The emperor suffered a sudden illness and fell into a coma; the prince-in-law caused chaos in the harem, and his life and death were uncertain; the prime minister Fang Xuanling suffered from an old illness and fell into a coma, lying on the side of the emperor's bed.
The Tang court was in chaos.
Chang'an is in chaos.
The only person who was very excited when he heard the news was Li Yuanchang. However, his house may not be truly peaceful.
After a day full of food, wine, and thoughts, I was about to call the twin sisters who were about to come over to sleep with me, but no one could be found in the whole house. He didn't notice them at first, thinking that maybe they were wandering out of the house for fun, or they had something to do back at Qinxian Pavilion. But when I woke up in the middle of the night, there was still no one there. At this time, Li Yuanchang also woke up from the wine, and Li Yuanchang couldn't help but feel a little alert.
So he ran to the secret room that he cared about most and checked, it was over!
Things are lost!
Immediately, Li Yuanchang's first reaction was to run into the East Palace!
The prince, Li Chengqian, was still worried and still had not slept. Seeing Li Yuanchang barging in in despair, he was immediately startled and said hurriedly: "Why are you so panicked, uncle?"
"Something is going wrong!" Li Yuanchang panted, his hair almost disheveled.
"You also know that something is wrong?" Li Chengqian gritted his teeth and said, "You got me killed this time!"
Li Yuanchang was startled: "The prince already knows?"
"Everyone in the city knows it, how can I not know it?" Li Chengqian said bitterly, "Look at the good deeds you have done, so earth-shattering! Just kill Qin Mubai with one stab, but you have to involve the harem. , and also arranged the two concubines of the late emperor. Now that the emperor is so angry, he is seriously ill, and even Fang Xuanling has passed out! Have you ever thought about how many people are going to be crippled now? How long can I survive without my father to hold me down and Fang Xuanling to support me to death?”
Li Yuanchang rolled his eyes and did not dare to say the words that came to his lips.
Li Chengqian looked angrily at Li Yuanchang for a while and frowned: "You haven't said what's going on yet?"
Li Yuanchang opened his mouth but said nothing.
"Say! What time is it!" Li Chengqian said angrily.
"That thing... is lost!" Li Yuanchang gritted his teeth and said this.
"What?" Li Chengqian didn't react for a moment.
Li Yuanchang clapped his hands anxiously: "The late emperor's last edict!"
"Ah? Ah!" Li Chengqian was suddenly as big as two heads, staring at Li Yuanchang with eyes as wide as bells, and murmured, "When, where and how was it lost?"
"I don't know..." Li Yuanchang turned pale and shook his head blankly, "But I suspect..."
"You're so suspicious! If you lose it, you won't be able to find it back. It's obvious that someone deliberately stole it!" Li Chengqian shouted heartbrokenly, staggering and almost falling to the ground.
Li Yuanchang hurriedly helped him sit down and poured him tea.
Li Chengqian trembled all over and took the tea cup. Without taking a sip, he said with dull eyes: "What should I do? What should I do? The last amulet is gone!"
"Prince, don't worry, aren't they just here to discuss countermeasures with you?" Li Yuanchang said.
"What else is there to discuss? If this thing falls into the hands of the emperor, I..." Li Chengqian covered his face with his hands and rubbed them hard several times, and said desperately, "Although I never know, why did he die? The late emperor's imperial edict can have such a strong binding force on my father, but... it's better than nothing!"
Li Yuanchang frowned and thought for a while, then snorted: "It must be those twin bitches!"
"Are you talking about the Tantai sisters?" Li Chengqian suddenly shouted, "I have already told you that there is something wrong with these sisters! They appeared out of nowhere and were from Qinxian Pavilion, how can they be clean? Maybe they were sent by Qin Mubai "
"But... But Xiao Wang observed them for a long time, and they didn't show any sign of being interested in Xiao Wang! Instead, they tried every means to shirk responsibility for Xiao Wang. How could they be Qin Mubai's people? Xiao Wang tried his best to trick him. I tried my best to bring them into the room. Just when I was about to enjoy them, something like this happened?" Li Yuanchang said regretfully.
"This is called playing hard to get. You underestimated the man named Qin. He figured out your temperament and gave you the right medicine!" Li Chengqian smacked his thigh and cried out in pain, "It's over, it's over! You have been beaten from the beginning. Qin's plan, so to speak, is already a huge trap, just waiting for us to get out of it! What should we do now? The imperial edict is lost, and the father and Fang Xuanling are both ill, so there will definitely be some action on the fourth child's side. You want to take this opportunity to put me to death and seize the East Palace! During the morning session today, many ministers gathered together to discuss that while my father was seriously ill, the country must be without a king, and a prince should be elected to supervise the country. At least half of the people support the fourth child!"
"Prince, why are you panicking! As long as His Majesty does not depose you, you will be the prince! If you want to supervise the country, it will never be his turn to be King Wei!" Li Yuanchang snorted coldly, "Now the emperor and Fang Xuanling are seriously ill. , There is no master in the court, it is his opportunity as King Wei, why is it not your opportunity as the prince? "
Li Chengqian was startled: "What opportunity?"
"Take this opportunity to overthrow King Wei and secure the East Palace!" Li Yuanchang whispered, "Fang Xuanling has fallen, and the person in charge of the court is Changsun Wuji. The emperor is not allowed to communicate inside and outside, only Chu Suiliang is on the sickbed. Changsun Wuji is a stubborn person and may not be easy to win over. But after all, he is also his nephew and if there is a dispute between him and the fourth child, I guess he will probably turn to you now. If we win over Chu Suiliang, great things can be accomplished!"
"What big thing will it be? How will it be accomplished?" Li Chengqian asked in shock.
"Don't be impatient." Li Yuanchang's eyes wandered, and he thought for a while and said, "As the saying goes, the first strike is the strongest. Since I have dealt with such a difficult character as Qin Mubai, why are I still afraid of his fourth child? Let's repeat the same trick. To accuse Lao Si of taking the opportunity to rebel. Although there are many people in the court who support Lao Si, how many people dare to stand up for him in the face of such a major incident? Changsun Wuji doesn't like Lao Si at all. "In the past, the emperor had a pair of bright eyes; now that the emperor is seriously ill, isn't it a good opportunity for us to get rid of the fourth child?"
"You, you're here again?" Li Chengqian was sifting chaff all over his body, pointing at Li Yuanchang and said, "Seventh Uncle, in order to avenge Qin Mubai, you killed the late emperor's second concubine and several eunuchs. This is also your own fault. That's it; the emperor's sister Gao Yang has lost her life, and so has the Qin family; now, the life and death of the father and Fang Xuanling are also uncertain! This move is much more dangerous than targeting Qin Mubai. No, my entire East Palace will collapse!"
"Prince, how long has it been? The situation is so overwhelming that you are still thinking about the consequences?" Li Yuanchang grabbed Li Chengqian and shouted, "The edict is lost. It's hard to say who instigated that bitch. What will happen in the end?" It’s even more uncertain who it will fall into. If it comes back to the emperor and we lose control of him, he will think of all the past and old and new grudges will arise. Can you stop him from deposing the crown prince? , this has long been known to everyone. The reason why he has not taken action is firstly because of the old wishes of the late Empress Changsun, secondly because of Fang Xuanling’s hard persuasion and restraint by secular thoughts, and thirdly, it is not just because of our hands. Is there this late emperor’s edict? Now that all three are gone, aren’t you dead?”
Li Chengqian's face was ashen, he looked at Li Yuanchang blankly, and murmured: "I have always wanted to know, what kind of imperial edict has such binding power on my father? When and where did you come from? How did you get it?"
"Hey, what's the use of talking about this now?"
"I want to know."
"Okay..." Li Yuanchang sighed and said, "A few years ago, I was living in the imperial harem to accompany the late emperor. One day after he was drunk, the late emperor suddenly burst into tears and talked about the Xuanwu Gate incident a few years ago... "
"Xuanwumen?"
"Everyone knows this, so there is no need for me to repeat it." Li Yuanchang said, "In fact, before the Xuanwu Sect incident happened, the late emperor had already drafted an imperial edict and was ready to issue it. But before it could be promulgated, the Xuanwu Sect incident "Fat, my father rebelled and ascended the throne, and this imperial edict became empty words."
"If it's just empty words, how can it be restrained?" Li Chengqian asked in confusion.
"You are wrong. From our point of view, this is empty talk; but from the emperor's point of view, this is to tie him to the torture rack to correct his disobedience and flog him!" Li Yuanchang said, "When your father ascended the throne, The late emperor issued an edict to make your father the crown prince, and soon issued an edict to abdicate the throne. In this way, your father reluctantly ascended the throne and aspired to the throne. Over the years, the Xuanwu Gate matter has been a forbidden area in the emperor's mind, and no one dared to do so. Mention it in front of him. An important reason is not that his brother's blood is flowing there, but that there is a hidden danger that his title is not justified. Of course, what is the most important thing about being an emperor? , Only in this way can people follow their wishes. Otherwise, no matter how wise and successful he is, he will not be able to escape the criticism of Qing Shi Dan Shu and future generations. "
"It's like this..." Li Chengqian nodded blankly and said, "But... it has been so many years, does my father need to care so much?"
"Of course it is necessary. Not only is it necessary, but it is also necessary to care about it!" Li Yuanchang said, "As soon as we came to the Tang Dynasty, we governed the country with filial piety, and the emperor first set an example and treated the late emperor favorably. Once this imperial edict was spread, he would become How can a person who is completely unfilial and disloyal have the appearance of setting an example? Wouldn’t this make the world scolded and scolded? Secondly, now that you and the King of Wei are fighting over the East Palace, the emperor vaguely thinks of what happened back then. Himself. If the old account is revealed at this time, he himself is still unjustly trying to seize the throne by force of arms. How can he not be afraid that you, his sons, will follow suit when things happen? Isn't it because the upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked? When the time comes, all the sins will be put on his head. Thirdly, and most importantly, the older the emperor is, the more he will become. He cared about the evaluation of him in the Qingshi Danshu and the Unofficial History. He even interfered with Chu Suiliang, who recorded his words and deeds, and the historian who compiled the history in the palace. He especially valued the compilation of the Xuanwu Gate history book. If you tell me. This imperial edict was made public to the public..."
"Okay, don't blame me, I understand." Li Chengqian waved his hands repeatedly and nodded, "Did that imperial edict convict my father and support Prince Yin, Prince Qi and his uncle?"
Li Yuanchang did not speak, but turned his back and said after a while: "There is no need to ask these questions anymore. The late emperor has gone, the imperial edict has been lost, and the words are empty."
"Are you afraid of disaster coming from your mouth, or is there no such edict in the world, and you made it up from the beginning?!" Li Chengqian suddenly yelled hysterically.
"At this point, what's the use of just talking nonsense?" Li Yuanchang suddenly turned around and glared at Li Chengqian, "Prince, can you stop being such a coward? You have been pressed by the fourth child again and again, and you have retreated step by step and even today. There's no way around it, are you just going to let the fourth child have his way? I removed Qin Mubai partly because of personal grudges, but partly because of you?"
"For me? You said it nicely!" Li Chengqian snorted coldly.
"Then listen!" Li Yuanchang said coldly, "After the trip from Xiangzhou, did Qin Mubai feel disgusted and disgusted with you, and never thought of joining your camp?"
"He didn't stand with the fourth child either!" Li Chengqian argued.
"Those above the imperial court are either friends or enemies! Someone like Qin Mubai, who has an ambiguous attitude and unclear position, is even more dangerous! No one knows when he will suddenly stab you, and you will be seriously doomed!" Li Yuanchang Said, "Everyone knows that he and Li Ke are sworn friends. Although Li Ke is in Goguryeo now, as long as Qin Mubai and Princess Gaoyang successfully get married and return to Lanzhou to support half of the Tang Dynasty, he will definitely be able to He became a military leader who was on par with Li Ji. Li Ji was smooth and sophisticated, and he never expressed his support for any prince. However, Qin Mubai and Li Ji had a personal relationship, and they were both military leaders. Coming from the disciples of Wei Gong Li Yaoshi, can we still be united? When the time comes, Qin Mubai's attitude will definitely affect Li Ji's position. Even if you are firmly seated in the East Palace or even ascend the throne! As emperor, can you control Qin Mubai and Li Ji? Even if you destroy Lao Si, Congwen's opponent, can you deal with Wu King Li Ke who has both civil and military achievements? "
Li Chengqian was instantly petrified and dumbfounded.
"His Royal Highness, do you know why you have retreated so far? You are too weak and too short-sighted!" Li Yuanchang was unyielding when he gained the upper hand, and fired a barrage of fire, "In political games, there are no permanent opponents and no permanent enemies. There are only Eternal interests! From the very beginning, I strongly suggested that you should fight to the death to keep Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling by your side. It would be better if you were not at odds with your uncle. Out of gratitude and foolish loyalty to the late Empress Changsun, I will definitely leave you. Later, I ask you to unite with the King of Wu to deal with the King of Wei. The weak unite to resist the strong. This is the art of war. Originally, Qin Mubai helped you secretly during the Jiangzhou case, and even if he didn't like you, he at least had no ill intentions! But what about you? In Xiangzhou and the others, you acted frugally and arrogantly, which made Qin Mubai and Li Ke unhappy. I am so disappointed in you! Prince, Prince, you still have the nerve to blame Xiao Wang for his incompetence! "Have you ever thought about your own gains and losses?"
"Shut up!" Li Chengqian was ashamed and angry, and yelled, "You can only make some afterthoughts and bad ideas. When have you ever come up with a truly useful strategy? If nothing else, you blatantly broke into Qin Mubai The mansion tried to cheat on his sworn sister Yao'er, but he was caught by Qin Mubai and beaten into a pig's head. What do you think? If it weren't for this incident, how could Qin Mubai completely break up with you and Dong Gong? "
"Okay, okay, we don't need to talk about the past anymore. We can't rebel at this moment, we have to think of a complete solution first!" Li Yuanchang knew that he was wrong, so he hurriedly changed the subject and said, "In short, the matter has been resolved It happened. There are two things we must do now. One is to kill Qin Mubai completely if we don't do it. The other is to take the opportunity to overthrow the fourth child and make a living. It's best if you can get there. Ji is the emperor!”
"What nonsense!" Li Chengqian said angrily, "My father is still alive and well despite being seriously ill. How can I ascend the throne?"
"Didn't the late Emperor Wude live in the harem for several years back then? What's more, His Majesty is now seriously ill in bed and unconscious?" Li Yuanchang smiled coldly and said, "Your Highness, if you have your father, Even half of your scheming and determination won't be what you are today. If you are serious about something, you must be ruthless, your hands must be sharp, and you must act quickly! Otherwise, you will be the one who suffers if you don't take action now. "If you don't protect yourself, there are people who want to kill you. It's your choice whether you want to die or live. I won't say anything more."
Li Chengqian slumped down on the chair, his eyes straight.
"Why, exactly why are you forcing me like this... Uncle Qi, do I really have no choice?"
"Yes." Li Yuanchang raised the corner of his mouth gently, and a trace of evil that was almost demonic appeared on his originally handsome face. He said softly, "Kill me, take my head to see your father, and bring it to you." Everything is put on my head. In this way, you may be able to survive for a few days. However, it is known that you and I have always been on the same page. Now you have a share in everything I do. In order to protect yourself, you first killed me and betrayed me... This virtue alone is enough to make the world despise you. By then, let alone the emperor, even the people of the world will no longer want to recognize you as a shallow and ungrateful person. Prince."
"You... you are forcing me too!!!" Li Chengqian covered his face with his hands and shouted loudly.
"Prince! If you don't care for yourself, you will be punished by heaven and earth. I am frank with you because I don't want to kill you!" Li Yuanchang suddenly said loudly, "If you continue to break up, you will suffer chaos! Do it! No matter how strong the fourth child is, He is a scholar after all! How to frame him for rebellion, leave it to me! All you have to do is to find a way to control Chu Suiliang and completely isolate the emperor from the outside world, so that we can deal with the rebellion of King Wei. Let's kill the king of Wei on the grounds that the emperor is unconscious and unable to govern, and then you can become the director of the country without the big enemy Lao Si. Li Ke, who has lost Qin Mubai's arm in Goguryeo, has nothing to worry about. In addition, Jin Wangzhi, who is only a few years old and has no independent opinions, will not pose a threat to you, Prince. , your East Palace will be as solid as iron, and no one can shake it. At that time, even if the emperor is awake, he will have no choice but to work hard to support you as the crown prince. Well, everything will be accomplished!"
Li Chengqian closed his eyes and listened. After listening, there was no movement for a long time.
Li Yuanchang was not in a hurry and left him some room to think.
After a long time, Li Chengqian swallowed dryly, licked his dry lips, and said hoarsely: "As you said, after overthrowing the fourth child and killing Qin Mubai, do you want me to force the palace like my father?" To accept Zen, or even to kill the king and his father?”
"The prince is benevolent, filial and virtuous, and he will definitely not do such a thing."
"But you can definitely do it!" Li Chengqian jumped up and pointed at Li Yuanchang angrily, trembling all over.
"Your Highness, at this moment, what are you thinking about? The situation in front of you is that if you don't save yourself, you will die. How you will kneel down and beg your father for forgiveness afterwards is a matter for later. You know that even a poisonous tiger cannot eat its own child, so your father will forgive you, right?" Li Yuanchang persuaded patiently without getting angry.
"Hey! -" Li Chengqian shouted and sighed several times, and sat down slumped, "Do I have a choice?"
"Don't worry, Prince. I'll leave everything to the little king. I hate that the eldest son Huan is as timid as a mouse, but he avoids me at this time. That guy Fang Yiai is even more hateful. He never sees anyone alive or dead! But... It doesn’t matter, Xiao Wang has plenty of manpower and means! —Prince, take a rest, Xiao Wang will make arrangements immediately!”
On the other side, Prince Wei's Mansion.
Li Tai was surrounded by a group of people and had been discussing for a long time.
"His Royal Highness King Wei, at this moment, you have to stay in the palace to accompany His Majesty, who is seriously ill. Don't leave lightly. Firstly, you can retain the name of benevolence and filial piety, and secondly, you can avoid being blamed. I will take care of the rest. ”
"Okay." Li Tai nodded, "The matter is settled. Now, we must try our best to rescue Qin Mubai! The prince and the King of Han want to harm him, so we must save him. In fact, everyone knows it well. Qin Mubai must have been framed by the King of Han. Although the King of Han is extremely courageous, he would not have been able to do such a thing without the prince's approval and support..."
Fang Yizhi, the eldest son of the house, raised his hands and said softly: "Fang is here."
Li Tai patted him on the shoulder with a smile and said gratefully: "Thanks to you this time. If you hadn't provided such important information, everyone in the world would have been kept in the dark. Hey, I didn't expect that my brother would be so stubborn. Ling, actually collaborated with the King of Han to do such a thing, and your Majesty was so angry that he fainted. These unscrupulous people should clean up the family and eliminate harm to the country. Don't worry, after the incident is completed, only the family of the deceased will be punished. , I don’t care about the rest. Xiao Wang, I hope your family is safe.”
"Thank you, King Wei..." Fang Yizhi bowed his hands and said with tears, "It is unfortunate for our family that such a scum appeared! Originally, my father had tied him up and presented him to the emperor, but my doting mother secretly After being released, his father was so angry that he became seriously ill. At this time, what would happen if this beast did harm outside again? Therefore, Fang Mou killed his relatives and reported the matter to the king of Wei. To be fair, on the one hand, you can help me clean up my family and protect my family, and on the other hand, I can tell the truth and clear Qin Mubai's name!"
"Brother Fang, don't worry. Xiao Wang has always been upright and impartial. He also has great respect for people like your father and Qin Mubai, and he will definitely know how to handle it." Li Tai felt a little proud of himself.
No wonder, even the eldest son of the Fang family came to him for help. Once the emperor fell, it was the King of Wei who had the final say in the court. If he could take the opportunity to win over the Fang family, save Qin Mubai and do him a big favor, wouldn't he be as stable as a mountain in the court, and he would be stationed in the East Palace just around the corner? !
This is really a way to sit on a mountain and watch tigers fight, and make a lot of profit!
"Let's discuss the matter here for the time being." Li Tai stood up, his plump body standing out among the group of people sitting, and he said, "Tomorrow morning, I will not be able to avoid it. You will jointly submit a letter to protect Qin. Mu Bai, impeach the king of Han."
"Do you want to mention the prince?" someone asked.
"No." Li Tai said decisively, "You must not mention the prince. If you target the prince at this time, everyone will know that I instigated you. If it reaches the ears of the father, even if the prince is brought down, I will die. Not long. But as long as the king of Han is exposed and follows the clues, will the prince be far away? Therefore, my elder brother, who has always been impatient, will definitely jump out and do something extraordinary. , Chang'an County Government, Yushitai, and Dali Temple must arrest the fugitive Fang Yiai as soon as possible, and they must see his body alive and dead! "
"Yes!" Everyone accepted the order and agreed.
Li Tai smiled slightly, swung his broad sleeves and walked out boldly: "Everyone will take a break for tea. The little king will go into the palace on his own and go to his father's bedside to perform his filial piety."
"Farewell to King Wei..."
In the Baiqi camp prison, Qin Mubai was sitting under a tree, with a small wooden table, a pot of wine and two dishes, raising his glass and looking above his head.
The wind blows the leaves and they dance.
"It's cloudy and the wind is blowing..." Qin Mubai had an inexplicable smile on his face and said to himself, "For the past few days, I have only heard the rolling spring thunder, and the first storm of the year is finally coming. What's wrong? The dragon and snake are out of the mountain, and the storm is coming. It's interesting..."
A nearby Baiqi said: "General, why don't you move inside and drink?"
"No need." Qin Mubai smiled slightly and said, "The wonderful thing about drinking this wine is that you will see more and less when you drink it. If you don't drink it, I will go to bed. When you wake up, it will be a storm. The color changes, the sky thunder shakes the heaven and earth! "
Several Baiqi looked at Qin Mubai inexplicably, letting him stroll into the room, and fell asleep on the bed with his head covered.
"Why is the situation changing and the world shaking? Is he hinting at something secretly, or is he full of trepidation and speaking without hesitation?"
"Who knows! He is a mystery. Have you ever seen a repeat criminal who entered here and still cared about tasting wine and enjoying the scenery?"
"It's quite mysterious... I don't understand."
"If you understood, you wouldn't be here watching the prison and serving the prisoners. You will also be allowed to sit on the handsome chair that has been vacant in the main room of Baiqi Yamen."
“…”
.
[Hmm, the second chapter has been updated today. Two chapters totaling 13,000 words. I won! ]