In an ordinary wine shop in Jimingfang, Yanping City, the then Prime Minister Xu Minglang, dressed in cloth and a square scarf, dressed as an ordinary old man, was playing chess with a guest in a private room.

The person sitting in front of him is wearing a long robe with wide sleeves and a jade belt. He is elegant and graceful. What's more rare is that he has beautiful features. Anyone who sees him will praise him as a good young master.

This is none other than Princess Beihu, Xiao Yan!

After she left Daizhou, she did not return to Tianyuan Royal Court, but went around and returned to the capital.

After just one game, the victorious Xu Minglang stroked his beard and smiled: "I haven't seen you for ten months, Mr. Xiao... has made great progress in chess. If this continues, it won't be so easy for me to defeat Mr. Xiao in less than three to five years."

.”

This was very meaningful. It not only praised Xiao Yan, but also did not say that the other party would be able to defeat him in three or five years. The Qi people's sense of superiority in front of the Hu people did not change much because of the relationship between the two.

Xiao Yan smiled nonchalantly: "The game on the chessboard is just a trivial matter. Xu Gong's method of using the world as the chessboard and noble families as chess pieces is the style of a national player."

Xu Minglang was very satisfied with Xiao Yan's flattery. He liked Hu people to be in awe of Qi people. This was something that was deeply rooted in his bones and would not change in any way because of any collusion between the two.

He said: "When I came here, I heard that Duke Zhenguo had entered the palace. Princess, you might as well guess how Duke Zhenguo looked at this time."

Xiao Yan waved her hand and asked people to remove the chessboard and replace it with tea. She smiled without showing her teeth when she heard this: "Zhao Xuanji certainly didn't expect that Bai Mei would suddenly retract his confession. He must be unable to cope with it at this time, and his face is full of surprise, right?"

Xu Minglang laughed heartily and did not hesitate to praise: "The princess is indeed extraordinary. This was a very stable operation, but the princess was able to consider various situations before the operation started and make the next move."

The corresponding arrangements are really clever. If not for this, we would not be able to reverse the situation right now."

Xiao Yan smiled calmly and said: "The art of war of the Qi people is not to worry about victory, but to worry about defeat first. I am just learning to walk in Handan, making Xu Gong laugh."

"The princess's achievements in Sinology are indeed rare among the Hu people. It is extremely good to have the heart to learn and inquire. The princess does not need to be too humble." Xu Mingliang's words were very condescending.

Xiao Yan looked as usual and raised her tea bowl to signal.

After sipping the tea, Xu Mingliang continued: "Fan Zhongming is also aware of current affairs. When my people met him in the prison of Dali Temple, he knew what to say. By now, Zhao Xuanji must have been very anxious.

I was so frightened."

Xiao Yan said with admiration: "Although the action this time was unsuccessful, Xu Gong was able to fight back in desperate situations. He seized the opportunity to strike back and made the emperor suspicious of the Zhao family. It can be said that the gains outweighed the losses. How can a group of warriors from the Zhao family compete with

Is Xu Gong a match? I admire Xu Gong for his great wisdom."

Xu Minglang laughed again.

When Xiao Yan saw that he was no longer talking, she waved, took a gift list from her subordinate, and handed it to Xu Minglang, "This is the reward promised in advance. Please read it, Mr. Xu."

Xu Minglang opened it and looked at it, the satisfaction in his eyes getting stronger.

Although the Xu family is an aristocratic family, it is only one of the thirteen civil servant families. People have no windfall, no horses, no night, no grass. If the family wants to grow and become the number one clan in Da Qi, how can it lack wealth and training resources?

...

Zhao Xuanji's face was full of anxiety and he asked tentatively: "May I ask how your Majesty plans to deal with this matter?"

Song Zhi did not answer, but said slowly: "The prime minister told me that the general is eager for war and military glory, and he also mentioned to me the chaos in the previous vassal town."

Zhao Xuanji was shocked when he heard this.

The division of the dynasty and the decline of imperial power caused by the vassal disaster are an eternal nightmare in the heart of any emperor, and he would never want to experience it a second time.

The last emperor of the previous dynasty was used by the vassal town to blackmail the emperor and the princes, and suffered humiliation. Later, the lord of the vassal town usurped the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, and he did not hesitate to kill the emperor and the entire royal family.

As long as this kind of thing is brought up, any emperor will be so afraid that he can't sleep.

"Your Majesty..." Zhao Xuanji was about to bow down again.

Song Zhi stopped him, sighed heavily, and said solemnly: "Grandpa, why do you do this? Da Qi is not the former dynasty, and the Zhao family is not the general of the feudal town. How can I not even know this truth?"

Zhao Xuanji breathed a long sigh of relief and said, "Your Majesty, it is clear!"

Song Zhi looked at Zhao Xuanji with a sincere look: "What I mean is that if you are beaten secretly by Aiqing, I will order an additional 30,000 troops at Yanmen Pass and increase the supply of talisman pills by 20%!"

Zhao Xuanji's eyes widened with disbelief on his face, and he immediately bowed down again, "Your Majesty is wise. The Zhao family will live up to your Majesty's expectations and swear to defend Yanmen Pass for your Majesty to the death!"

Now that they have talked about the official handling plan, Song Ye no longer calls himself "I", "I naturally believe in the Zhao family. All the previous emperors believed in the Zhao family. But my dear, you need to remember that as long as there is no change in Beihu and I have no orders, Yan

The soldiers are not allowed to leave the gate without permission!"

"I obey the decree."

"My dear, you also know that the prime minister has different views on the matter of Daizhou. I believe in the Zhao family, so I agree with what Aiqing said, but the Prime Minister will inevitably chatter in front of me, and Aiqing must also do it for me.

It's better to share the worries." The emperor said this quite helplessly.

"What does your Majesty mean?"

"The Wu family in Jinling and the Yang family in Guangling got into a fight over a mere hunting ground, resulting in the death and injury of nearly a hundred servants, and also affected nearby villagers. This incident caused an uproar in the government and the public. Therefore, the prime minister petitioned that the Wu family and the Yang family should be reduced by one rank.

Wait, what do you think, Aiqing?" the emperor asked in a consultative tone.

The Yang family in Guangling is the in-law family of the Zhao family, and the Zhao family has always been the only one to follow their lead.

The Yang family and the Wu family both had the hereditary position of prince, and they also retired with the country, but they were one level lower than the Duke of the country.

Now that the title has been reduced, the two families have become hereditary earls. In the peaceful period when the world is at peace and there is no war, it is impossible to raise the title again after it has been reduced.

For the noble families of the two generals, this was a huge blow and could be described as a decline in family fortunes.

But Zhao Xuanji knew that he could not refuse this matter at all, because it was an exchange with the civil service group. He could only bow his head and say: "Your Majesty is wise."

.......

After Zhao Xuanji retired, the emperor was still sitting in the Fengxue Pavilion.

He never touched the food and wine on the table, but quietly looked down at the imperial city and the dotted neighborhoods until the sun set and twilight fell, as if he had become a statue.

His eyebrows are very high, his posture is very straight, and the five-clawed dragon robe on his body makes him look heroic, so even if he is as motionless as a statue, he is still a very majestic statue.

"Now there are four major royal courts in Beihu, and Tianyuan Royal Court is just one of them. It has just emerged, and there is no deep foundation. What's more, their territory is not adjacent to Daqi. What are the practitioners of Tianyuan Royal Court?

How to deal with the Zhao family by reason?"

Song Zhi suddenly said without looking back.

"Your Majesty's words make sense, but this old slave also finds it strange."

In the shadow of the pavilion, an old man with a stooped figure and a eunuch's clothes appeared. His face was not clear in the darkness, and his voice seemed to come from the throat of a drake.

The old eunuch continued: "However, the Wangji realm practitioners of Tianyuan Royal Court, after all, arrived in Daizhou City, Princess Tianyuan's words may not be fully believed. The ancestor of Tianyuan Royal Court was the previous generation of King Zuo Xian, who was killed by Zhao

Those who were killed by the Zhao family have hatred towards the Zhao family."

Song Zhi waved without comment, and the old eunuch understood and asked someone to fetch a volume of "Fang Wu Zhi" and handed it to Song Zhi respectfully.

With the candlelight held by the old eunuch, Song Zhi flipped through the book for a while and then closed the book. "I have been busy with internal affairs in recent years and have paid less attention to things outside the border. The content about Beihu in "Fang Wu Zhi"

Too little."

"The old slave accepts the order, and we will arrange for the men to enter Mobei." The old eunuch took back the "Fang Wu Zhi".

Song Zhi continued to look at Yanping, the capital of Qi Dynasty, and fell into deep thought again.

The checkerboard-shaped streets are brightly lit, with BMWs and cars filling the streets. Pedestrians are chatting and laughing, and vendors are singing in rhythm. Along with the aroma of wine and food from the night market, they float to the Fengxue Pavilion.

There is no curfew in Yanping, and the bustling night scene will last until the early morning. This is a manifestation of the glorious and prosperous age of the Qi Dynasty, and it is also a scroll of the country that Song Zhi never gets tired of. Whenever he is confused, he will come here to sit in meditation.

"After the great cultivator from Beihu and Fan Zhongming were escorted to Dali Temple, they both retracted their confessions and refused to say anything about it. It seems that in the court and officialdom nowadays, the prime minister is keeping his word."

Suddenly, Song Zhi spoke again, with an incomprehensible tone.

The old eunuch thought for a moment before answering: "Whether the Prime Minister keeps his word depends on His Majesty's wishes."

Song Zhi nodded slightly and looked more relaxed.

After a while, he said again: "According to my decree, let the great cultivator from Beihu be released."

The old eunuch was surprised, "That is also a king's realm. Killing him will just deter Beihu and serve as a warning to others."

Song Zhi shook his head: "He is just an early stage king. Whether he is killed or not has nothing to do with the overall situation. Letting him go will be more useful. My spies are going to enter Mobei, explore the truth and truth, and write "Fangwu Zhi", so Beihu can't be allowed to do anything."

Be on guard.”

"Your Majesty is wise, I obey your orders."

...

After leaving the imperial city gate, Zhao Xuanji looked back at the majestic palace. When he turned back to face the Zhuque Street filled with carriages and horses, his face was as calm as water. All the vivid expressions he had before in front of the emperor were gone in an instant.

Dissipated without a trace.

After getting on the waiting carriage of the Zhao family, Zhao Xuanji closed his eyes and meditated in the carriage.

"Xiao Ningzi's prediction was correct. When the great cultivator from Beihu arrived at Dali Temple, he would immediately retract his confession, and his confession was almost the same as what he had guessed. Fortunately, Fan Zhongming was now under my control, allowing him to also retract his confession. It was indeed true.

A wonderful move. In this way, His Majesty will be suspicious of Xu Mingliang, an old man, and worry that he has too much power."

Thinking of this, Zhao Xuanji felt very happy.

He is a general who is not good at plotting and scheming. This time he was able to successfully achieve his goal and add 30,000 troops to Yanmen Pass, all thanks to Zhao Ning's plan.

This was also Fan Zhongming's first role after joining him.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xuanji was a little puzzled.

Although he is busy with official duties all day long and has little time to teach the children of the clan, he pays special attention to Zhao Ning. In his impression, Zhao Ning used to be a playboy, but now he suddenly changed his appearance and became thoughtful. He had to be deeply surprised.

.

"Bei Wang's temperament is too unruly. Apart from making achievements on the battlefield, all that is left in his mind is the love between his children. He spends all day reciting poems and composing poems with his daughter-in-law... If I hadn't been in charge of the overall situation, the Zhao family would be in his hands.

It’s not too messy!

"Fortunately, Xiao Ningzi is a great person among people. Not only is she extremely talented, but she is also smart and smart. Although she was a bit naughty before, it was still a young person's nature. After Zhao Yujie's incident, she has finally grown up. Now she is both civil and military, and this is Zhao

What a great blessing!"

Zhao Xuanji's eyes were full of smiles and he was very happy with his grandson's growth.

"When this kid comes back, I will give him a good lesson. When he turns sixteen, he will enter the golden four years of practice. Don't dare to be careless. During the autumn hunt in September, we must let him perform well in front of the civil and military officials of the dynasty, so that the family can
Chapter completed!