Chapter 19: Lu Zhi, a cup of wine to release military power
Imperial Palace, Ganquan Palace, the residence of the Emperor and Empress Lu.
Han Nianxin got off the sedan chair outside the palace and straightened his clothes before quickly walking into the Changqiu Hall where Empress Lu was discussing matters.
Empress Lu and the Han Emperor were a couple in need. They had already gotten married when the Han Emperor was still serving as the pavilion chief in Wujiang. The honor and disgrace over the years made the Han Emperor designate her as his empress after proclaiming the emperor, and it was not like
The other emperors had only ten wives and concubines in their three palaces and six courtyards. Empress Lu personally selected these for him in order to maintain the dignity of the Han Emperor.
The scenery inside the Changqiu Hall is excellent. This place was originally the Afang Palace where the former Qin Emperor Bai Rixuan had sex. Later, it was burned down by King Xiang. Therefore, the geomantic omen of the place is very good. After the Han Emperor entered Xianyang, he rebuilt the Changqiu Hall as the empress' palace.
Mansion.
The Changqiu Palace was so quiet that you could hear a needle drop. A few servants were pruning the bonsai in the courtyard. As soon as Han Nianxin walked into the palace, an old man who looked like a steward walked up to him and greeted him with a smile: "Quick, King Qi."
Please come inside. The slaves from the north often plunder the northern land. The emperor and the empress are so worried about this that they have no sleep for several days. I hope that the King of Qi can relieve the empress and her worries."
King Xin of Qi's feet paused for a moment. It has been a rule since ancient times that the harem should not interfere with government affairs. Could it be that Lu wanted to interfere in government affairs?
He suddenly remembered the words of the mysterious man, and an unspeakable throbbing surged in his heart. Emperor Han had promised him three no-kills: no killing in the presence of heaven, no killing on the ground, and no killing in sight of iron. No one in this world can live within the rules.
Kill him.
"Liu Ji and I are sworn brothers, not to mention that after the unification of the world, I kept a low profile and lived in seclusion. It can be regarded as my success and retirement." Han Nian thought with confidence, and couldn't help secretly saying that he was too preoccupied.
Walking into the palace, a middle-aged woman with a phoenix crown and a beautiful robe came face to face. She had an ordinary appearance, was thin and small, and carried the aura of a superior person that was hard to look at. She was three points more powerful than the Han Emperor!
This person was Lu Zhi, the empress of the Han Dynasty.
"Brother, please invite me soon. My sister has prepared a table of delicacies and has been waiting for a long time." Lu Zhi opened up the atmosphere while chatting and laughing, setting the nature of the meeting as a gathering of brother and sister, and the atmosphere suddenly became relaxed and harmonious.
Han Nianxin, Liu Ji, Lu Zhi and others were all close friends in times of adversity. They made friends at a young age and had a very good relationship with each other along the way.
There was a long table in the middle of the hall. Its size was as high as when he was crowned king and prime minister. He couldn't help but feel a shudder in his heart, but he sat down at Lu Zhi's greeting. There were four female waitresses serving in the hall, two of whom were standing in front of him.
Behind him, he was diligently serving tea and pouring water.
The two started to get started, and Lu Zhi took the initiative to pick up some food for Han Nianxin. The two chatted while eating. Even after they had finished drinking and eating, Lu Zhi still didn't show any sign of getting down to business. Han Nianxin took the initiative to ask, "Are the empress worried about the slaves?"
Since the Spring and Autumn Period, the northern slaves have been a thorn in the side of the Chinese nation. The highly mobile ranger cavalry often plundered the north. Even after the unification, even the First Emperor only built the Great Wall to resist. It is almost impossible to eliminate them.
Lu Zhi said leisurely: "Since the beginning of the Shang Dynasty, five dynasties have changed. The world was stable for only a few hundred years before it fell apart and started wars, causing the people to suffer and the lives of all people to be devastated. Do you know why?"
Han Nianxin said: "The world is divided and combined, and the disease lies in the princes, which leads to the division of power in the court. If the power is concentrated in the hands of the Han Emperor, the world will naturally be peaceful."
"Originally, the First Emperor did a good job, but unfortunately he used too much force. He built the Great Wall in the north, suppressed the barbarians in the west, searched for elixirs in the east, and abolished the vassal system at once, which led to the rebellion of the vassals..."
The Emperor couldn't help but feel admiration when Han Nianxin talked about it. The First Emperor had left an edict: Even if the eighteen princes rebelled and marched to Xianyang, they could not recall Zhao Tuo's army, King Qin, who was stationed in the west to resist the barbarians.
When the First Emperor was here, he was so powerful that all the princes bowed their heads and proclaimed themselves ministers.
But there are also regrets that the First Emperor suddenly died inexplicably, and the eighteen princes took advantage of the situation to rise up, and finally the Chu-Han War broke out.
Hearing this, Lu Zhi nodded and quite agreed with King Qi's statement, praising him for what he said well.
Han Nianxin said again: "As the leader of all ministers, I have been granted the title of King of Qi. I should set an example for all ministers. I am willing to disband my armor and return to the fields and live in seclusion in the mountains and forests."
After Han Nianxin finished speaking, he put down his jade chopsticks, took off his crown and put it on the table. Lu Zhi sighed and said: "Brother is already a soldier, let my sister fulfill your loyalty!"
Han Nianxin thought that Empress Lu agreed with what he did, but the next moment his vision went dark and his head suffered several heavy blows. The pain was excruciating. He screamed a few times and then quickly lost consciousness and lost his breath.
The two maids who were standing behind Han Nianxin just now suddenly covered his head with a black cloth bag and hit him hard with a wooden stick. Han Nianxin died in the Changqiu Palace of the Empress.
Lu Zhi walked up to Han Nianxin, who was lying on the ground, with a slightly sad look in his eyes. He stretched out his hand to pull away the black bag on his head, and said quietly: "The only real prince of the Han Dynasty is my brother. The others can still be shaken with strong methods."
, But my brother is a world-famous soldier. If you don’t die, the Emperor of Han will not be able to sleep."
Lu Zhi's eyes fell on the maid in the palace and ordered: "Slice his cheeks and throw them into a mass grave."
She has already found a dead man who looks exactly like Han Nianxin to take the position of King Qi. Even raising a loser is more reassuring than having Han Nianxin alive.
The two waitresses drew their swords from their waists and scratched Han Nianxin's face. Soon, Han Nianxin was completely unrecognizable, his flesh and blood were blurred, and his true identity could not be identified at all. The two waitresses lifted him and quietly threw him in a mass grave on the outskirts of the city.
As soon as the two women left, a figure in black slowly appeared in the mass grave. It was the mysterious man wearing a mask. He raised his right hand slightly and pointed his index finger. A golden talisman appeared behind Han Nianxin and burned rapidly until it disappeared. Han Nianxin let out a breath.
, there are signs of life.
"Another gold talisman for life is wasted." The mysterious man bent down and fed Han Nianxin a pill filled with green light.
Immediately afterwards, the wound on Han Nianxin's cheek quickly scabbed over, and hideous scars crisscrossed the area, completely disfiguring him.
"Wei'er." The mysterious man called softly, and the air suddenly fluctuated. A girl in purple appeared in front of him. The girl smiled and said: "Young master, you called me again, I am so happy!"
"Throw him on the official road outside Hanshuang Town at three o'clock tomorrow, and then wait for me at the foot of Mount Tai." The mysterious man rubbed the girl's head and smiled softly.
"Can I stay with the young master for a long time?" The girl's eyes showed hope.
"I will stay in the mortal world for a long time. You, Qi'er and the others should stay with me. I have worked hard for you in the past few years!" the mysterious man said.
The girl jumped up excitedly, changing her usual innocent and beautiful image.
The mysterious man sighed faintly: "Gui Guzi, my second brother has been through this calamity recently. I hope he can survive it smoothly."
In the Changqiu Hall of the Imperial Palace, a figure walked out from behind the screen. It was Emperor Liu Ji of the Han Dynasty. His face was gloomy and painful. Lu Zhi comforted him and said: "Your Majesty is doing this for the sake of peace in the world. There is no need to feel sad."
A few days later, the Han Emperor held a banquet in honor of the high-ranking generals and local military envoys. After drinking to his heart's content, Liu Ji seemed a little drunk and said quietly: "You are all the founding fathers of the country. You have held important positions for a long time and have heavy affairs on weekdays. This
It goes against my original intention of treating elders favorably."
A senior general received instructions from the Han Emperor in advance and spoke up: "Now that the world is at peace, we are old and weak. Please allow us to retire and return home."
The expressions of the others suddenly changed, and they all rushed to tell their past achievements. Liu Ji dropped his wine glass heavily on the table, and said coldly: "What's worth talking about in the past? Who has the ability to kill the slaves! Who is willing to go?
?”
As soon as he finished speaking, no one responded. Liu Ji swept across the field coldly and walked away.
The next day, Liu Ji dismissed them from their official positions and took back their military power, leaving them in the capital to hold important positions without real power.
In the Yangxin Hall, Liu Ji stopped and looked into the distance, his eyes deep, not knowing what he was thinking.