When the imperial doctor came over, Xiao Shaozong's face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and even his breathing was extremely weak.
Longtai ordered people to bring ginseng soup, but it was unable to relieve Xiao Shaozong's recovery. After the imperial doctor came, Longtai immediately asked the imperial doctor to diagnose the illness in front of the emperor. Naturally, the imperial doctor did not dare to neglect, and went over to carefully check Xiao Shaozong's pulse. After a while, Beads of sweat appeared on the imperial doctor's forehead.
"How is the situation?" Longtai asked in a deep voice.
The imperial doctor knelt on the ground and said in a trembling voice: "Reporting to Your Majesty, I checked the prince's pulse before. At that time, the pulse was already very confused. The blood...the blood was not flowing smoothly, and now...!" He hesitated to speak, but did not dare. Go on.
"How are you now?"
The imperial doctor immediately said: "The prince's pulse is extremely weak right now. It seems that all the internal organs have been damaged. When I look at the prince's complexion and eyes, he also... his energy is weak...!"
"Is there any way to cure it?"
Cold sweat broke out on the forehead of the imperial doctor, but he did not dare to raise his arm to wipe it. He could only say: "I can only discuss it with everyone in the imperial hospital, but... But the prince's body is indeed...!" He raised his head slightly and saw Long Tai staring coldly. I didn't dare to delay, so I hurriedly said: "The prince's body is already like a light that is about to go out. I'm afraid... I'm afraid it won't last long."
"A loser." Longtai shouted angrily: "Get out of here and go to the imperial doctor again."
Xiao Shaozong waved his hands and sighed: "Your Majesty, there is no need to embarrass them." He waved to the imperial doctor to retreat. The imperial doctor bent over and left in embarrassment. Xiao Shaozong then said: "Your Majesty, I won't live long. In fact... this is not a bad idea. Not a good thing.”
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Longtai's face was serious.
Xiao Shaozong smiled bitterly and said: "There are things I shouldn't say, but I don't know if I can see you again tomorrow like this. For many years, my father has been thought to be plotting to usurp the throne. Even I, Xiao Shaozong, and others You will feel that you have evil intentions. If I were alive, I am afraid that someone would use this matter to disrupt the imperial court. In this case, if I were gone, these troubles would not happen."
Longtai said in a deep voice: "I have never thought about it this way."
"Your Majesty has been with me since childhood and knows that I will not have such intentions. However, there are many people with ulterior motives in the world, so how do you know what they think?" Xiao Shaozong smiled and said: "Your Majesty, my great fortune was hard won. My ancestors came here after a bloody battle, and I have thought about assisting the emperor to pacify the world, but unfortunately... the great cause of unifying the world has to be borne by the emperor." He looked at Qining and said: "Duke Protector, the emperor has high hopes for you. Your Jinyi Qi family is also the pillar family of my great Chu family, and I hope you can assist the emperor in completing his great cause!"
Qi Ning cupped his hands and said, "Assisting the Emperor is your duty, and you should do your best. Your son, you don't have to think too much. If you rest more, you will definitely recover."
Xiao Shaozong stood up, but he was obviously very weak and seemed to be unsteady. He smiled and said: "It won't get better. It's a day as long as you can live. Your Majesty, please don't blame me for saying a word. Eradication of Sima Lan, even though it is for The imperial court was trying to get rid of the traitor, but Sima Lan designed to kill his father. I can be regarded as avenging my father and fulfilling my duty as a son of man." He saluted Longtai and said feebly: "Please retire first!"
Longtai immediately ordered people to send Xiao Shaozong away.
After Xiao Shaozong left, Qi Ning said: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince seems to be really...!"
"I know." Long Tai sighed softly: "If it weren't for him this time, I might not be able to get rid of Sima Lan."
"Is the prince planning this layout?"
Long Tai nodded slightly: "This matter is not trivial. I can't discuss it with you, so I can only discuss it with him. In fact, I asked you to come here today because I wanted to discuss the Northern Expedition. Sima Lan was in charge of everything in the Northern Expedition before. He is dead. , but this matter cannot be put aside, but...!" He sighed: "How can I bear to let him continue to work like this?"
Qi Ning hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, does Lord Yiguo know about this plan?"
"Duke Yiguo?" Long Tai was startled, shook his head and said, "Of course I didn't let him know, why do you ask like that?"
When the imperial doctor was treating Xiao Shaozong, Qi Ning had been thinking about whether Tantai Huang was also involved in the plan. That night, he met Tantai Huang, and Tantai Huang told Qi Ning the most secret strategic plan of Da Chu. , Qi Ning was still wondering at the time. After all, Sima Lan was in charge of everything in the Northern Expedition. Even if he knew the plan, it was impossible to implement the military plan mentioned by Tantai Huang because of Tantai Huang's constraints.
Tantaihuang seemed to have ignored Sima Lan's existence at the time, and Qi Ning did not mention it at the time. But looking back now, Tantaihuang seemed to have foreseen Sima Lan's downfall.
"When I last met Duke Yi, he gave his instructions to me." Qi Ning whispered: "The purpose of the Northern Expedition is not the Northern Han Dynasty, but... the Eastern Qi!"
Longtai showed no signs of surprise and nodded: "Since Duke Yiguo has told you, I can tell you directly. Before we started preparing for the Northern Expedition, Duke Yiguo gave me a secret. In fact, Duke Yiguo is in the east. When the Qi delegation sent their relatives over, they began to make plans. Although there was civil strife in the Northern Han Dynasty, we were still not completely sure about sending our troops north. According to Duke Yiguo's estimation, if there was enough money and food and Beitang Qing had passed away, then we would have The chance of winning is 60%, but even if we have enough money and food, as long as Bei Tangqing is alive, our chance of winning is less than 50%, or even...!"
He did not continue speaking, but his eyebrows were locked together.
"Although we have made preparations and confiscated a lot of property from the East China Sea and put it into storage, we are far from being able to say that we have sufficient money and food." Qi Ning also looked solemn: "The Northern Expedition at this time is not small."
Longtai said: "Yes, neither the Northern Han Dynasty nor Da Chu can withstand a defeat. If the Northern Expedition is really carried out, it will be a big gamble. The stakes are the world. I can't take risks easily." After thinking about it, he said : "If I want to make the Northern Expedition, I need to prepare at least two things. The first is that the national treasury is sufficient. Even if we reach a stalemate in the Northern Han Dynasty, we will have enough money and food to support us. The other is that we must find out whether Beitang Qing is dead." It’s alive.”
Qining had heard of Beitang Qing's reputation for a long time and knew that he was the most famous general in the Northern Han Dynasty. However, both Tantaihuang and Longtai showed fear of Beitang Qing. This shows that Beitang Qing is indeed a great general. The character Chu fears most.
"Your Majesty, I heard that the Shenhou Mansion also has spies in the Northern Han Dynasty. Didn't they find out the whereabouts of Beitang Qing?"
Longtai shook his head and said: "Beitang Qing seemed to have suddenly evaporated from the world. Even in the Northern Han Dynasty, no one knew his whereabouts." He returned to his seat, thoughtfully, pondered for a moment, and then said: " Duke Yiguo is right, the Northern Han Dynasty is not a country that is about to perish, and we cannot act too hastily. However, the civil strife in the Northern Han Dynasty provides such a good opportunity. Even if the Northern Expedition is not possible, if we can really capture the Eastern Qi Dynasty at this time, it will be a great help to us in the future. The great cause of the Northern Expedition will surely have an immeasurable effect."
"General Yue seems not to be aware of the emperor's great strategy." Qi Ning said: "If the strategy is suddenly changed before the battle, will General Yue and the soldiers on the front line be caught off guard?"
"So Duke Yiguo recommended you to implement this plan." Long Tai lowered his voice and said: "Yue Huanshan doesn't know that our target is the Eastern Qi, and the frontline soldiers naturally don't know either. Only in this way can we confuse the Northern Han people. People from the Eastern Qi. When you cross the Huaihe River, you can give a secret order to Yue Huanshan. When the time comes, you will lead a surprise attack on the Eastern Qi. The Donghai Navy will also quickly move north, and both land and water armies will launch an offensive against the Eastern Qi at the same time. ...!" His eyes were like daggers, and his voice was low: "At that time, the main force of Dong Qi had already sent troops to the Northern Han Dynasty, and the country was empty. As long as you can quickly control the dangerous places in Dong Qi, it will be too late for the main force of Dong Qi to return reinforcements, and Yue Huanshan will then transfer the main force of the Qinhuai Army to Dong Qi. As long as they cooperate with each other and deploy carefully, they will be able to defeat the main force of Dong Qi in one blow."
Qi Ning thought that this plan was formulated by Tantai Huang himself, and it was indeed unexpected and a bit vicious.
"Your Majesty, do you want me to go to the front line?"
Longtai smiled and said: "Your Jinyi Qi family is my military family in Dachu. I want to give you the opportunity to make contributions. Aren't you willing?"
"That's not true." Qi Ning sighed: "I'm just worried that my lack of experience will ruin the emperor's important affairs."
"There are many veterans in the Black Scale Camp who fought on the battlefield. When the time comes, take them with you and listen to their experiences. Naturally, there won't be any big problems." Long Tai said: "What this plan wants is As long as we can do this, it is not difficult to attack Dong Qi. The Northern Han Dynasty is in civil strife and is worried that we and them will be defeated. If we go to take Dong Qi instead, they will not be willing to intervene, but they will not be able to intervene in this matter."
"I understand." Qi Ning said: "Wherever the emperor points, I will hit." After a pause, he said softly: "Your Majesty, if the queen knows about this...!"
Longtai was silent for a while and then said: "It is naturally impossible for her to know about this matter. For the sake of peace in the world, I have no choice but to forgive her." He seemed a little troubled and waved his hand: "Let's not talk about this anymore. I heard that you are about to die. Are you getting married?"
"The date has been set, it will be the twentieth of this month." Qining said.
Longtai said: "There are still about ten days. After Duke Yiguo's funeral affairs are settled, you can get married as soon as possible. I am a few months ahead of you, and we will see who can give birth to the child first."
Qi Ning hurriedly said: "The emperor is wise and powerful, so naturally he is sir."
"What does having a child have to do with being wise and powerful?" Long Tai laughed and scolded: "I'm a little tired, you...!" Before he could finish speaking, he heard a voice coming from outside the door: "The Queen Mother, the Emperor really has something to do, the Queen Mother...!"
When Qi Ning heard this, he frowned and glanced at Longtai, who saw that Longtai's face also darkened.
The Queen Mother had already come in from the door at this time, glanced at it, and walked straight towards Longtai. Qining stepped forward and saluted: "I pay my respects to the Queen Mother!"
The Queen Mother glanced at Qi Ning, snorted coldly, stared at Longtai, and said coldly: "Your Majesty, I heard rumors that the Sima family was going to rebel, and the Emperor issued an order to punish them. Is this true or false?"