The capital of Dafeng, Chang'an.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

The shadow guard stood beside the old emperor, "Your Majesty, I made a mistake. The assassin sent to assassinate Lu Nianli has not returned for three days. I'm afraid something bad has happened. www.bǐqυgetν.℃ǒm

I failed in my work, please punish me!"

The old emperor looked haggard, "The Nirvana killer died so quietly? What a Zhenbei King, he was so well hidden!"

"I'm afraid that prince is not simple either."

Shadow said: "As far as I know, the eldest princess of the Ming Dynasty refused to leave after seeing the prince, and stayed by the side of the prince in the Northern Territory day and night."

"snort!"

The old emperor's eyes were cold, "The Northern Territory is just a gift from me to the Lu family. Do they really think that the Northern Territory belongs to the Lu family? Do they want to occupy the Northern Territory and be king for generations?"

"The rebellion in the Northern Territory is clearly revealed."

Shadow said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, you can no longer be merciful. If you don't put pressure on the Northern Territory, the Dafeng Dynasty will be in danger."

Scenes from the past flashed through the old emperor's mind.

At that time, Lu Wudi was still a fierce general under his command, unparalleled in loyalty and bravery, and had repeatedly made military exploits.

When he was deeply trapped in the enemy's formation, it was Lu Wudi who used his courage and courage alone to rescue him from the enemy.

Lu Wudi almost died that time.

After that, Lu Wudi saved Dafeng many times and fought one shocking battle after another.

In the chaotic land, this fierce general who wielded soldiers like a god forced his way out, laid the foundation for the Dafeng Dynasty, and won the support of countless soldiers in the army.

It can be said that without Zhenbei Wang Lu Wudi, there would be no Dafeng Dynasty today.

On the day he ascended the throne, he personally made Lu Wudi the only king with a different surname in Dafeng, and granted the four counties in the northern region as fiefdoms. The Lu family could inherit the title of "King of Zhenbei" hereditary.

Decades passed.

The trust he once thought was unbreakable no longer seemed worth mentioning.

He finally understood why the founding emperors of all dynasties always massacred their heroes, because if these people did not die, it would be difficult for future generations to stabilize the country.

In order to serve the people forever, he must make a choice.

"Lu Wudi, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The old emperor sighed, "Ying, do you have any good ideas for killing the rebellious officials and traitors in the Northern Territory?"

Shadow has already thought of a plan.

"Your Majesty, everyone says that King Lu Wudi of Zhenbei is loyal and courageous. He has 300,000 Northern Territory cavalry, but he never interferes in the affairs of the temple. He only guards the country."

"The last time you summoned the Northern King to the court was ten years ago."

"In one month's time, it will be the Queen's birthday. Your Majesty can use this as an excuse to entertain the world and invite Lu Wudi to Chang'an City."

"If he doesn't come, he will be contemptuous of Your Majesty and the Queen, and it will be an act of disloyalty."

"At that time, you can take the opportunity to attack. The world will not say that Your Majesty is not the right one. Instead, they will think that the King of Zhenbei has long occupied the northern region and has the ambition to rebel."

"If he dares to come..."

Shadow's eyes were full of sternness, and he slowly made a motion of wiping his neck.

"As long as King Zhenbei dies, the ministers in the Northern Territory will definitely not accept Lu Nianli as the heir apparent, and the Northern Territory will fall into chaos."

"Your Majesty will draw up another imperial edict to suppress the civil strife and send troops to the Northern Territory. He will definitely be able to regain military power in the Northern Territory in a short time."

"Okay! Okay!" The old emperor laughed.

He knew in his heart that doing so would inevitably lose the support of the people.

But in order to serve the dynasty forever, what does it mean to lose the support of the people?

He is a dying person, so he will bear all the infamy and pave the way for future generations.

"Gongsun Zhen, the Minister of the Ministry of Ceremonies."

The guard outside the door heard the call and summoned him immediately.

Half an hour later.

The Minister of Rites hurried over, anxious to salute, "I, Gongsun Zhen, come to see Your Majesty."

The dynasty has been in turmoil recently.

The old emperor's dragon body is worrying.

In order to seize the throne, the princes fought openly and secretly to win over the ministers of the court. Almost all the ministers had already lined up with several princes.

In this kind of power struggle, it is inevitable that some ministers will become victims.

As the Minister of Rites, Gongsun Zhen naturally also stood in line, and the one standing was His Highness the Crown Prince.

Although the prince is the theoretical successor to the throne, it is still unclear whose family the throne will ultimately fall to, and the influence of the other princes is also quite large.

Gongsun Zhen was in fear every day.

Being summoned by the emperor in person, I was afraid that I would offend Long Yan and lose my hat.

"Gongsun Zhen."

The old emperor lay on the bed and squinted at him, "In a month's time, it will be the queen's birthday. As you know, I only love the queen. On this birthday, I want to entertain the world for her."

"Your Majesty's affection for the Queen is greatly admired by me." Gongsun Zhen said respectfully.

The old emperor said slowly: "Since we are hosting a banquet for the whole world, naturally all the important officials in the court cannot be absent. It is easy to summon you. Only the King of Zhenbei is in charge of the Northern Territory, so someone needs to go and invite you in person.

The king of Zhenbei has made great contributions to our great service, so we must not neglect it, and the status of the person who sent the invitation cannot be too low.

I have thought about it a lot and found that you have a close relationship with the King of Zhenbei and you are also the Minister of Rites, so it is most appropriate for you to deliver the message."

Gongsun Zhen's body trembled.

Lu Wudi, the king of Zhenbei, did not enter the court for ten years.

In this turbulent time, the emperor suddenly wanted to call him to Chang'an, which was probably far more than just celebrating the queen's birthday.

The emperor probably wanted to take this opportunity to take back the Northern Territory and pave the way for the next emperor.

"My lord, I obey the order."

Gongsun Zhen felt pain in his heart. He and Lu Wudi were old friends for many years and had a life-long friendship.

He didn't want to go, but he had to accept the order.

Otherwise, the entire Gongsun family, young and old, would become victims of the old emperor's bloody methods.

"Master Gongsun has a dangerous journey in the Northern Territory. I will ask General Zhao Chuanshan of the Shadow Dragon Guard to escort him all the way. Remember to deliver the post to the King of Zhenbei."

The old emperor's tone became cold, "Remember! If the King of Zhenbei comes back, you go back! If the King of Zhenbei doesn't come back, you should know what to do if you disobey the imperial edict."

Gongsun Zhen's body trembled!

It’s over!

The Gongsun family is finished!

"Back off."

The old emperor waved his hand and continued to rest with his eyes closed.

"Wei Chen resigns."

Gongsun Zhen trembled and exited the Yangxin Hall. The sun was shining brightly and there were no clouds in the sky, but he felt as if he had fallen into mud and was confused.

Going to the Northern Territory this time, it is definitely difficult to balance loyalty and justice.

It is impossible for the King of Zhenbei not to understand the emperor's thoughts, and he would never go to Chang'an City to die. So what should he do?

"Lord Gongsun."

When I was in a dilemma, a powerful voice sounded in my ears.

"General Zhao."

Looking at the person coming, Gongsun Zhen felt even more uncomfortable. This person was Zhao Chuanshan of the Shadow Dragon Guard, one of the most trusted confidants of the old emperor.

This trip to the Northern Territory seemed to be escorted by Zhao Chuanshan, but in fact it was for supervision.

"This is an invitation."

Zhao Chuanshan handed the gold-inlaid invitation engraved with dragons and phoenixes to Gongsun Zhen and said with a smile:

"The Queen's birthday banquet is of great importance to the Holy One. Lord Gongsun must keep the invitation well and hand it over to the King of Zhenbei."

"That's natural." Gongsun Zhen smiled bitterly, "Sending the message this time will trouble General Zhao. To avoid worrying about the Holy Emperor, you and I will set off at noon tomorrow."

"good!"

Zhao Chuanshan laughed wildly, "I have heard for a long time that the Northern Territory's cavalry is the most powerful one in the imperial dynasty, and I can't help but want to pay my respects."

"Tomorrow at noon, I will personally come to Shangshu Mansion to greet Lord Gongsun."
To be continued...