In Chang'an city, the residence of Cui Yin, the prime minister of the time.
Several high-ranking officials from the imperial court were also gathered in the study. Among the all-civil officials, two burly men dressed as generals were particularly eye-catching.
Among them, the big man wearing iron armor and silver helmet with a fierce look was named Dong Yanbi, and he was the General of Qingyuan at that time; and the other big man wearing brocade clothes and carrying a sword with a sinister face was Cui Yin's trusted general Shi Jian.
If Zhu Li were here, after knowing the names of the two men, he would definitely look at them twice; because these two are generals who have left their names in history and should not be underestimated.
Most of the people gathered here are officials from the capital. They all have their own residences in Chang'an and do not need to live in the military camp.
Besides, Kunming Lake is not far from Chang'an. If something happens, they can get there in half a cup of tea by riding a fast horse. More importantly, they would not feel at ease letting these powerless officials live in the military camp.
The study was a relatively private place. Those who followed Cui Yin here were obviously those whom Cui Yin considered trustworthy. Facing these people, he naturally did not want to be polite and said in a serious tone, "Gentlemen, why did we support the vassal states to enter the capital?"
Without waiting for others to respond, he continued, "Of course, it is to eradicate the eunuch party and return power to the emperor. For this purpose, Cui has already contacted Xuanwu Jiedushi Zhu Quanzhong and asked him to help us kill the eunuch party."
"However, although Zhu Quanzhong agreed to Cui's request, we still cannot take it lightly."
"The power of the eunuch party in the court is not insignificant. If you want to overthrow them in one fell swoop, it will be like trying to grab chestnuts from the fire. The danger is there. You should know it after weighing it carefully."
“Of course, Cui will never force you. If anyone wants to quit, leave now. Cui will never stop you.” Cui Yin narrowed his eyes and glanced at everyone coldly.
At this time, even if someone wanted to back out, they probably wouldn't dare to withdraw; Cui Yin's move was just to demonstrate his magnanimity and test everyone's determination.
For the old hands in the court, they are all well aware of this kind of trick. If you get on the pirate ship and want to quit at the critical moment, isn't that courting death
Seeing that no one moved, although he had guessed the result, Cui Yin still showed a look of satisfaction.
He continued in deep thought, "Since you all have the same aspirations, let us work together to wipe out the eunuch party in one fell swoop and restore peace and order to the Tang Dynasty."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was immediately excited and shouted in unison: "Let's work together to eliminate the eunuch party."
"Work together to eliminate the eunuch party."
"Work together to eliminate the eunuch party."
... ...
Looking at the angry crowd, Cui Yin's eyes were filled with joy, as if he saw all the eunuchs who had been wreaking havoc in the court falling at his feet.
He waved his hand to signal everyone to calm down. After everyone calmed down, he said solemnly: "Eunuchs have been causing chaos in the country since ancient times, and have caused endless harm."
"In the Tang Dynasty, Yang Sigong controls the imperial guards, while Liu Xingshen controls the inner court. In addition, Liu Jishu, Wang Zhongxian and others dominate the Privy Council. The entire Tang Dynasty is in chaos, and we, who are loyal to the country, have difficulty taking any step. This is intolerable. We are like eunuchs and cannot coexist in the same room."
"Under normal circumstances, it would be very difficult to wipe them out in one fell swoop. But now, Yang Sigong and Liu Xingshen, two eunuchs, are fighting to the death over the issue of the selection of the crown prince. This is a godsend opportunity for us. If we don't wipe them out now, when will we..."
Cui Yin was full of energy and spoke eloquently, constantly cheering up his supporters; however, he did not mention any substantive details such as how to act and how to suppress the rebellion, which made some people dissatisfied.
"Mr. Cui, I have a question that I would like to express." The speaker was naturally General Dong Yanbi of Qingyuan. Although he supported the extermination of the eunuch party, as an important general, he still had the necessary calmness.
Since the enemy has been identified, a battle strategy must be given and a feasible plan must be formulated. This is the style of a soldier. People like Cui Yin, who only boast and do nothing,
Naturally, he was very dissatisfied with the practice that had no real significance.
"Yang Fugong has the Imperial Army under his control, and Liu Xingshen has the Shen Ce Army under his control. The eunuchs are extremely powerful."
"On the other hand, Zhu Quanzhong came to Chang'an from afar, and the troops he brought with him must be limited. Even if we add the Qingyuan Army in Dong's hands, it would be too inconsiderate to think of swallowing up Yang, Liu and others."
Cui Yin, who was spitting and bragging, was suddenly poured a basin of cold water by Dong Yanbi, and he instantly felt cold from head to toe.
This is like a groom on his wedding night, who is rubbing his hands, drawing his gun and riding his horse, ready to gallop thousands of miles, lead thousands of troops, and kill his enemies in all directions, but suddenly he finds that his young wife has come as a relative, and his heart instantly becomes cold.
Faced with Dong Yanbi's questioning, Cui Yin was immediately speechless and stunned, and he couldn't say a word for a long time.
Seeing her husband with a constipated look on his face, Shi Jian, as a confidant, hurried to save the situation and said, "General Dong, you are worrying too much. I have an old relationship with Sun Dezhao, the general of the Shen Ce Army."
"Although Sun Dezhao worked for Liu Xingshen, he hated eunuchs in his heart. Shi had drunk with him several times, and when he was half drunk, he was so angry that he wanted to kill all the eunuchs in the world. His feelings were sincere and did not seem to be fake."
"When Liu Xingshen and Yang Fugong are both defeated, as long as the Qingyuan Army and the Bianzhou Army are willing to help, and Shi comes forward to persuade Sun Dezhao to defect, we will be able to annihilate Yang and Liu in one fell swoop."
"That's right, that's right. How can I fight an unprepared battle? I and Shi Jian have already made plans to deal with the Shen Ce Army and the Imperial Guards. As long as General Dong is willing to help, we will surely win the battle." Cui Yin quickly agreed.
"Is that so?" Dong Yanbi did not look at Cui Yin, but looked at Shi Jian as if seeking confirmation.
Although Cui Yin was known to be treacherous, he had never led an army after all. As for whether he could overthrow the eunuch party, Dong Yanbi believed in Shi Jian's promise more.
No one would joke about his own life. Shi Jian, as Cui Yin's trusted general, should know better whether big things can be done and whether there is absolute strength to wipe out the eunuch party.
"General Dong, there is no need to doubt it. Once a war breaks out, I, Shi, will definitely charge to the front. If things are impossible, how dare I joke with my life." Shi Jian looked at Dong Yanbi solemnly and made a solemn promise.
"Okay, that's good." Seeing Shi Jian's seriousness, Dong Yanbi felt relieved. Then he asked in confusion, "I have heard that Prime Minister Cui and Zhu Quanzhong are good friends. How can you be sure that Zhu Quanzhong is a trustworthy person?"
Since the three parties were planning to join forces to overthrow the eunuch party and pretend to be the chief general of the Qingyuan Army, Dong Yanbi must have understood the original intention of his allies; he could not pull out the entire Qingyuan Army to accompany Cui Yin to fight that uncertain battle.
At this time, it was reasonable for Dong Yanbi to ask whether Zhu Quanzhong was reliable.
In response to Dong Yanbi's question, Cui Yin did not freeze this time. Instead, he said gloomily, "It is rumored that Cui was able to secure the position of prime minister because of Zhu Quanzhong's support."
"But only Zhu Quanzhong and I know that we are just using each other."
"In the early years, Zhu Quanzhong had a bad relationship with the Yang family, and then he offended Liu Jishu, so he was naturally disliked by the eunuchs. He had no one in the court, so he naturally needed someone to take care of everything in the court for him, and naturally, he found Cui."
"And Cui is just a scholar, living in a turbulent time. If I don't have the support of the army, even if I want to do something, it will be difficult. That's why we hit it off immediately."
"General, you asked me whether Zhu Quanzhong can be trusted. To be honest, I don't know." Before Dong Yanbi could get anxious, Cui Yin immediately continued, "However, I think whether he can be trusted depends entirely on how much benefit he can gain from the battle to annihilate the eunuch party."
As soon as this sentence was uttered, it was not difficult for everyone to understand that "the world is bustling with people, all for the sake of profit", this is an eternal truth, and if there is no benefit, Zhu Quanzhong will naturally not help for nothing.
"Well, according to Mr. Cui, how much will Zhu Quanzhong gain by destroying the eunuch party
What?" Dong Yanbi narrowed his eyes and asked solemnly.
Military and national affairs should not be treated as a joke.
Dong Yanbi must and has the right to know how much benefit Zhu Quanzhong can gain from the elimination of the eunuch party; this will also make it easier for him to speculate how much effort Zhu Quanzhong will contribute.
Cui Yin remained calm in response to Dong Yanbi's questioning. After all, he was the prime minister of the dynasty, so he understood this principle. He immediately analyzed, "Eradication of the eunuch party can help Li Quanzhong get rid of potential political enemies, such as the Yang family eunuchs and enemies like Liu Jishu."
"Furthermore, perhaps Zhu Quanzhong thought that once the eunuch party was eliminated and the saint was in power, we, the literati who have no military support, would lean towards Henan, which would greatly facilitate his manipulation of the current situation."
"Although we haven't yet reached the point of 'holding the emperor hostage to control the other princes', we are not far off, right?"
"Therefore, I am sure that Zhu Quanzhong will go all out in this operation to wipe out the eunuch party." Cui Yin said with certainty.
When everyone heard this, they all nodded.
Not to mention eliminating political enemies, the mere fact of being able to influence current affairs is enough to make any local vassal take risks.
"From what Prime Minister Cui said, Zhu Quanzhong doesn't seem to know that our Qingyuan Army is also involved in this operation. When the time comes, once Zhu Quanzhong knows that Prime Minister Cui and I are supporting him behind the scenes, will he immediately turn against him?" Dong Yanbi obviously agreed with Cui Yin's explanation on whether Zhu Quanzhong would give his all.
However, he immediately raised another question, and this question was also related to the success or failure of this operation.
Afterwards, once Zhu Quanzhong turned against them, the two sides really fought. Although Dong Yanbi controlled the Qingyuan Army, he was no match for Zhu Quanzhong, the old vassal.
The reason is simple. One has no foundation, while the other has a deep foundation. As long as Dong Yanbi cannot make full use of his strength in one battle, he is doomed to fail.
"General Dong, don't worry about this. Once this operation goes smoothly and the eunuch party is completely wiped out, my husband will prepare to gather the remaining troops and rebuild the imperial army, a royal army that will completely obey our orders."
"In the end, as long as we ensure that our military strength is superior to Zhu Quanzhong's, even if he wants to do whatever he wants, he must consider his own weight." Shi Jian on the side immediately spoke to comfort him.
Dong Yanbi narrowed his eyes even tighter when he heard Shi Jian's explanation.
To put it bluntly, Cui Yin and his group were playing the trick of crossing the river and destroying the bridge. After taking advantage of Zhu Quanzhong, they wanted to get rid of him and go it alone.
If they could treat Zhu Quanzhong like this, why couldn’t they treat Dong Yanbi like this
Dong Yanbi naturally felt uncomfortable after hearing about this chilling behavior; however, he did not say much. As for what he was thinking, perhaps only he knew.
The news of the battle in the hunting ground naturally reached Yang Fugong's ears.
However, this eunuch who was responsible for maintaining order and now the largest military commander in the suburbs of Chang'an, just like Yang Sixu who pretended to be Liu Xingshen, also chose to turn a deaf ear and dumb.
The two great generals under his command, Wang Duo and Cui Kai, remained on hold. Seeing this scene, if the other vassals still could not see the purpose of this hunting competition, then even if they died, their deaths would be in vain.
So stupid, who can I blame
However, even though they saw through Jinglie's sinister intentions, none of the twenty-plus high-ranking officials from all over the country acted rashly.
Even Li Keyong, who was famous for his impulsiveness and tyranny, seemed to have turned a blind eye to the battle in the hunting ground; it seemed that he also did not care about the lives of Li Cunxiao, Mu Chen and others.
This strange scene would definitely make any normal person puzzled; but the minds of the feudal leaders were clear as day.
Because everyone knows that conspiracies are sometimes like turning pages of a book. When you just read the first page of a book, it is never the time to jump to conclusions.
The truth is often hidden on the last page. In a word, now is not the best time to flip the cards.