: Constant interruption

Author: Bei Wei

: Constant interruption

After General Zhao Mu left the palace, he returned to his mansion, thanked guests behind closed doors, and did not go to the backyard. He stayed in the hall drinking alone.

While he was drinking, the servant announced that Mrs. Zhou was here.

Mrs. Zhou is the wife of Zhao Mu. She married Zhao Mu when she was seventeen years old. The couple has two sons, the eldest son is fifteen years old and the second son is ten years old. Although Mrs. Zhou is already thirty-five years old, her appearance and body are well maintained and she can

It can be seen that she was also a beautiful woman when she was young. She was just a bit short-sighted and timid.

When King Qi Xiao Ming responded to the appeal of the second prince, he raised troops to attack the capital. Zhao Mu was in a dilemma. If he helped Emperor Yongde, it would be unjust to the King of Qi. If he helped the King of Qi to fight the emperor, it would be unfaithful. Mrs. Zhou gave him a pillow blow

Feng, since the King of Qi and the Emperor are incompatible with each other, and no matter which side they help, they will not please either side, it is better to stand still and wait and see what happens. In this way, neither side will be offended.

Mrs. Zhou thought this was a good idea. In fact, this kind of wall-to-wall approach was very inappropriate, but at that time Xiao Ming could understand his reasons for not sending troops. A narrow-minded person would have long harbored resentment.

Zhao Mu was good at leading troops in war, otherwise he would not be able to guard the border. However, his ears were a little soft. He also felt that Mrs. Zhou's suggestion had merit, so he accepted it. Later, Emperor Yongde burned himself in Fengqi Palace.

Xiao Zhuo and King Qi reconciled after the Battle of Shengjing, and he finally no longer had to worry about this matter. Xiao Ming also treated him well after he ascended the throne, directly promoting him to a general and commanding the entire Yan army.

After getting through this crisis safely, he had more trust in Mrs. Zhou's judgment.

Now that Emperor Qi Ming died, Xiao Beiheng ordered him to prepare an army and attack Xiao Zhuo, the king of An, on a certain day. He was in trouble again. After all, Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Beiheng were brothers, and it seemed inappropriate to join either side.

After Mrs. Zhou arrived, Zhao Mu told her what happened that day. Mrs. Zhou cheered and said: "This matter is all clear, how can the master still be unsure?"

Zhao Mu put the wine bowl on the table and said, "Why is this so easy?"

"Is Prince Ping's decree to establish the crown prince a fabrication?"

"The Prime Minister has confirmed that it is His Majesty's imperial edict."

Mrs. Zhou picked up the jug and poured wine for him, saying: "Isn't it settled? Since Your Majesty has passed away, and Prince Ping is the prince, it is only natural that Prince Ping ascends the throne and succeeds to the throne. How dare you contradict the emperor in person? Could it be that you don't want to die?"

Already?"

Zhao Mu felt a little uneasy when he thought about his collision with Xiao Beiheng in the Jinluan Palace. No matter how rude Xiao Beiheng was, the prime minister and other ministers behind him all knelt down and admitted that Xiao Beiheng was the emperor. He was the only one who was still holding his neck and refused to kneel down. It was indeed a bit embarrassing.

unwise.

"At that time, Prince Ping was sitting directly in the Jinluan Hall, and I was anxious for a moment..."

"Sir, even if the emperor fails in etiquette and does not go to welcome his father's coffin, it will not be the turn of us ministers to blame," Mrs. Zhou said. "We ministers must not make mistakes first. Otherwise, we will be caught by the emperor."

Hold on to the handle..."

Zhao Mu felt sweat break out on his forehead. He put down the wine bowl he had picked up and said, "Madam, then... what do you think?"

Mrs. Zhou said: "Master, your Majesty ordered you to lead the army to attack Xiao Zhuo. This is obviously a place where you are useful. Otherwise, how could your Majesty tolerate your rudeness in the Jinluan Palace? Master should not be in danger. I will ask my subordinates to prepare.

It is a generous gift. At noon, the master will personally go to the palace to apologize to His Majesty, and then lead the army to destroy Xiao Zhuo. From now on, he can sit back and relax and prosper."

Zhao Mu gave a wry smile and said, "I have become a general, and I am a highly respected minister. There is nothing worth pursuing."

Mrs. Zhou glanced at him and said: "You only think about your own affairs. Our son will also rely on you in the future. Once Xiao Zhuo is destroyed, Jingzhou and Liangzhou will be free. Your Majesty becomes the emperor, and An The prefecture of Yuzhou is also free. If you don't make military exploits, how will your majesty give our son a title?"

Zhao Mu pondered: "I have dealt with Xiao Zhuo's wife Shen Yuexi before, and I think she is a very good person. I'm afraid there is something wrong with Xiao Zhuo's regicide..."

"Master, what do you want with this?" Mrs. Zhou said in a feint. "Do you think what the Empress said is false? Since ancient times, we have known people and their faces but not their hearts. Didn't Xiao Zhuo kill his teacher back then? Now assassinate him Isn’t it reasonable for my father to do so?”

Zhao Mu was still hesitating when a servant came to report: "Sir, General Anguo is here to visit."

After hearing this, Mrs. Zhou looked at Zhao Mu and said: "Master, General Anguo is the Qi Shengjue who brought the news? Why did this person come to the door at this time?"

From the time Zhao Mu came back to now, it has been dawn, and generally no one would come to the door at this time.

Zhao Mu was shocked. He contradicted Xiao Beiheng in the Jinluan Palace. Could it be that Xiao Beiheng sent him to arrest him?

He tried his best to pretend to be calm and asked: "Does General Anguo have any troops?"

"No, there is only one person," the servant said. "General Anguo is very secretive. He seems to be hiding from outsiders."

Hearing that Qi Shengjue came alone, Zhao Mu felt relieved and said to Madam Zhou: "General Anguo is here to visit, Madam, I will stay away for now."

Mrs. Zhou agreed, but she knew in her heart that Qi Shengjue had come in a strange way and must have some ulterior motives. She refused to leave just like that, and hid secretly next door to listen.

Qi Shengjue led the way down to see Zhao Mu. The two of them finished the ceremony. Zhao Mu said to Qi Shengjue:

"You also know my rules. You must drink three bowls of strong liquor before talking. Otherwise, there is no need to talk."

Qi Shengjue also knew about his special request. Without being polite or refusing, he directly picked up the wine jar and poured down three bowls of wine. He drank the three bowls of wine in one go and put the wine bowl down.

Seeing how happy he was, Zhao Mu couldn't help but clapped his hands and said: "Okay, it's a happy one."

Qi Shengjue wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said to Zhao Mu: "General, please ask the servants to step back. I have something to say to the general."

Seeing Zhao Muping retire, Qi Shengjue said to Zhao Mu: "I have heard for a long time that the general has a deep personal relationship with the emperor. When the general violated Emperor Yongde, it was the emperor who rescued the general from danger. Is this possible?"

When Zhao Mu saw Qi Shengjue mentioning his relationship with Xiao Ming, he didn't know what his intention was, so he could only say: "Your Majesty and I are a monarch and a minister. How dare I lie and say that I have a close relationship with your Majesty."

Qi Shengjue lowered his voice and said, "Then your Majesty was assassinated. Is the General angry?"

Zhao Mu said: "Of course, I will bid farewell to the emperor in the future, lead an army to attack the rebels, and avenge the late emperor."

Qi Shengjue looked him up and down and said, "Is the general telling the truth? The general really thinks it was Xiao Zhuo who did it?"

Zhao Mu originally didn't believe that Xiao Zhuo would do such a thing, but now he was asked by Qi Shengjue. He was a warrior and was not good at hiding his thoughts. He hesitated and didn't know how to answer.

Seeing his hesitant attitude, Qi Shengjue felt confident and said in a low voice: "The general also saw the look on Prince Ping's face in the Jinluan Palace today. In fact, it was Prince Ping who assassinated your majesty."

"What!" Zhao Mu jumped up as if frightened, and even his face turned pale.

He actually had doubts about Xiao Beiheng, but he still didn't quite believe that Xiao Beiheng would really do such a thing. After all, Xiao Beiheng was different from Xiao Zhuo. Xiao Ming had nurtured Xiao Beiheng for twenty years. Now Qi Shengheng came to tell him personally.

Suspicious in his heart, he was still quite frightened.

Qi Shengjue said calmly: "The relationship between the general and the emperor is like brotherhood. I am here to tell the general the truth. I hope the general can distinguish right from wrong and not help others to do evil."

"Isn't this the Queen's decree?" Zhao Mu forced himself to calm down and looked at Qi Shengjue.

"When His Majesty was stabbed, Prince Ping Xiao Zhuo had not yet arrived. Xiao Beiheng told me that it was a wild boar that injured Your Majesty. The imperial doctor and I looked at it and found that it was actually a sword wound." Qi Shengjue's voice was even lower. "Later, the Empress said that Your Majesty was injured by a sword."

The murder caused by Prince Ping shows that the Queen and Xiao Beiheng are in the same group."

Zhao Mu wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Then why are you telling me this?"

After learning these inside stories, he had already vaguely guessed what Qi Shengjue wanted him to do. But he was frightened when he thought about what was going to happen next.

Qi Shengjue said: "Your Majesty treats me well. Although I am not talented, I cannot tolerate a man who killed his father to ascend the throne. The general received your Majesty's great favor and led the Yan army. If he helps Xiao Beiheng in turn, your Majesty has the spirit to do it."

Jiuquanxia will be heartbroken when he finds out. I hope the general can think of the people of Yan, capture the real traitor, and welcome King An back."

The words have been made clear, now it depends on Zhao Mu's attitude.

Zhao Mu sighed and did not dare to respond directly. He was not a decisive person to begin with, otherwise he would not have needed Mrs. Zhou to give him advice. After hesitating for a long time, he said to Qi Shengjue: "This matter is too important, let me

Please consider it slowly before replying."

Qi Shengjue was a little anxious and said: "General, you contradicted Xiao Beiheng in the morning today. Xiao Beiheng didn't seem to care, but the general didn't know what he was thinking. A person who can kill his father, the general thinks he can do it

What's going on?"

Zhao Mu hesitated again after hearing this.

What Qi Shengjue said makes sense. He contradicted Xiao Beiheng in the Jinluan Palace, which was already a crime of disrespect, but Xiao Beiheng didn't express anything. In Mrs. Zhou's view, this was because Xiao Beiheng still had some use for him. Since Xiao Beiheng still had

If you want to use him, you shouldn't harm him, right?

After thinking for a while, he felt that what his wife said was reasonable. He said to Qi Shengjue: "I know everything, but this matter is really important. My mind is in chaos, let me think about it carefully."

Qi Shengjue said: "General, this matter cannot be considered slowly. Major events must be dealt with without interruption, and you will suffer consequences. You are the commander-in-chief of the Yan army, and the one hundred thousand defenders at the border are the commander-in-chief of your confidant Wei Liang. As long as you raise your arms,

With one call, the world responds. With an army and power, why does the general have to look forward and backward?"

Zhao Mu frowned, turned around and picked up a bowl of wine and drank it down. He felt heroic and said to Qi Shengjue: "General Anguo is right. I saw Xiao Beiheng's face was frightened in the Jinluan Palace and he had a guilty conscience. Now the general is here to tell me

Now that I know the truth, I have no doubts. Does the general have any good ideas?"

Qi Shengjue was overjoyed, pulled Zhao Mu to sit down, and whispered: "Now the army in the capital is under the command of the general. Although Xiao Beiheng has ascended the throne as emperor, he has no ability to mobilize the army. It will be easy for the general to capture him. You and I will be there at noon."

Prepare the troops in the military camp, and then the general invites him to come and lecture the three armies, and I will send a few strong men to capture him."

Zhao Mu nodded, but he was still worried in his heart and asked: "The Prime Minister has confirmed the will expressed by Xiao Beiheng, and he is indeed appointed as the prince. Now that His Majesty has passed away, Xiao Beiheng's accession to the throne is justifiable. If I were captured in the army

Will he be criticized by the world?"

Qi Shengjue said: "The general captured the traitor who killed his father for the sake of the world. Why is there any criticism? When Your Majesty made the decree that day, if he knew that Xiao Beiheng would commit patricide, would he still make this decree? The general does not have to worry.

"

Zhao Mu nodded repeatedly and said, "What the general said is true. I have made up my mind and will act according to the general's words."

Qi Shengjue stood up and said: "I will go to the military camp outside the city to make preparations. The general will act according to the plan. This matter is a matter of life and death. The general must not tell anyone else to avoid any complications."

Zhao Mu also knew that this matter was too important, so he cut his finger with a knife and swore an oath of blood with Qi Shengjue. Qi Shengjue then left with peace of mind and went to prepare outside the city.

After seeing off Qi Shengjue, Zhao Mu returned to the room and saw Mrs. Zhou waiting there.

"Master, you are so confused!" Mrs. Zhou cried out as soon as she saw him, "I'm not here to help you, why would you do such a thing?"

Seeing Mrs. Zhou crying, Zhao Mu panicked and asked, "Did you eavesdrop on our conversation?"
To be continued...