I frowned slightly and looked at the battle report in front of me. This was the news from King Yong's intelligence network. The official military report would not arrive for a few days.
"On July 16th, the King of Qi patrolled the border to Zhenzhou, and the Northern Han army knocked on the pass. The King of Qi led the army to fight, and won the first battle. On the 21st of July, General Feihu Shi Ying's troops arrived, but the King of Qi could not hold on.
Shi Ying's troops retreated, and the king went out to attack the enemy, but was ambushed by the ghost-faced general Tan Ji and was defeated. On July 26, Shi Ying knocked on the pass, and Wang showed weakness, luring some of the enemy troops into the city and gathering to annihilate them. August
On the third day, the two armies fought at the city gate. Ling Yu from Fengyi Gate disguised himself as an enemy general's guard and assassinated Tan Ji. Tan Ji was seriously injured and the Northern Han Dynasty was defeated. On August 14, it was confirmed that the Northern Han Dynasty had withdrawn its troops, and the King of Qi wrote a letter reporting victory.
."
I put down the information and said worriedly: "I didn't expect His Highness Prince Qi to stabilize the border so quickly. It seems that he will be back soon."
King Yong and Shi Ziyou, who had just returned to Chang'an yesterday, looked at each other. Shi Yu said, "Your Highness can ask King Qi not to return to the capital for the time being. Why is Sui Yun so worried?"
I sighed: "King Qi calmed down the border situation so quickly. Fengyimen spent a lot of thought. Assassinating a general in the army is such a dangerous thing. Now the two countries are hostile. It is not like the previous struggle for hegemony in the Central Plains. As long as the general dies,
Most of the soldiers have surrendered, and the officers of both armies are willing to die. If the general is injured, he must attack desperately. Even if this disciple of Fengyi Sect can escape, he will probably escape death. Fengyi Sect urgently needs King Qi to come back and participate in the mutiny."
Shi Yu frowned and said, "Sui Yun is saying that if His Highness prevents King Qi from coming back, they will take desperate measures."
I smiled bitterly and said, "That's all if they take the risk. The problem is that they are afraid that they will suspect that the emperor has not made up his mind to depose the prince. There is one thing that both of us know. Although the King of Qi is the prince's lover, if it were not for the emperor's intention,
, King Qi will not be stubborn about the prince. King Qi, in a sense, is even more of a loyal minister. This is also one of the reasons why the emperor went to Huangling this time with King Qi to escort him. Although King Qi did not have any respect for us
It’s more convenient, but if we get the emperor’s, then King Qi won’t cause us much trouble, so if we resolutely prevent King Qi from returning to the capital, Master Fengyi will never think of this matter.”
King Yong frowned deeply and said, "I estimate that within a few days, King Qi will ride back to the capital. If we cannot stop him, the situation in the capital will be out of control, and the military will suffer heavy losses."
"
I picked up another piece of paper and said, "One more thing. Ye Tianxiu reported to His Highness Prince Qing that he was safe through His Highness's channels, but His Highness Prince Qing was furious and had already sent some of his subordinates to the capital."
King Yong sighed and said: "It's really troublesome. King Qing is always so impulsive. If he hadn't been so impulsive in the first place, how could he have been relegated to Dongchuan?"
I smiled lightly and said, "From my perspective, Prince Qing is a smart man. If he stays in the capital, Fengyi Sect will be in trouble everywhere. It would be better to fly far away and guard the princes."
King Yong and Shi Yu looked at each other, showing a hint of embarrassment and apology. My heart moved and I said, "But there is something that Zhe doesn't understand."
King Yong glanced at Shi Yu, who smiled bitterly and said: "There is one thing that Your Highness and I have long suspected. King Qing's martial arts are somewhat similar to those of the Demon Sect."
I was shocked and said, "Could it be the Demon Sect of the Northern Han Dynasty?"
King Yong replied: "In fact, the Demon Sect is not a whole. It is said that when Jing Wuji left the Central Plains, many Demon Sect disciples left the Demon Sect and stayed in the Central Plains. They are good at hiding, and we don't want to force the Demon Sect too much to avoid anger.
Jing Wuji.”
I smiled lightly and said, "This may be the reason why the Emperor and His Highness dare not trust Prince Qing."
King Yong smiled bitterly and said: "That's right. I'm not sure how far he can go for revenge."
I asked doubtfully: "If that's the case, Dongchuan is an important place. Aren't the Emperor and His Highness worried?"
King Yong smiled slightly and said: "If King Qing doesn't want to rebel, he can do whatever he wants in Dongchuan, but if he does have rebellion..."
King Yong smiled and said nothing, and I was wise enough not to ask any more questions. It seemed that there was someone monitoring and controlling King Qing. This was probably a secret that few people in the royal family knew, but the problem still existed. I asked: "Your Highness
Can we dissuade Prince Qing from coming to Beijing?"
King Yong thought for a while and said: "I will write a letter and ask Gou Lian to stop him. He must have a way to persuade King Qing not to come to Beijing."
I sighed: "It's a pity that King Qi is not so easy to dismiss."
A few days later, at the suggestion of the prince and some ministers, King Qi was ordered to return to Beijing to report on his duties. This was already expected, so King Yong did not stop him. However, His Highness King Yong had already made up his mind, even if Fengyi was aroused.
The sect leader's suspicion also prevents King Qi from entering the capital. I am already planning an assassination in my mind. In this way, King Qi will be temporarily unable to intervene in the battle for the crown prince. Even if there are some suspicions, it is still unreasonable. It is better than letting King Qi's army and Yong Yong.
The king's army went to war much better.
While King Yong and Shi Yu and I were discussing how to arrange the assassination, a guard came in and reported: "Your Highness, King Qi has sent a secret envoy to ask for an audience with Your Highness." We were all stunned when we heard this. How could King Qi send a secret envoy?
Anyway, King Qi’s envoy had to meet him, so King Yong met him in the study room, with Shi Yu and me standing on both sides.
After a moment, a brave guard of King Qi came in. After receiving the greeting, he handed over a letter. King Yong looked at it and his expression changed, and he handed the letter to me. When I saw it, it was King Qi who invited His Highness King Yong to come to the palace in August.
On the second day, there was a secret meeting at a Buddhist temple a hundred miles away from Chang'an. King Yong said calmly: "Please tell King Qi that I will definitely attend the meeting."
After the messenger left, Shi Yu said hesitantly: "His Royal Highness King Qi's behavior is so unusual. Do you really want to go?"
King Yong said: "If there is an opportunity to make my sixth brother change his stance, it would be worthwhile for me to take some risks."
But I waved my folding fan and said: "Your Highness, Prince Qi is not a person who retreats when difficulties arise. I'm afraid he won't change his position, but this is a good opportunity. If the Crown Prince's people know that His Highness and Prince Qi have a private meeting, then they will
If we don’t dare to completely trust King Qi, then at least it can reduce our pressure.”
King Yong hesitated for a moment and said: "This tactic of alienation is useful, but I'm worried that my sixth brother will harbor a grudge against me."
I smiled and said, "The King of Qi is originally against His Highness, so it doesn't matter if he has more hatred. However, the Crown Prince and the King of Qi already have a rift. This is a good way to benefit oneself at the expense of others."
King Yong was moved and said: "But the news must be spread secretly to the prince."
I smiled faintly and said: "With the ability of Fengyi Sect, as long as His Highness deliberately pretends to be very cautious, someone will definitely be watching. Then we can let them see it from a distance, because we can't know what happened.
Naturally, I thought of the worst."
King Yong smiled lightly and said: "If we can keep the sixth brother out of the matter, then everything will be worth it. The sixth brother is a general."
On September 2nd, at dusk, King Yong left Chang'an in a light carriage. In addition to more than a hundred guards who had gone out of the city to meet up, there were also Xiao Shunzi and I. I insisted on accompanying because I was really curious about King Qi's intention, and
Responding to emergencies also requires my decision-making. As for Xiao Shunzi, without his protection, how could I safely travel such a long distance? In this case, except for the personal action of Fengyi Sect Master, I believe safety can be ensured.
The meeting place designated by King Qi was a very desolate ruined temple. There was no one to host it. It was already dawn when we arrived. King Qi’s guards had already taken care of the place. The surrounding area was heavily guarded, but there were no people there.
The man was dressed in casual clothes, and nothing attracted any attention except for a carriage parked next to the temple.
After King Yong's guards arrived, they quickly set up a defense line. The hostile confrontation between the two sides just formed a balance of power, and the place was completely surrounded. I glanced at Xiao Shunzi, and he stood up knowingly and could block the small temple.
All of them were in front of my eyes, so that no one could intrude into the position where I could see the scene in the temple. I followed King Yong into the small temple. In the clean and spotless temple, the dilapidated
In front of the Buddha statue, a man in brocade clothes stood with his hands behind his back, proudly looking up at the Buddha statue. I stopped in my tracks. The current King of Qi was different from what I had seen before. Four years ago, the first time we met in Nanchu,
He is the domineering Prince of Dayong, full of murderous aura, which makes people avoid him. The second time we met, he was poisoned and dying, but he showed his generous side. The third time we met in Yongdu, he was full of enthusiasm.
If I hadn't been a little moved, how could I have prepared to use him to escape. In the following days, I fought fiercely with the prince in Prince Yong's Mansion. Although King Qi was on the prince's side, he was suppressed and could not return to the army.
, even though he is arrogant and domineering, it is hard to escape from a bit of frustration. The previous domineering attitude gradually faded. When we saw him today, perhaps it was the baptism of the border war. His Royal Highness, the King of Qi, who was already in his thirties, also had a kind of reserved and graceful domineering attitude, which was somewhat similar to
King Yong at that time.
I was thinking wildly here, but King Yong had already stepped forward and said, "Sixth brother, I'm here. What do you want to say to me?"
Li Xian slowly turned around, with a faint smile on his face and said: "Second brother is already ready to shoot, right?"
Li Zhi looked stern and said nothing.
Li Xian turned his back and said: "Who wouldn't want this ninth-five position? Now that the eldest brother has committed his own sins and is now suspicious, it seems that the throne will be yours sooner or later, the second brother."
Li Zhi said slowly: "If you are willing to obey me sincerely, I will treat you as before."
"In the past?" Li Xian laughed and said, "In the past, I admired you when I was a boy and entered the army. Without the guidance of my second brother, I'm afraid I wouldn't have lived for a few days. But I always wanted to get rid of my second brother's shadow, so I
I did not follow my second brother closely, but became the King of Qi today. But my second brother, I may be dissolute or stupid, but I am not a person who courted Qin and Mu Chu. Since I protected the prince, I will not betray him even if I die.
"
Li Zhi couldn't suppress his anger and said: "If the eldest brother conspires to rebel, will you follow him and do whatever he wants?"
Li Xian looked stunned, then suddenly said: "So, second brother, you want to force the eldest brother to rebel, so that you can legitimately become the crown prince."
Li Zhi sighed and said: "Sixth brother, you have always been very smart, and I admire you very much, but why don't you want to cover up a little bit? Now that the arrow is on the string, I'm afraid I won't be able to let you enter the capital."
King Qi smiled faintly and said: "Second brother, don't worry, I'm not a fool. I know the current situation very well. I won't stop you from doing what you want to do, and I won't tell the eldest brother. But unless the eldest brother really wants to cause trouble, I will
I won't betray him. If the second brother doesn't believe me, there is a person in the carriage outside. When the second brother sees him, he will believe that I won't tell anything about what happened today."
King Yong's expression changed, and he glanced at me. I backed out without saying a word, walked to the front of the carriage, opened the curtain, and saw two people sitting and sleeping in the carriage. The one sitting there was a fifty-year-old man.
The middle-aged man, who was many years old, had a respectful expression, and lying there was a handsome young man with a slightly dark complexion. Although he was sleeping, he looked uneasy. The middle-aged man whispered: "This is my young master.
Jiang Haitao." I was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm going to Jiang Zhe."
The middle-aged man said happily: "You are Mr. Jiang. General Fang brought back your medicine. My young master's injury has been much more stable."
I comforted myself and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Your Highness, King Yong, is still inside waiting to report back. Please wait a moment."
Back in the temple, I glanced at King Qi with admiration, walked into King Yong and whispered, "He is the son of Lord Jiang." King Yong's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Li Xian in surprise. Li Xian looked cold and arrogant, but
Without saying a word, King Yong's expression softened and he said: "Do you know that since you have intervened in this matter, you have the handle in my hands. I will just pay back if this matter spreads. Prince and Fengyi
The door will not let you go."
Li Xian said coldly: "I don't care what they think. This kid calls me cousin. If I just sit back and watch, it would be too ruthless. I don't know if my second brother has the guts to take over this matter."
King Yong suddenly gave a slight salute and said: "Sixth brother, your chivalrous heart is worthy of me. Don't worry, since this child has arrived in Chang'an, I will definitely do my best."
Li Xian turned around and said, "Okay, you can take him away. After he recovers from his poisonous injuries, if it is inconvenient for you to send him back, just come and tell me."
Li Zhi took a deep look at King Qi and said, "Are you really unwilling to change your mind? Do you know that once the overall situation is decided, you and I will meet in life or death."
Li Xian smiled slightly, his smile full of sarcasm, and said coldly: "Thank you, second brother, for your kindness. I voted for you. Do you really trust me?"
King Yong was speechless and speechless. He really wanted to say that he could trust King Qi, but when he thought about how King Qi had been against him many times over the years, and when he thought about Princess Qin Zheng, he finally said weakly: "I believe that my sixth brother will find a way to express his feelings."
My own sincerity.”
Li Xian turned sideways and whispered: "Although Zheng'er has her faults, she will always be my wife and the mother of my children. Li Xian is not talented, and he cannot kill his wife to gain wealth."
Li Zhi sighed deeply and said, "Then you, Sixth Brother, take care of yourself." After saying that, he turned around and walked out of the temple. I glanced at King Qi and saluted, "In the past, I only thought that Your Highness was generous, but today I know that you dare to do so."
Therefore, I ask Your Highness to be careful in the future. The Crown Prince is fatuous and the Fengyi Sect is ambitious. Why should Your Highness be buried for them?"
Li Xian glanced at me and said calmly: "Sui Yun's talent is unparalleled in the world. If I had killed him cruelly back then, I'm afraid I wouldn't have ended up like today."
Hearing this, I felt a little sad. Just listening to these words, I knew that this arrogant prince had given up the opportunity to control his destiny and was willing to die in this bloody battle for the inheritance. But I was powerless. At this time,
No matter what kind of person King Qi is, King Yong and I will never let go. If we hadn't met today to drive a wedge between King Qi and the prince, I would never have let King Qi return to Chang'an.
He said goodbye and left, and got on the carriage. King Yong's face was as cold as frost. The carriage started, but he didn't say anything. After a long time, he said calmly: "It's a pity, King Qi."
I knew in my heart that Li Zhi had murderous intentions, but I could also hear the deep regret in his tone, which was not present when we discussed the assassination a few days ago, so I said: "Don't worry, Your Highness, it seems that King Qi will not
Since the prince has rebelled, at least His Highness doesn’t have to worry about King Qi’s army launching an attack.”
King Yong shook his head and said: "I'm not afraid of ten thousand, I'm just afraid of the worst. If I can't control Lao Liu for sure, I can't rest assured. Is there anything Sui Yun can do?"
I had thousands of thoughts running through my mind, and finally shook my head with regret and said, "Unless I kill King Qi, I have no way to control him."
King Yong sighed softly and stopped talking. Then I added: "Unless King Qi is temporarily seriously ill, an army without King Qi's personal command is like a pack of wolves without a leader."
King Yong's expression changed and he said: "Take a look first, but you have to be prepared. You can't sharpen your guns before the battle."
I smiled slightly and said, "I wonder what the Fengyi Sect would think?"
After King Yong's chariot drove away, the leader of King Qi's guards came in and reported: "Your Highness, it's time for us to leave. If this matter is known to the prince, I'm afraid the prince will be suspicious."
Li Xian nodded and said, "I can't care less about that. I have fulfilled my duty as a minister and brother. If the prince becomes suspicious, there is nothing I can do."
The guard suddenly said: "Your Highness, I dare not question your Highness's decision, but is that person really worthy of your loyalty?"
King Qi looked cold and said, "This is not what you should say."
The guard looked frightened, but his stubborn eyes did not change at all. Li Xian glanced at him and sighed: "The prince's true nature has been revealed, and I am also very disappointed. But now I am already riding a tiger and can't get off. Even if he is ruthless, I can't."
Wuyi, no matter what, without the support of the prince in the past, I would never have achieved what I have today."
Not long after King Qi's chariot set off, a woman in commoner clothes stood up on a small hill not far away. Although she was wearing a Jingchai cloth skirt, she was very bright and beautiful. She looked at King Qi's figure coldly.
A smile, but even though it was such a cold smile, it looked so moving on her face that was as bright and dazzling as the rising sun.