King Pei suddenly had a dagger in his hand, pointed it at his throat, and said loudly: "You are all not allowed to come here!"
"Li Xian, you...what are you going to do?" Li Zhi was shocked and angry.
King Pei sneered and said: "Father, are you afraid that if I tell you, it will affect the royal family's reputation? It's really ridiculous. If you really care about the royal family's reputation, why would you let a woman preside over the government?"
"Presumptuous!" Wu Mei shouted coldly.
Hearing Wu Mei's scolding, King Pei tensed up subconsciously, then relaxed again and sneered:
"Your Highness the Queen, your methods are indeed powerful. I admit that I cannot defeat your aunt and nephew. After my death, Li Hong, a loser, is no match for you. It seems that Li Tang's great empire will fall into the hands of your Wu family sooner or later.
Got it!"
Wu Mei was silent for a while and said calmly: "Li Xian, you always use your own assumptions to convict others, and you do everything you can to get the throne. After the conspiracy was exposed, you not only did not want to repent, but you came to accuse us. You
Don’t you think you’re ridiculous?”
Li Xian was startled for a moment, then looked around and found that all the officials were looking at him with strange eyes.
Looking at Li Zhi again, he had closed his eyes, as if he didn't want to look at him anymore.
With a "clang", Li Xian's dagger fell to the ground. He already understood that no matter what he said, no one would take his words seriously anymore.
King Pei, King Han and King Yue were all taken away by the guards. Li Zhi and Wu Mei returned to Qianlong Hall, and the officials and lords also returned to their respective residences.
Because of King Pei's farce, Li Zhi's condition worsened again.
When Wu Chengsi went to see Wu Mei several times, he never saw Wu Mei. He only knew that she stayed by Li Zhi's side to serve him.
King Pei, King Han and King Yue were all placed under house arrest. Among King Pei's party members, Zhang Da'an, Zhang Qianxu and Zheng Rentai, who had the highest official positions, were all removed from their official positions.
The Prince Pei's party, which had not yet been affected, also fell into disarray, or defected to the prince's party, and the rest actually went to Wu Chengsi, wanting to be loyal to the Wu family.
Wu Chengsi handed over the task of dealing with these wallflowers to brothers Wu Youji and Wu Youxu, while he stayed with Li Zhiying.
The couple had spent less time together and more separation since they got married. Now that the big event has come to an end, Wu Chengsi just wants to spend more time with his wife.
That night, Wu Chengsi was doing indescribable things with Li Zhiying in his dormitory.
The bodyguard suddenly came to report, and the emperor summoned him.
Wu Chengsi suppressed the irritability in his heart, put on some clothes, and went all the way to Qianlong Hall.
I don't know if it was because of the night, but this palace gave Wu Chengsi an eerie feeling. The guards outside the palace were also wearing black tiger head armor that Wu Chengsi had never seen before.
Feeling uneasy, Wu Chengsi entered the dormitory. Looking around, he found that the dormitory was empty. Not only could he not see anyone, he could not even hear any sound.
Lamps were lit in every corner, but for such a large room, the number of candles was too few to illuminate the room.
After all, Wu Chengsi had been on the battlefield. Although the environment in front of him was a bit spooky, it did not scare him.
He strode to the innermost chamber with his head held high, and finally saw Li Zhi.
The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was sitting on the edge of the bed. His face was thin and his eyes were dull. Compared with a few days ago, he seemed to be more than ten years older.
"Your Majesty, Wu Chengsi, pays homage to His Majesty." Wu Chengsi performed a salute.
Li Zhi sat there quietly, staring at Wu Chengsi motionless.
Wu Chengsi also remained motionless in the posture of paying homage. After an unknown amount of time, Li Zhi's weak voice finally rang out.
"Get flat."
Wu Chengsi then stood up, lowered his head, and did not look at Li Zhi. For some reason, Li Zhi now made him a little afraid.
"Chengsi, do you know what I have been doing these days?"
Wu Chengsi replied: "I don't know."
Li Zhi coughed twice and said slowly: "Did you know? I have a secret archive, which contains the files of officials of the third rank and above of the imperial court. The records in this archive are much more detailed than those of the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
Wu Chengsi was shocked and thought: "This archive must have been established by bad people with the help of Li Zhi, but why did Li Zhi suddenly tell him this?"
Li Zhi continued: "In the past few days, I have been checking your files. From the time you led the troops into Liaodong to the time you went to Jianghuai, your experience in the past year and a half really makes me envious!"
Wu Chengsi felt very frightened. Li Zhi was so weird today.
"Chengsi, do you want to be emperor?"
Wu Chengsi was horrified and fell to his knees in a hurry, saying, "Why did your Majesty say this?"
Li Zhi smiled and said, "Don't be afraid, I'm just talking."
He sighed and said: "I know that everyone in the world is envious of the feeling of being an emperor. They feel that as long as you become an emperor, you will have the power of life and death. No one dares to oppose you. There is nothing better than this."
It’s even more wonderful.”
Wu Chengsi was silent for a while and said: "The more power you have, the heavier the responsibility you bear. I know that it is not easy for your Majesty."
Li Zhi nodded and said loudly: "Well said, you are indeed different from ordinary people."
Although Wu Chengsi was praised by Li Zhi, he was not happy at all. Until now, he still didn't understand what Li Zhi wanted to do with him.
Li Zhi suddenly sighed and said: "As you said, being an emperor is far from as good as it looks. In addition, I have been tortured by illness for many years. This emperor is not fun at all in my hands."
Wu Chengsi listened quietly. If he could talk about this kind of topic without interrupting, it would be better not to interrupt.
Li Zhi smiled bitterly and said: "You should have noticed that my body has deteriorated very seriously. I'm afraid I won't live long. But even if I am prepared to die, I cannot let go of my responsibility to the world."
Wu Chengsi said in a deep voice: "No matter what your Majesty has to say, I will do my best to share your Majesty's worries."
Li Zhiding looked at Wu Chengsi and said, "Do you know what I am most worried about?"
Wu Chengsi thought for a while and asked tentatively: "Are you worried about the prince?"
"You are only half right." Li Zhi said with a sad look on his face: "I am worried about both the prince and the queen."
Wu Chengsi's heart trembled, it seemed that Li Zhi had noticed Wu Mei's ambition.
Li Zhi's eyes suddenly became extremely sharp and said: "Wu Chengsi, I want you to promise me something."
"Your Majesty, please speak."
Li Zhi said word by word: "After I die, I want you to assist the prince and check and balance the queen. If the queen dares to be rebellious, I want you to kill your relatives and kill the rebels! Are you willing to agree to me?"
Wu Chengsi was startled and said: "You, you want me to deal with my aunt?"
Li Zhi shouted angrily: "You won't agree?"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Cold sweat broke out on Wu Chengsi's forehead.
Li Zhi said coldly: "The prince is weak. After my death, he will never be able to suppress the queen's ambition. Dictatorship by relatives has always only led to the collapse of the imperial court."
Wu Chengsi secretly thought: "It seems that Li Zhi thought that Wu Zetian would follow Lu Pheasant's example and ignore the emperor."
Alas, how could he expect that his wife would be the first to kick the emperor off the throne and sit on it himself?
Seeing that Wu Chengsi had not expressed his position, Li Zhi said coldly: "Wu Chengsi, I value your military and political talents and your integrity, so I entrust you with a heavy responsibility. You will not refuse me, right?"
Wu Chengsi saw murderous intent looming in Li Zhi's eyes. It seemed that as long as he dared to refuse, a row of swordsmen would immediately rush out and chop him into pieces.
However, he still refused.
"Your Majesty, my aunt has shown me the favor of rebirth, but I really cannot agree to it."
Li Zhi smiled coldly, raised a wine glass and threw it on the ground. Immediately, a row of armored black-armored tiger-headed soldiers rushed in and surrounded Wu Chengsi.
"Do you think you can leave here alive after rejecting me?" Li Zhi said coldly.
Wu Chengsi held his head high, closed his eyes, and said: "You want me to die, but I have to die, so do it!"
Li Zhi stared at Wu Chengsi with his mouth open, as if he was about to issue an order to take action at any moment.
I don't know how long it took, but Li Zhi suddenly waved his hand and said, "Get back."
When Wu Chengsi opened his eyes again, he saw Li Zhi looking at him with a smile on his face.
Wu Chengsi's heart was pounding and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had already guessed that this was Li Zhi's test, he still felt like he was walking on a tightrope, with one string stretched tightly.
"Your Majesty, what are you..."
Li Zhi smiled and said: "Chengsi, no wonder Mei Niang trusts you so much. You have lived up to her trust."
"I'm no longer as trusting as I was before." Wu Chengsi muttered in his heart and said, "Your Majesty, I still don't quite understand."
Li Zhi was silent for a long time this time, and then said: "Chengsi, what I just said is true. What I worry about the most is the prince and the queen, so I hope you can assist the prince and check and balance the queen in the future."
He immediately changed the topic and said: "But I don't want the queen to be harmed, so I hope you can check her and not hurt her."
Wu Chengsi finally understood that Li Zhi was worried that Wu Mei would imitate Lu Fei and ignore the emperor, and he was also worried that Wu Mei would lose her power and be sentenced to death by the prince.
This coincides with Wu Chengsi's thoughts. Just now, the reason why Wu Chengsi felt that Li Zhi was testing him was because Li Zhi's reason for choosing him was too far-fetched.
There are countless talented people in the imperial court. If it was really just to deal with Wu Mei, how could he choose himself, a descendant of the Wu family.
Then there is only one reason, and that is because he is a child of the Wu family, so Li Zhi chose him, all to protect Wu Meiniang.
It has to be said that Li Zhi really took great pains in making this arrangement in order to protect his beloved without abandoning his responsibility as emperor.
So the question now is, should I agree?
"Your Majesty, even if I want to check and balance my aunt, I'm afraid I'm not strong enough." Wu Chengsi said with a bitter smile.
Li Zhi waved his hand and said: "This is easy. As long as you agree to me, I will let you have the power to check and balance the queen as soon as possible."
Wu Chengsi's heart skipped a few beats, but his face remained completely calm. He remained silent for a while and said, "Your Majesty, I can promise you this, but I have one request."
"Just say it."
Wu Chengsi muttered: "I am just a military general and not good at fighting in the court. I think the best way is to use the army to intimidate my aunt, so that I can try to avoid fighting with her in the court and avoid getting out of hand.
"
Li Zhi pondered for a long time and said: "What you said makes sense. It is best to avoid conflicts. But the prince cannot be without help. Liu Rengui is old. After he dies, the prince may still be sidelined."
Wu Chengsi said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly. If the prince wants to truly grow up, he must experience something himself and cannot rely entirely on others."
Li Zhi raised his head and looked at Wu Chengsi in surprise. He was stunned for a while and said slowly: "Chengsi, I finally understand why you can repeatedly solve major cases. Your knowledge is indeed different from ordinary people."
After a while, Li Zhi sighed: "You are right. Some things may not be effective no matter how carefully they are arranged. Let the prince experience it himself."
Wu Chengsi had completely transformed himself into the role of the loyal soul of the Tang Dynasty. Seeing that Li Zhi had not mentioned the prince's body, he naturally had to ask.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince is not in good health after all. If...if he also...what should I do?"
Li Zhi's eyes flickered, sighed, and said: "Chengsi, which one do you think is more suitable to be the crown prince, the King of Ying or the King of Yin?"
Wu Chengsi said solemnly: "I am a military general. I will assist whomever your Majesty asks me to assist."
Li Zhi nodded and said: "Okay, you don't need to worry about this matter for now. If the prince really dies of illness in the future, someone will come to you with my will. Then you can just act in accordance with the will."
"I obey the decree!"
Li Zhi suddenly clapped his hands, and a black-armored sergeant entered the dormitory. Li Zhi handed over a black jade plaque and said, "Chengsi, take this and follow him."
Wu Chengsi took the jade plaque and saw that the pattern on it was very strange, with circles within circles, like the eyes of reincarnation.
He didn't ask any questions and followed the man in black armor to a side hall. This palace was even darker and gloomier than Li Zhi's bedroom.
When Wu Chengsi was about to ask questions, the man in black armor who brought him had already turned around and left.
At this moment, a bright light suddenly shone in the hall, and a man in black wearing a wolf mask was seen, holding a candle, standing quietly in the corner.
Seeing the jade plaque held by Wu Chengsi in his right hand, the wolf-faced man slowly walked over, knelt on one knee and said: "Lieutenant Yang Xuan of the Second Battalion of Bad Guys, pay your respects to the commander."
Wu Chengsi was shocked and said: "Are you Yang Xuan? Yang Xuan, the bad deputy commander of King Han?"
"Yes, my subordinate's official position is that of a bad person's captain. According to the rules of a bad person, we only need to take orders from those who hold the "Black Stone Jade Card"." Yang Xuan replied.
Wu Chengsi understood, and Li Zhi took back King Han's "Black Stone Jade Tablet" and put the power of this bad guy into his own hands.
"Young Master Yang, I'll ask you for your advice in the future." Wu Chengsi said softly.
Yang Xuan stood up and said, "I wonder if Your Highness can ask your subordinates to check the black stone jade tablet."
Wu Chengsi handed over the jade plaque.
After Yang Xuanzai looked at it carefully, he returned the jade token and said, "The jade token is correct. I will always follow His Highness from now on. If Your Highness has orders, you can give me orders at any time."
Wu Chengsi said slowly: "Well, I have something for you to do now."
"Your Highness, please give me your instructions."
"Do you know where Miss Luo is being held?"
"In a stronghold of Huofeng Society." Yang Xuan answered without hesitation.
Wu Chengsi nodded and said: "Very good, you go rescue her immediately, and then go to the Navy Commander's Mansion to cooperate with the army to exterminate all members of the Fire Phoenix Society. You can go with this seal."
With that said, Wu Chengsi handed over a badge titled "Prince of Changping County".
Yang Xuan said: "Your Highness, if you want to destroy the Fire Phoenix Society, your subordinates can do it without resorting to the power of the Governor's Office."
"But there will be casualties, right?" Wu Chengsi asked.
Yang Xuan was stunned for a moment and said: "Your Highness, none of my men are afraid of death."
Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "I know your subordinates are all excellent, but since I have become your superior officer, I must be responsible for your lives. Do as I say."
Yang Xuan hesitated for a moment and finally took the token.
…
After leaving Qianlong Hall, Wu Chengsi discovered that his vest was soaked through.
As the saying goes, opportunities and dangers coexist, and this is true. If anything goes wrong today, he may not be able to get out of this palace.
However, he finally passed this level and not only gained Li Zhi's trust, but also gained a powerful force.
However, Wu Chengsi knew very well that even though he had passed this level, there was still another level waiting in front of him. Although it would not be so dangerous, he must not be careless in the slightest.
As expected, shortly after leaving Qianlong Palace, people from the Wu Mei Sect came looking for him.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Queen, please come over." Shangguan Wan'er came to Wu Chengsi with several maids.
Wu Chengsi looked at her for a while, and seeing that she lowered her head without any other expression, he nodded and said, "I understand."
Wu Mei's bedroom was smaller than Li Zhi's, and equally empty. However, compared with the darkness over Li Zhi's side, it was brightly illuminated by candlelight.
Wu Mei was sitting on the bed. Unlike Li Zhi, whose eyes were dull and slightly stooped, she sat upright with a solemn look on her face.
"My nephew pays homage to my aunt." Wu Chengsi did not dare to look at her and bowed to salute.
Wu Mei pointed to a chair beside her and said with a smile: "Sit down."
Wu Chengsi sat down as instructed.
"Chengsi, what did your Majesty ask you for just now?" Wu Mei asked in an understatement.
Wu Chengsi was silent for a moment and replied: "Your Majesty asked me to assist the prince in the future."
Wu Mei stared at Wu Chengsi closely with her phoenix eyes, and said slowly: "Taiping should have told you about my thoughts, right?"
"Yes, she has already told her nephew." Wu Chengsi said calmly.
Wu Mei was silent for a long time and said softly: "Chengsi, although I had some conflicts with your father in the past, I have not treated you badly over the years, right?"
Wu Chengsi stood up and said, "My aunt is as kind as a mountain to my nephew, and my nephew will never forget her."
Wu Mei's eyes were stern and she said word by word: "Then you will stand on my side, right?"
Wu Chengsi's eyes were glaring and he said: "Aunt, this is a matter of course, why do you need to ask more."
Wu Mei looked at Wu Chengsi quietly, then suddenly smiled and said: "Good boy, my aunt finally did not misjudge the person."
After a pause, she continued: "Chengsi, I am a woman after all. No woman has ever been an emperor since ancient times. Do you really think I can do it?"
Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "Aunt, before the First Emperor, the world had never been truly unified."
Wu Mei listened with a smile and didn't say much. Wu Chengsi understood that a suspicious person like her would never trust others so easily and would not be able to pass this question without digging some holes.
After a pause, he continued: "To be honest, there is another important reason why my nephew supports you."
"Oh? What's the reason?" Wu Mei's eyebrows flashed.
"Since you took charge of the government affairs, the world has been peaceful and prosperous, and the country has been prosperous. My nephew thinks that you are more suitable to be the emperor than the prince!"
Wu Mei stood up quickly, looked at Wu Chengsi closely, and said, "Do you really think so?"
"Yes." Wu Chengsi's eyes were calm.
Wu Mei's expression became softer and softer, and the smile on her face became stronger and stronger. She suddenly clapped her hands and said, "Here comes someone!"
A female official came in, it was Xie Yaohuan whom Wu Chengsi had not seen for a long time.
"Put away my bottle of sapphire dew. I want to have a drink with my nephew."