Please accept my bow." Then he knelt down.
Xiao Junmo quickly helped him up, and said: "It is my duty to protect the brothers of the alliance, why should I say thank you? What's more, you are also a good official who is dedicated to his duties. You neither take bribes nor bend the law for personal gain. The court needs you Such a person, how can I not protect you?"
Liu Ji was a little moved, so he bowed deeply.
Xiao Junmo patted his arm, opened the door and walked out.
As soon as he returned to the Xuanjiawei Office, Luo Biao hurried up: "Boss, where have you been? Let me find it for a while!"
"what's up?"
"The new general is officially taking up his duties today, and I am eager to see you."
Xiao Junmo frowned slightly.
The person who took over from the master finally came. Although I don't know who is holy, but the person who came was definitely not good.Because at this time, no matter who the emperor sends, the main task must be to keep an eye on him, and then dig out Wang Hongyi and the Tianxingmeng.And the person with such a special mission will definitely not be a mediocre person. It is probably more difficult to deal with than Pei Tinglong. It seems that he should be more careful in the future.
"Who is the new boss?" Xiao Junmo asked Luo Biao while turning around and walking towards the general's room.
"Didn't you know when you went?"
Xiao Junmo was a little displeased: "You kid still keep it secret from me?"
Luo Biao scratched his head: "It's not that the subordinates deliberately kept it secret from you, it's the new boss who forbids it."
Xiao Junmo was quite surprised, and couldn't figure out what tricks this new boss was playing.When he arrived outside the general's duty room, as soon as the gatekeeper saw him, he let him go in directly, saying that the general had been waiting for a long time.Xiao Junmo entered the duty room, but saw that there was no one in the huge room. After looking carefully, he found that there was a person sitting behind the screen making tea.
The screens Li Shiji used in the past were made of wood, but now they have been replaced with silk screens.The person was vaguely visible behind the screen, only the sound of making tea could be heard, but it was impossible to see who it was.
Xiao Junmo stepped forward, knelt down and saluted: "The humble Xiao Junmo pays homage to the general."
The man acted like he hadn't heard of it, he drank his tea and smacked his lips a few times, as if deliberately trying to embarrass him.
Xiao Junmo smelled the tea fragrance wafting out, and smiled wryly: It really is not a good thing, and he played the role of official authority as soon as he came.Xiao Junmo didn't take it seriously, and said it loudly again.The other party remained silent.It wasn't until Xiao Junmo shouted the third time that the man slowly got up and walked out from behind the screen.
Due to etiquette, Xiao Junmo could only lower his head - if the boss does not speak, the subordinates cannot raise their heads and look at him.
The man stopped in front of him, but still did not speak.
Xiao Junmo didn't understand what kind of medicine this guy was selling in the gourd at all, and he was confused when he suddenly heard a few uncontrollable snickers.Xiao Junmo raised his eyes, slowly looked up from the opponent's boots, and his eyes stayed on an extremely familiar face.
Li Ke was looking at him with a smirk.
Xiao Junmo rolled his eyes and stood up: "You had a great time!"
"Hey, my general hasn't asked you to get up yet!" Li Ke was still thinking, "How dare you get up without authorization?"
Xiao Junmo ignored him, walked directly behind the screen, poured out a bowl of tea, and sat down on the general's couch: "How could it be you?"
"Why can't it be me?" Li Ke walked over and sat on the same bed with him, "Looking at the civil and military affairs of the court, who else can be trusted by the emperor more than me, who is more suitable to be the general of Xuanjiawei? "
Xiao Junmo thought for a while, this is also true, there have been so many disturbances in the court recently, of course the emperor will firmly hold the "sharp blade" of Xuanjiawei in his hands, and at this time the king of Wu, Li Ke, is obviously the emperor's most trusted prince , who do you look for if you don’t look for him?
"Look at you being so chattery, is it possible that the Holy Majesty has leaked something from you?" Xiao Junmo blew on the heat steaming from the tea bowl.
Li Ke chuckled: "Father said, as long as Wang Hongyi can be caught, he will make me the crown prince."
"He seemed to have said the same thing to King Wei at the time." Xiao Junmo said lightly.
"That's different. Father suspected that the fourth brother had something to do with Wang Hongyi at that time, and he said that just to let him draw Wang Hongyi out."
"Where's your Marquis Guard?" Xiao Junmo took a sip of tea and changed the subject.
"Still cum."
"Oh?" Xiao Junmo was a little surprised.The emperor handed over to Li Ke the two most important forces guarding the capital, Wuhouwei and Xuanjiawei, which shows that he has great expectations for him.From this point of view, if there are no accidents, Li Ke will soon be able to enter the East Palace.
"So, you are now a double general?"
"Of course!" Li Ke was full of ambition, "I'm only one step away from the East Palace now. Please cheer me up and help me catch Wang Hongyi as soon as possible, and we'll be done!"
Xiao Junmo put down the tea bowl, and smiled bitterly to himself: Leaving aside that Wang Hongyi is not so easy to catch, even if he is caught, I'm afraid I have to let him go—as long as my mother is in Wang Hongyi's hands, I can't do anything to him.
"Hey, let me tell you..." Li Ke suddenly approached him and lowered his voice, "You didn't play tricks at Zhongnan Mountain last time, did you?"
"What do you mean?"
"That is to say..." Li Ke chose his words, "Are there any things between you and Pei Tinglong, and between you and Wang Hongyi that are not understandable to outsiders?"
"You doubt me?" Xiao Junmo raised his eyebrows.
"How could it be?" Li Ke smiled mischievously, "The incident that day was so big and so many people died, I was just curious and asked casually."
"The Holy One sent you to Xuanjiawei this time, did you ask you to check on me?" Xiao Junmo asked tentatively.
Li Ke's eyes flickered for a moment: "Look at what you said! It's not that Father doesn't know about our relationship. If he really wants to deal with you, he must find someone else. Why did he let me do this?"
Xiao Junmo smiled, and took another sip from the tea bowl.
After working in Xuanjiawei for so long, he has already understood the emperor's scheming and artifice, so Li Ke's words seem to make sense at first glance, but in fact it is just the opposite—it is precisely because the emperor knows that Li Ke has a good personal relationship with him, Let Li Ke come to be the general of Xuanjiawei, the purpose is to test Li Ke, to see whether he is impartial or selfish in Xiao Junmo's matter: if he can enforce the law impartially, attack Xiao Junmo, and then get rid of Wang Hongyi and Tian Xingmeng, then the prince's choice Naturally, the position belongs to him; on the contrary, if Li Ke couldn't bear to attack Xiao Junmo, the emperor would never make him the prince.
Thinking of this, Xiao Junmo smiled wryly in his heart.
Once upon a time, I was still trying my best to assist Li Ke in winning the heir apparent, and the relationship between the two was even more like brothers, but in a blink of an eye, I became an obstacle for Li Ke to enter the East Palace.The world is impermanent, and once it comes to this, how can it not be embarrassing!Judging by the way Li Ke is evasive now, it is obvious that he has set up a defense against himself.In the face of the brutal power struggle, the old brotherhood has already cast a cloud of haze.Whether it will deteriorate further in the future, Xiao Junmo dare not think about it anymore.
Seeing him in a daze, Li Ke coughed and said, "By the way, I have something to tell you. Father is always depressed these days. I suggested to him yesterday to go hunting and relax in Mount Li. The emperor agrees."
Xiao Junmo came back to his senses and put down the tea bowl: "When?"
"tomorrow."
"In such a hurry?"
"That's why I was in a hurry to find you." Li Ke said, "For tomorrow's retinues, there will be 300 people from Wuhouwei; , will escort you tomorrow."
Xiao Junmo was thinking about something: "Now that Wang Hongyi hasn't been caught yet, you are urging the sage to go out to hunt in the city. Is this appropriate?"
"What kind of thing is Wang Hongyi?!" Li Ke was displeased, "Father fought the world, which battle did not take the lead and take the lead? Just because of a mere Wang Hongyi, do you want father to hide in the palace all day? He You also know the temperament of the old man, I haven't hunted for so long, my hands are already itchy, I'm just pushing the boat along with the flow."
Xiao Junmo smiled: "I don't dare to speculate about the holy will, but I can tell that someone's hands are itchy."
Hearing this, Li Ke put on a straight face on purpose, but he still didn't hold back, and smiled: "I'm not afraid that you will see it. It's been so long since I've been back to Chang'an, and I haven't even hunted once. This king has already scratched my heart!"
"Okay." Xiao Junmo stood up, "I'll go and gather people now."
Li Ke watched him walk out, and suddenly said: "Wait, you just left?"
Xiao Junmo turned around: "What orders does the General have?"
Li Ke got up and walked in front of him, his eyes suddenly looked strange: "Do you really have nothing to tell me about Zhongnanshan?"
Xiao Junmo met his gaze: "What exactly do you want to ask?"
"The truth." Li Ke smiled, "I just want to know the truth."
"The truth has already been written in the memorial." Xiao Junmo said calmly, "You can ask the Holy One."
"Jun Mo, don't hide everything from me." Li Ke put away his smile, "I know that something extraordinary must have happened that day on Mount Zhongnan, if you treat me like a brother, tell me the truth. "
brother?
Xiao Junmo smiled helplessly in his heart.Sometimes, brothers are used to save lives; but sometimes, brothers may be used to betray.
"Okay, if you want to know the truth, then I will tell you everything." Xiao Junmo suddenly smiled, "I killed Pei Tinglong and released Wang Hongyi with my own hands. Leader, I am going to join hands with Wang Hongyi to kill the Holy Majesty, overthrow the Tang Dynasty, and finally control the world! This is the whole truth, are you satisfied now?"
Li Ke was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "What a terrible truth, you almost scared me to death."
Xiao Junmo stretched out his hands, as if catching him: "Why don't you tie me into the palace now?"
The two looked at each other silently for a while, Li Ke laughed dryly, and punched him on the shoulder:
"Go away!"
(End of this chapter)
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