Chapter 373 The Crown Prince Chooses His Concubine
At this critical time, the Xue family asked Princess Chengyang and Concubine Xue Xian to serve Li Zhi day and night to win the emperor's heart, while at the same time soliciting reinforcements from all over to fight against the Wu family.
On this day, the heads of the three families gathered in the Xiao family's study room to discuss, and none of them had a smile on their faces.
In the past few days, they have become deeply aware of Empress Wu's methods. She did not immediately attack the officials of the three families, but slowly disintegrated and divided them from the outside.
Moreover, her method was quite mild. She was just transferred from her original position, and her rank was raised instead of lowered. The reason was also very sufficient.
It seemed that she had been preparing for this day so long ago that they were powerless to stop it.
This slow cooking method is the direct reason why the Jingzhao Du family and other Guanlong families cut off their relationship.
The Marquis of Hedong stood by the window, took a look at the situation outside the window, and said in a low voice: "It's really strange. Empress Wu suppressed the assassination matter and it was okay. Why did she suppress the matter of the princess's house that night?"
Xu Guogong took a sip of tea and hummed: "They don't have any evidence. If it really gets serious, His Majesty may not favor them."
The Marquis of Hedong was silent for a moment and said coldly: "Now that Your Majesty is still here, the Wu family may not attack us directly, but His Majesty's health is no longer good. Do we have to sit back and wait for death?"
Xu Guogong said: "What else can we do? We can't defeat Empress Wu in the court. After the last assassination, it will be difficult to assassinate her again."
Hedong Hou said: "The key to the problem lies with Wu Chengsi. Without him, Empress Wu would have died long ago!"
Xu Guogong was stunned and said: "You want to attack Wu Chengsi first?"
"Yes, getting rid of him first is equivalent to cutting off one of Queen Wu's arms, and then we can find a way to deal with Queen Wu."
Xu Guogong was silent for a moment and said coldly: "That's all we can do. Only by getting rid of their aunts and nephews before His Majesty dies can we have a way to survive."
The Marquis of Hedong turned to look at Song Guogong and said displeasedly: "Master Xiao, why don't you speak?"
Song Guogong said calmly: "There are Jinwu guards everywhere outside the door watching. Do you think we have a chance to kill Wu Chengsi?"
There was a cold light in Hedong Hou's eyes, and he said: "It depends on people, I believe we can always find a way!"
Song Guogong sighed and said: "It's up to you to think about this matter. I think the most urgent task is to find a way to win over three people and then accomplish one thing!"
"Which three people?" they both asked at the same time.
"The first is Xue Rengui. After Dugu De was transferred from the Jinwu Guard, our strength in the army is too weak. If something unexpected happens around us, no one will pass on the news and there will be no time to react."
Marquis Hedong touched his chin and nodded.
Xu Guogong said: "Xue Rengui was reduced to a civilian after all. Instead of wooing him, why not woo other generals?"
Song Guogong shook his head and said: "It is impossible to win over other high-quality generals in a short time. But Xue Rengui is different. He is in a difficult situation and has the best chance to win over. We can't let go of this opportunity!"
The Marquis of Hedong nodded and said, "I will visit him as soon as he returns to Chang'an."
Xu Guogong followed: "I will ask the two girls to find Xue Ne when I get back."
Song Guogong continued: "The second person is the prince. Now the only one who can fight against the Wu family is the prince! And after your majesty dies, the prince will be the emperor. Only he can protect us!"
The Marquis of Hedong said in a deep voice: "This is a bit difficult. We had no contact with the East Palace before, and now that we have suddenly taken refuge, it is difficult to gain trust. It is even less likely that he will break up with Empress Wu for us."
Xu Guogong followed: "The prince is cowardly. Even if he becomes emperor, he may not be able to protect us."
Song Guogong said: "No, with our help, the prince may not be able to defeat Empress Wu after he ascends the throne."
Hedong Hou frowned and said: "The question is how can we gain the prince's trust?"
Song Guogong said calmly: "Master Xue, didn't you say yesterday that His Majesty plans to choose two concubines for the Crown Prince?"
The Marquis of Hedong was stunned and said: "Yes, Your Highness the Concubine Xian said that the Crown Prince has no heirs, so Your Majesty is going to help him choose two concubines. In addition, Your Majesty is also going to help King Zhou select two concubines at the same time."
Xu Guogong understood his intention and said in surprise: "Brother Xiao, do you mean to run for the concubine of the East Palace? But we..."
I was about to say that none of the three families had girls of the same age, but then I thought about it, King Lu was already seriously ill.
As long as he dies, he can find a way to force Li Daosui to death, and his three daughters can regain their freedom.
Not only that, Xiao's daughter also just lost her husband. Although they are a few years older than the prince, they are not without opportunities.
Originally, it was taboo in the previous dynasty for a prince to take a widow as a concubine, but the former Emperor Taizong broke this taboo and took several widows as concubines in the harem, so this problem no longer existed.
Thinking of this, Wei Xuanzhen slapped the table and said: "With the beauty of my three daughters and niece Xiao, I might as well give it a try."
The Marquis of Hedong also nodded and said: "I will let the Concubine Xian and the Eldest Princess blow the wind in Your Majesty's ears first. There should be a high chance of this happening."
He then asked: "Mr. Xiao, who is the third person you are talking about?"
Song Guogong said slowly: "Murong Xuan of Princess Anhua Mansion!"
Both Xu Guogong and Hedong Hou were shocked.
Xu Guogong asked in confusion: "You ask us to win over such a person? What use can he have?"
Song Guogong said: "You may not think that this person is inconspicuous now, but I can say that within three years, this person will be rich and powerful!"
Xu Guogong opened his eyes wide, looking in disbelief.
The Marquis of Hedong frowned and thought for a while, then said: "This man is Prince Tuyuhun. Does Mr. Xiao think that Tuyuhun will restore his country?"
Song Guogong said slowly: "Now that Liaodong has been decided, the imperial court will launch a large-scale attack on Tubo sooner or later. Do you think the Tibetans can defeat our mighty army?"
Hedong Hou said: "Of course we can't defeat him, but the imperial treasury is empty, so I'm afraid we don't have the money to start a war."
Song Guogong said word by word: "So we still need to do one thing!"
Hedong Hou guessed something and his face changed slightly: "What's the matter?"
"Let's go to His Majesty and tell him about the empty treasury, and then each of us will give half of the money to the treasury!"
Xu Guogong lost his voice and said: "Why is this? Are you crazy?"
Hedong Hou said "Hey" and said: "Mr. Xiao, is this what you just said you would do?"
Song Guogong said solemnly: "Yes, this matter is not to support the imperial court in fighting the war, but the best way to resolve our crisis!"
Xu Guogong was sullen and silent, asking for half of his wealth would be even more uncomfortable than killing him.
The Marquis of Hedong raised his thick eyebrows and said, "Please tell me your reasons!"
Song Guogong said coldly: "Do you really think that Queen Wu is unwilling to tell Your Majesty that we stole the treasury because there is no evidence?"
The face of Hedong Hou changed again, and Xu Guogong was stunned.
Song Guogong said solemnly: "Let's not deceive ourselves and others. Gu Feng's testimony is reasonable. Didn't you find that the scholars believed him after listening to it?"
"His Majesty has always been wise, and he can naturally judge the authenticity. At this time, the evidence is no longer important."
The Marquis of Hedong asked with cold sweat dripping down his forehead, "Then why didn't they tell His Majesty?"
Duke Guo of Song was silent for a while and sighed: "It must be that Empress Wu was afraid that His Majesty wouldn't be able to bear the excitement, so she didn't want to tell him about this."
Marquis Hedong stretched out his hand and wiped some cold sweat on his forehead. He felt as if a knife was hanging on his head and could fall at any time.
"Then what should we do?" Xu Guogong shouted.
Song Guogong said solemnly: "At this time, we must take the initiative. We will take the initiative to report the empty treasury, and then implicitly point out that the matter is related to the Wu family."
Duke Xu Guogong was silent.
The Marquis of Hedong said gruffly: "Your Majesty has always believed in Empress Wu. I'm afraid that we might be self-defeating and force Empress Wu to tell the truth!"
Song Guogong said: "So we must donate money to increase His Majesty's trust in us. When Empress Wu says that we have stolen the treasury, he will definitely not believe it."
Xu Guogong was silent for a while and whispered: "How about donating one-fifth? If you offer too much, I'm afraid it will arouse suspicion."
Song Guogong glared and said: "Do you think His Majesty is so easily fooled? Wu Chengsi already knows your background, and he will definitely point it out when the confrontation comes."
"We know that the national treasury is empty and we have so much money, but we only contribute one-fifth of our wealth. What will His Majesty think of us when he finds out? This is self-defeating!"
Xu Guogong remained silent. One-fifth was already his limit, and any more would cost him his life.
The Marquis of Hedong did not say anything. He felt that this matter was too risky, and he still wanted to cover up the affairs of the treasury if possible.
Song Guogong sighed and shook his head silently.
Hedong Hou thought silently for a long time, then changed the subject and said: "Master Xiao, let's first talk about why he wants to win over the Murong family."
Xu Guogong agreed: "Yes, even if the imperial court defeats the Tubo people, it is impossible for Tuyuhun to recover. Is it necessary for the Murong family to win over them?"
Song Guogong said slowly: "Yes, the imperial court will not allow Tuyuhun to return to the country, but after taking back the Tuyuhun land, it will definitely set up a protective palace there."
"I have met Murong Xuan. He is smart and courageous. Moreover, the Murong family still has great influence in Tuyuhun. The imperial court is likely to let him serve as the guardian."
"So what? What influence can a protector have?" Xu Guogong disagreed.
Marquis Hedong's eyes flashed and he said with a smile: "Master Xiao, do you want to leave an extra escape route?"
Xu Guogong was stunned for a long time, and finally realized.
The battle in the court is so dangerous. If the three families fail, they will face the situation of fleeing.
Although the Tang State was large, there were not many places where they could hide their names.
Tuyuhun is geographically remote. Even if it is conquered by the imperial court, it will be difficult for the imperial court's influence to penetrate quickly. It is an excellent place to hide.
Now he is making great efforts to make friends with the Murong family. When the time comes to flee to Tuyuhun, he may come forward to protect them.
This kind of thing that can provide a way out for the future without paying a lot of money is naturally a great deal.
The Marquis of Hedong said in a deep voice: "Leave this matter to me."
Song Guogong nodded. Although he also had a son, he was far inferior to Xue Shao. It was indeed more appropriate to let the Xue family be responsible.
He did not mention the donation of money again, and the Marquis of Hedong and Duke Xu naturally did not mention it either.
Next, the three of them discussed the details of several matters for a while, and then ended the meeting.
After returning home, the Marquis of Hedong summoned Xue Shao and told him to befriend Murong Xuan no matter the cost.
Xue Shao ordered people to collect Murong Xuan's information and information. After reading it carefully, he went to visit Princess Anhua's mansion in the evening of that day.
When he arrived at the princess residence, he was told that Murong Xuan had an appointment with someone to drink in Li Garden, so he went to Li Garden again.
Second floor of Liyuan.
In a private room, Murong Xuan stood up, raised his glass and said: "Brother Zhuge, Murong Xuan has been busy for many years, running around and getting nothing. It was not until he met Brother Zhuge that he could have a taste of what he wanted. I'd like to toast you."
Zhuge Nan smiled and said, "This is not just my fault. Her Royal Highness happened to be around at that time. She also praised you, and then His Royal Highness the King of Zhou agreed to transfer you to Zuowu Guard."
Murong Xuan said slowly: "Murong naturally remembers the kindness of Her Royal Highness the Princess, but if Brother Zhuge hadn't spoken in front of King Zhou, how could I have entered Zuowu Guard."
Zhuge Nan no longer refused and accepted his drink.
After sitting down, he sighed: "Actually, I envy you very much. If possible, I would rather trade this young minister's official position for your general."
"Since Brother Zhuge is determined to join the army, why don't you tell His Highness the King of Zhou? Given how much he thinks of you, he will probably give you the title of Zhonglang General."
Zhuge Nan snorted and said, "I'm not my adoptive father. He insists on me staying in Dali Temple, and he also says that I'm not a soldier. I'm really looking down on you."
Murong Xuan touched his nose. It was not easy for him to discuss this kind of thing, so he changed the subject and said, "By the way, Brother Zhuge, I heard that someone assassinated Her Royal Highness the Queen at Da Ci'en Temple three days ago. Is this possible?"
Zhuge Nan's face darkened and he said: "It was the Tubo lamas who did it. Qianniuwei has gone out of the city to catch them, but those bald men seem to have disappeared. It has been several days and they have not been captured yet."
Murong Xuan had long heard that it was the Tubo people who had done it. When Zhuge Nan confirmed it, he was secretly happy and said with a cold face:
"This group of Tubo people are cunning and cunning, and they will play some destructive tricks. When we come to the battlefield in the future, I will definitely kill a few more Tubo dogs to vent my anger on Her Majesty the Queen."
Zhugenan ate the food silently and did not answer any words.
Murong Xuan couldn't bear it anymore and said again: "Brother Zhuge, if such a big thing happened, wouldn't there be any ministers in the court who would propose retaliation against the Tubo Kingdom?"
Zhuge Nan said dullly: "Yes, there is, but Her Royal Highness the Queen has no intention of doing it now, so she dismissed it."
"Why?" Murong Xuan asked in surprise.
Zhugenan sighed: "I heard that Your Majesty has been awake all night due to headaches these past few days, and can only sleep for a short while during the day. How can Her Majesty the Queen have any other things to worry about?"
Murong Xuan secretly cried out that it was a pity, and thought to himself: "It is estimated that the emperor will not live for a few days. Then the queen will definitely think of this matter again, and maybe she will use troops against the Tubo people in advance."
The two drank a few more glasses of wine. Murong Xuan remembered something again and said, "Brother Zhuge, I heard someone said that Princess Chengyang led people to break into Princess Taiping's mansion a few days ago. Do you know about this?"
Zhuge Nan glanced at him and said warily: "Not many people know about this. Where did you hear it?"
Murong Xuan said: "I heard what the young master of the Su family said when I went to visit Duke Xing's mansion."
Zhuge Nan nodded: "There is such a thing, but His Highness is not allowed to discuss it, so don't make blind inquiries in the future."
Murong Xuan thought to himself: "The two princesses have always been on good terms, so why would they go to war? And if such a big thing happened, why didn't His Highness the King of Zhou let people discuss it?"
Zhuge Nan was silent for a while and then said: "But I still want to remind you of something."
"Brother Zhuge, please tell me."
Zhuge Nan said solemnly: "You'd better keep a distance from Duke Xu's mansion, Duke Duke's mansion of Song, and Hedong Hou's mansion in the future."
Murong Xuan thought again: "Princess Chengyang has a close relationship with the Hedong Marquis Mansion. It seems that Princess Taiping and Princess Chengyang did have a conflict, but why does this matter also involve the Xu Guogong Palace and Song Guogong Palace?"
"I understand." He nodded in agreement.
The two of them finished their meal and said goodbye outside the Li Garden.
On the way back home, Murong Xuan suddenly heard someone calling him. He turned around and saw a young man riding a horse.
After dismounting, the man cupped his hands and said, "Xue Shao, Brother Murong is polite."
When Murong Xuan heard that his surname was Xue, he raised his eyebrows and said, "Aren't you from the Hedong Marquis Mansion?"
Xue Shao was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said: "I am indeed from the Hedong Marquis Mansion, and Hedong Marquis is my uncle."
Murong Xuan's face turned cold and he said: "Our Princess Anhua Mansion has no contact with your Hedong Marquis Mansion. Do you have anything to do with me?"
Xue Shao said hurriedly: "That's it. In the next two days, Princess Chengyang's Mansion will hold a literary and wine party. Her Royal Highness the Princess hopes to invite young talents from Chang'an City, so I'm here to invite Brother Murong."
Murong Xuan secretly sneered. Over the years, Princess Chengyang had never invited him once. Now that he had just joined the Zuo Wu Army, she immediately came to please her.
Moreover, Zhugenan's warning just now was still ringing in his ears. He refused decisively and said, "I'm sorry, I've been busy recently and have no time to attend the reception. Please help me apologize to Her Highness the Princess."
Without waiting for Xue Shao to answer, he turned around and left.
When we returned to the Princess Mansion, it was already Xu hour. As soon as Murong Xuan entered the lobby, Murong Zhong entered through the corner door with a smile on his face.
"Brother, tell me why the news about Chang'an City spread so quickly. You just became Zuo Wuwei Lang General yesterday. Today, several groups of people came to see you, and some people left gifts and left directly."
Murong Xuan frowned and said, "Has anyone from Song Guogong's Mansion, Xu Guogong's Mansion, or Hedong Marquis Mansion ever come?"
Murong Zhong was startled and said: "It's true. Xue Xianzi from the Hedong Marquis Mansion came here and said he came to see you."
"He didn't leave a gift, did he?"
"no, what happened?"
Murong Zhong felt slightly uneasy when he saw his younger brother's serious face.
Murong Xuan said in a deep voice: "Don't get involved with those three families in the future, and don't accept gifts from them."
"Why?"
"It was Zhuge Nan who reminded me that he is a close confidant of the Wu family. Since he said that, it is likely that these three families have offended His Royal Highness the King of Zhou."
Murong Zhong nodded and said: "I understand, I will explain it carefully to the servants in the mansion."
After a pause, he sighed: "Zhuge Shaoqing is young, but he is very righteous. Not only did he help you speak to King Zhou so quickly, he even reminded you of such small things."
Murong Xuan understood his elder brother's thoughts and said with a smile: "I will introduce you to him after a while, brother, don't worry."
Murong Zhong touched the earrings and said with a smile: "I really want to get to know such a person as soon as possible. Okay, you go and say hello to your mother."
Murong Xuan responded and was about to go to the back house when a servant suddenly came to report that Zhang Jianzhi, a doctor in the Ministry of War, asked to see him.
Murong Zhong said excitedly: "Brother, is this Zhang Jianzhi also a member of His Royal Highness King Zhou?"
Murong Xuan nodded.
"This shows that His Highness King Zhou should value you very much, otherwise his people would not come to curry favor with you!"
Murong Xuan frowned and said: "Brother, this Zhang Jianzhi is not an ordinary person. You go and tell your mother. I will meet this Doctor Zhang first, and I will pay my respects to my mother later."