There was a muffled thunder from the sky. Wang Guang and Qin Liang in the courtyard were attracted by the sound and looked sideways one after another.
"It looks like it's going to rain heavily," Wang Guang said casually.
The climate in Huainan at this time generally would not start until the turn of summer and autumn when heavy rains would pour down and the river water would surge. But this was not a fixed time, and the water would rise in advance during the Battle of Shaopi.
Seeing that the sky was covered with dark clouds and the air was muggy, it really looked like it was going to rain heavily.
Qin Liang nodded in agreement, and as he walked to the gate tower, he said, "My cousin, Dian, has been defeated. I'm afraid he won't be able to stay in Shouchun for a long time. It's not easy to meet him now, so I'll go and have a few words with my cousin."
Wang Guang nodded and said, "Come over for lunch."
Qin Liang bowed and said, "See you later, uncle."
Wang Guang also stood still and returned the gift, and the two of them said goodbye for now.
Qin Liang walked out of the gatehouse and couldn't help but stretched out his hand to pull on the collar, but it was of no use. The weather was sultry and there was no wind at all. This time is the most uncomfortable. It's going to rain, but it won't rain, and it won't clear up either. It's boring.
The feeling can easily make people anxious.
It's like there's a knife hanging on my forehead, and I don't know when it will fall. It's better to get rid of this feeling as soon as possible.
Qin Liang went to Linghuyu's residence and saw that his second uncle Wang Feixiao was also here. The three of them greeted each other.
After a few words of greeting, Linghuyu frowned and said, "Even Her Royal Highness the Empress Dowager has been kidnapped. What on earth are the people of Luoyang going to do?"
Wang Feixiao asked calmly: "Who does my cousin think did it?"
Qin Liang did not say a word, but in his mind he remembered the voice of Queen Mother Guo the night before coming to Shouchun. He seemed to see Queen Mother Guo's face with her eyes closed, and her adopted sister Zhen next to her.
Linghuyu's Guozi face had a sneer on his face: "Who is not from Taifu's Mansion?"
Wang Feixiao's voice said: "Is it possible that he is from the General's Palace?"
Linghuyu shook his head and said: "That widow Zhen is an insider. Her surname is Zhen, but she was actually raised by the Guo family. Among the Guo family, Guo Li, Guo Zhi, and Zhen De, who are not from the Taifu Mansion?
Man? Only the Taifu Mansion can accomplish that."
Wang Feixiao nodded slightly: "It makes sense. But this matter is bizarre. If it hadn't already happened, it would be unbelievable."
The two quickly turned to look at Qin Liang, who was silent.
The last time he met Wang Feixiao in Shouchun, Qin Liang wanted to keep the secret discussion within the smallest circle. But now he has hidden Queen Mother Guo in his back house, and what he has done is already very serious. No matter what he says, he will be too cautious.
It loses its meaning.
So Qin Liang said: "Shall we go and talk to my grandfather?"
Wang Feixiao immediately nodded and said: "I also think we should discuss it with my father, but Zhong Ming warned me last time, so I didn't say more for now."
Linghuyu's expression changed: "What major matter are you discussing?"
Qin Liang glanced at his cousin: "I went to Luoyang to pick up your Majesty, and I stayed at my grandfather's place for one night. I happened to have a few more words with my second uncle. Will we talk to my grandfather later?"
Linghu Yu said: "That's fine."
Qin Liang cupped his hands and said: "Please ask my second uncle to go see my grandfather first, retreat to the left and right, and find a dense place. My servant and cousin will arrive soon."
After waiting for a while, Wang Feixiao left, returned to the courtyard, and called the two of them.
The place is in the attic of the house. As expected, the most suitable place for secret conversations is either in the basement or upstairs. There are no windows in one place, and there is nowhere to stand outside the window in another place. People can't hang in the air in broad daylight.
The stairs to the attic are made of wood, and they creak when you step on them. It is very obvious. Unless there are gongs and drums playing upstairs, people coming up will definitely hear it.
Qin Liang first opened each small room and inspected it carefully, and then went to a small room next to it to worship Wang Ling.
The elderly Wang Ling had good eyesight. Seeing Qin Liang's actions, he couldn't help but look outside again, and then looked at Qin Liang.
Qin Liang said: "It is a matter of life and death. Once exposed, there is only death and escape. Preventing leaks is the top priority. Please don't blame me."
Wang Ling nodded and said, "Zhong Ming is cautious in his actions."
Qin Liang added another sentence, "Grandpa, second uncle and cousin Mingjian, in ancient and modern times, there is no shortage of people who betray their masters for glory, and their confidants and cronies cannot be completely trusted. As long as they can make a profit or protect themselves after betraying their masters,
Then something might happen. At present, there are only four of us discussing it secretly. We are all relatives, and no one will be spared if it fails."
Wang Ling's expression also became tense, and he said in a deep voice: "Her Royal Highness the Queen Mother was kidnapped recently. Did Zhong Ming get any news?"
Qin Liang shook his head gently.
At this time, Wang Feixiao took the initiative and told Wang Ling and Linghuyu roughly what they had discussed last time.
After Wang Ling heard this, he immediately looked at Qin Liang and said, "Zhong Ming is not from a noble family, but he can explain the relationship between various families so clearly."
Qin Liang said: "Fortunately, when I served as an official in the General's Mansion and the School Affairs Mansion, I was able to see a large number of documents and memorials. From the huge and rich documents, many clues can always be sorted out."
Wang Ling nodded and said: "Zhong Ming's speculation is reasonable and well-founded."
Linghuyu was a little confused: "Sima will definitely take risks?"
Qin Liang still insisted on his opinion: "If there is no chance, with Sima's eyes, he may not act rashly. But now that the royal family is declining, the general's weakness and incompetence have been exposed to Sima's eyes, and Sima sees a rare opportunity.
No matter how unwilling you are to give up, there will definitely be a winner."
Linghuyu asked again: "Will the general lose?"
Qin Liang looked at Linghu Yu and said calmly: "It's easy for the general to win. He has the emperor's righteousness and the Chinese and foreign armies. He can just send troops to destroy the Sima clan with the imperial edict. But he doesn't want to win.
How do people win?
And we have no choice. We can't do anything without soldiers in Luoyang. Since the beginning, the Chinese and Foreign Army in Luoyang has been controlled by the General and the Sima family. They are in charge of the Chinese and Foreign Army. It is simply impossible for others to do anything in Luoyang.
.”
For a moment, Linghu Yu's expression was the most ugly. Because when Cao Shuang was unlucky, he was the first person to be roasted on the fire. He became the governor purely by flattering Cao Shuang.
Linghuyu thought for a while and said: "What Zhong Ming said is not unreasonable, but it is just speculation now. The matter has not reached that point yet, so maybe there is no need to worry?"
Qin Liang did not argue, but said softly: "For many things, you may only have one chance. If you miss one step, the next hundred steps will just lead to failure."
He paused for a moment and then said, "Opportunities are only for those who are prepared. If you don't prepare early, you will miss the fleeting opportunity."
Wang Ling, who has the highest status here, has not expressed his position yet and is still thinking about something.
Qin Liang continued to say calmly: "The Sima family's attitude towards the enemy can be seen from the pacification of Liaodong Gongsun Yuan. After the Sima family grasped the chance of victory, they refused without hesitation Gongsun Yuan sent hostages to pray for surrender. Wait.
After entering the city, the Sima clan not only exterminated Gongsun Yuan's entire clan, but even ignored the soldiers and civilians who laid down their weapons, killing all the men in the city who were taller than a wheel, and built a Jingguan.
His ruthless heart was fully exposed. But it was someone else who was killed at that time, so the princes didn't care. They were just afraid that if the incident happened to them, they would regret it.
Whether the Sima family launched a military attack and whether the general's palace was destroyed, we won't talk about these things for the time being. But if things come to the point where the Sima family has sole control of power, then the Sima family will definitely put the Wang family, the Linghu family, and the Qin family to death.
Then hurry up! Since you are still going to die in humiliation even if you lay down your weapons, why not just fight?"
Wang Ling finally said: "Without the Tiger Talisman, it will be difficult to mobilize all the garrison guards, and the available troops will be limited."
Linghu Yu said: "The King of Chu is in Yanzhou, why don't we make the King of Chu the emperor first, then we can mobilize our troops and horses in a legitimate manner."
Qin Liang glanced at Linghu Yu: "If we abolish the establishment before the enemy is eliminated, the princes from all over the world will think that we are too ambitious and will not be conducive to winning the support of governors and governors in various places. Therefore, the only reason to raise an army is to fight against the rebellion of King Qin. We
With the three armies as the core, after raising the troops publicly, we must try our best to win over allies, at least to make the governors of various places neutral and wait and see, to prevent us from falling into the unfavorable situation of being besieged from all sides."
Linghuyu was still thinking.
When Qin Liang saw this, he said: "Without the tiger talisman, we can still gather troops. There is always a way."
Wang Feixiao raised his hand to Wang Ling and said, "I agree with Zhong Ming's view."
Wang Ling was silent again. After a long time, he glanced at Wang Feixiao, then looked at the roof and sighed: "Sima Yi, I'm already in my seventies, so why bother pushing me so hard?"
Second uncle Wang Feixiao also sighed.
Wang Ling pondered for a moment and said, "Wait a little longer. Zhong Ming was right at the beginning. Don't tell anyone about this for the time being."