Chapter 245 You have no choice in this transaction (Part 1)
Midsummer nights always come late, it's already the end of the unitary hour, but the sky is still not completely dark, and there is a bit of misty light rippling in the sky, but the brightness is extremely low, not enough for lighting.
, it was almost time to turn on the lamps, the lights in Prince Manying's Mansion came on one after another, but the study room where Li Xian was was still dark - it wasn't that the servants were lazy and didn't turn on the lamps, but that Li Xian refused.
People are diligent, sitting alone in the darkness, silently deducing various changes in the situation, and at the same time waiting for someone, waiting for the arrival of Prince Li Hong!
The prince will definitely come. Li Xian is absolutely sure of this. As for when he will arrive, it is hard to say. However, even if the prince does not come today, Li Xian is not very worried, because now he has the initiative.
, Li Xian is not afraid that the prince will not submit. At worst, there is nothing wrong with killing the prince severely when the matter comes to a head. Of course, when that time comes, the price offered will be much higher than it is now.
Several times, in Li Xian's opinion, the prince's shrewd temperament would not fail to see this, so there is no doubt that the prince will come today!
"Your Highness, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."
Just as Li Xian was deep in thought, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded in the darkness. As soon as Li Xian heard it, he knew it was Gao Miao. He immediately raised his head and saw Gao Miao flashing out from behind the screen.
, rushed to Li Xian in a few steps, bowed, and reported the report with a trembling voice.
"Well, I won't go to meet him alone, just bring him here."
Without asking, Li Xian knew that the prince would be sneaking in plain clothes when he arrived at this time, and he did not want to mobilize an army to greet him, so he casually gave the order without any hesitation.
"Yes, slave, I obey."
Gao Miao had received Li Xian's secret order early in the morning and was squatting at the gate waiting for the arrival of the prince. He just didn't understand how Li Xian had calculated this point, but he didn't dare to ask any questions. At this time, he heard Li Xian's order.
, not daring to be negligent, he hurriedly responded and hurried to the door of the mansion.
"But the seventh brother?"
Not long after Gao Miao left, Li Hong walked into the study slowly and saw a majestic figure sitting in the dimness. However, he couldn't see his face clearly and doubts arose in his heart, so he hesitated and asked.
road.
"That's my brother. Since the prince brother is here, please sit down."
As soon as Li Hong finished speaking, Li Xian, who was sitting upright, stood up, chuckled, and extended an invitation.
"Why didn't Seventh Brother light the lamp? Is it because he was short of gas money?"
Li Hong heard Li Xian's voice and couldn't help but feel relieved. He walked up to him without any reservation, flicked his sleeves, sat down opposite Li Xian, and joked with a smile.
"Dark things should be done in darkness. Don't you understand, brother Prince?"
Li Xian turned away from his usual courtesy when dealing with Li Hong, and replied without any mercy. He immediately pushed Li Hong against the wall, his face a little embarrassed. Fortunately, it was extremely dim at this time, so he couldn't stand it.
There is no risk of appearing ugly.
"Oh? Hahaha..., the seventh brother is really unreasonable and unforgiving, I have learned a lesson from him."
Li Hong obviously didn't expect that Li Xian would make such clear remarks when they first met. He couldn't help but was stunned, and then he laughed loudly, using laughter to cover up his embarrassment.
"Brother Prince is too modest. Isn't that why you came here in casual clothes?"
Li Xian Shen Yun's negotiation skills were not intended to give the prince a chance to breathe a sigh of relief. He was relentless and acrimonious to the end, making it clear that he wanted to take advantage of Li Hong.
"Haha, okay, cool! Now that seventh brother has said this, it would be hypocritical for me to deny it. Yes, brother Wei is here to have a good discussion with seventh brother. After all, it is a matter of mutual benefit. You
There is nothing wrong with my brothers each taking what he needs."
After all, Li Hong was not an ordinary person. He didn't want to be overpowered by Li Xian even before the negotiation started, so he laughed and put on a show of speaking openly.
"This is the best. Is it what the prince brother needs? Hey, I have no shortage of it here. It's not difficult to replace it. It just depends on whether the prince brother is willing to part with it."
Li Hong smiled happily, but Li Xian still looked serious, with no intention of dancing with Li Hong, and replied aggressively.
"Whether you want to give it up or not is just a matter of the price. Since Seventh Brother said this, you have to put some chips on the table. If not, how should you choose to be called a brother?"
Since Li Hong dared to come here in plain clothes, he was certainly prepared to be slaughtered. He was mentally prepared for Li Xian's aggressiveness, and did not lose his balance due to this, so he answered calmly.
"Chips? It's easy to say. My brother's bargaining chip is that I can get whatever the prince wants. Is this a bargain that the prince is satisfied with?" Li Xian smiled confidently and gave a clear answer.
"Oh? Seventh brother, is this true? As far as brother Wei knows, the mother only gave him a five-day deadline. This matter must be ridiculous. If things go wrong, the consequences will be serious!" Li Hong is obviously not as good as Li Xian.
Optimistic, in fact, when he came this time, Li Hong did not come with the idea of a complete victory. He just wanted to stabilize the pressure on Empress Wu and temporarily gain some advantages in public opinion, so as to lay a foundation for the next general offensive.
It's just a good foundation. When I heard Li Xian say so definitely, I couldn't help but be stunned, glanced at Li Xian suspiciously, and hurriedly asked.
"Queen mother? Haha, if we really do what the queen wants, can the prince brother be able to bear it? Since my brother dares to give a bid, I am sure of it. It depends on whether the prince brother dares to bet." Li
He smiled coldly and mocked Li Hong mercilessly.
"Okay, since the seventh brother dares to gamble, why not dare to be a brother? The worst he can do is to sacrifice himself. After all, what do you want to do for your brother?" Upon hearing the vague mention of Empress Wu's promise in Li Xian's words,
Li Hong's heart tightened, his face changed a few times, he gritted his teeth, put on a decisive look, and answered proudly.
"I don't want much. With this turmoil, there will be many people resigning in the court. It is necessary to choose some capable people to fill their posts. I think Luzhou Sima Weiwei can be appointed as Minister of Justice; Jiangzhou Sima Liu Chi can be appointed as Shizhong
; Lin Qi, the magistrate of Qinghe County, should be appointed as the Young Minister of Dali Temple... King Luo Bin, the imperial censor, is upright and dares to admonish, so it seems that there is nothing wrong with being appointed as the central minister of the imperial censor; Di Renjie, the chief minister of Dali Temple, is like a god in solving cases, and it is more than enough to be the young minister of Dali Temple. It seems that he is such a virtuous and talented person.
He should be a man of great use, I wonder if the prince brother thinks so?" Since it was an offer, Li Xian was not at all polite, he opened his mouth and rattled off a series of names, which made Li Hong's eyes widen.
I'm crazy about gold stars.
"Seventh brother is really good at planning. What if I can't do it?"
The price offered by Li Xian was really too high. Not only did he bring back all the Lu Wang Party members who had been driven out of the court by Li Hong with all his efforts last year, but they also all got promotions, including Li Xian himself.
The power of the promoted officials, King Lu and King Ying, could instantly expand to the point where they could influence the affairs of the court, and this was obviously not a result that Li Hong was happy to see.
"Can't do it? Hey, this is a deal, you have no choice!"
Li Xian sneered and responded extremely arrogantly.
"you……"
Li Xian's words were really too unpleasant to hear. Even though Li Hong was calm by nature, he couldn't hold back his energy. He straightened up suddenly and opened his mouth to curse in anger. However, when the words reached his lips, he stopped dejectedly.
, just because what Li Xian said is the truth, at this moment, he, Li Hong, really doesn't have much choice - if he doesn't agree to Li Xian's request, what if Li Xian secretly does something to trick him, Li Hong, completely?
, if he is overthrown by Empress Wu, the matter will be very serious. It is hard to say whether he can keep his position as the prince.
"There is another thing. The competition in the spring of next year is about to take place. I think this is a matter of social and national affairs, and a capable person should be appointed as the chief examiner. My sixth brother has quite a lot of experience in rectifying academic affairs, so I will appoint him as the chief examiner. It is a popular choice. Come to think of it.
The prince brother won't object, right?"
Li Xian ignored Li Hong's anger at all and continued speaking on his own.
"Huh..." Li Hong was trembling with anger at Li Xian's attitude, but his life was now in Li Xian's hands, and he couldn't get angry even if he was angry. After being silent for a long time, he raised his head and let out a sigh of relief, and said in a deep voice:
"I remember what my seventh brother said. It's just that things have priorities. After all, we can't do it in a hurry. We have to think about it first."
"Brother Prince is wise. The appointment and dismissal of officials can be carried out after things have slowed down a bit, but the matter of Dabi cannot be delayed. At the next morning court, I hope that Brother Prince can recommend this matter first. As for other matters?
, Prince brother, please rest assured, I know what I have in mind." Li Xian was not polite at all when he proposed the conditions. He extended his hand when it was time to reach out, but he did not make the matter a desperate matter and gave the prince a buffer.
"In that case, please let me think about it for you, brother. Can we decide on another day?"
Li Hong was determined to defeat Empress Wu and his party in one fell swoop, but he did not want to face the situation of driving away tigers through the front door and entering wolves through the back door. He was not willing to easily agree to Li Xian's big talk, so he replied in a deep voice.
road.
"That's true. Brother Prince, please leave. My brother, I won't send you off."
Li Xian showed a very high attitude, as if he was convinced of Li Hong. He seemed not to care about the outcome of Li Hong's choice at all, and issued the order to expel the guest with great indifference.
"Aren't seventh brothers afraid of getting fat because of brother's broken promises?"
Li Hong was really angry at Li Xian's attitude, so he gritted his teeth and said a cruel word in a dark voice.
"The prince brother has this freedom, and the younger brother naturally also has the freedom to choose."
Li Xian rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders indifferently, and said a straightforward sentence. The reason is very simple. Even if Empress Wu and her party are defeated this time, as long as Empress Wu is still there, there will still be a chance to make a comeback.
, and this time may not be very long. If the prince breaks his promise at this time, no one will dare to help him when the next big conflict breaks out. Not only will they not help, but they will even add insult to injury. This consequence is not something Li Hong can bear.
Started.
"Okay, very good, hey, seventh brother will stay and say goodbye to me."
Seeing that he couldn't stimulate Li Xian's nerves, Li Hong didn't want to waste any more words. He smiled sinisterly, stood up, flicked his sleeves, and walked out...