The messenger was waiting outside the door, but Yin Shuo looked confused.
The subordinate repeated again, "My lord, Prince Xikun has sent someone to deliver a letter, don't you want someone to come in?"
When he came back to his senses, he saw the anxious faces of his subordinates and the shadowy figure outside the window.
It took him a while to nod, "Please come in."
The subordinate turned his head and walked out, thinking that since the defeat in Lin'an, the young master has become more and more in a trance.
He sighed helplessly, and went out to ask the messenger to come in.
After reading Kun Junyue's letter, Yin Shuo's mind completely recovered, "Emperor Kun is sick? Is it serious?"
The messenger shook his head, "His Royal Highness said that it is not time for the country to change hands. However, although it is not serious, we can take advantage of his illness to make good arrangements for the two sides to join forces to fight against Bei Li. His Royal Highness was in that Bei Li The queen suffered a loss in her hands, and I wish I could peel her skin."
Yin Shuo frowned, and said: "His Royal Highness is thinking too much, he has not even grasped Xikun's power with one hand, and wants to share a share of the pie with Kunwu, so why do you want to take action against Mistress Beili? "
The messenger heard some sarcasm, and said unwillingly: "If it wasn't for that Beili who made His Royal Highness lie in bed for three months, how could it be the turn of that humble seventh prince? But please rest assured, Mr. Yin, with Dong Ling's A large number of refugees have poured in, and our Xikun army is getting stronger and stronger, and we may be able to fight against Fan Gu Shubai's 150,000 troops."
"I hope so."
There was no smile in Yin Shuo's eyes, "I hope Bei Li's hole cards have been revealed before our eyes."
…
Xikun, Xixian City.
Emperor Kun lay on the dragon bed, the palace servants knelt beside the bed and carefully served the decoction, and Kun Junyue and Kun Wushang stood beside the bed.
His complexion looked a little pale, but his spirit was still hale and hearty, looking at his two sons beside his bed.
As the eldest son, he was distinguished since childhood, with outstanding demeanor, extensive contacts in the court, and first-class skills.
A girl who was sent to the Immortal Valley since she was a child, forbears and introverts. After returning to Xikun, she does not show her mountains and dews, but quickly occupies the popularity second only to Kun Junyue.
These are the two most popular princes in the court at present, and they are also the two he prefers among Emperor Kun's many princes.
"Prince, I am hurt."
Hearing Kundi's voice, the two quickly bowed their heads.
Kundi finished drinking the medicine and sat up with his hands on the bed, but the palace servants tried to help him but he pushed him away.
Even though the strong and healthy emperor is sick, his strength is still frighteningly large, as if telling his two young and strong sons that he is not old yet—
This country is still his.
"I heard that the fighting on Dongling's side has stopped."
Kun Junyue hurriedly said: "Yes, Father. Emperor Ning promised ten important towns in the northern border, and Bei Li sent Gu Shubai to lead an army of 150,000 to wipe out all the rebels in the northern border of Dongling and occupy Dongling. Half of the country is in the north. Originally, Bei Li promised to suppress the rebel army for Dongling. Unexpectedly, Emperor Ning took the initiative to drive away Gu Shubai's army after the rebel army retreated to the south. Today, Dongling's small land has three families governing it. The scope of the actual notification is only a small part of the central part."
He told Kundi the current situation of Dong Ling in detail, and Kundi smiled half-smile, "You understand it very clearly."
Kun Junyue froze for a moment, raised her eyes to look at Emperor Kun's expression, and could not tell whether it was joy or anger.
He had no choice but to think carefully: "Returning to the emperor, I think this battle has changed the situation of Dongling, and it will also affect me in Xikun. As the heir of Xikun, I dare not not understand."
Emperor Kun turned to Kun Wushang, "What about you? Did you learn from your elder brother to pay attention to Dongling's battle situation?"
Kun Wu cupped his hands, and said calmly: "Going back to the emperor, the sons and officials are naturally paying attention, but maybe not as clearly as the elder brother. After all, the elder brother sent troops to attack Weizhou a few days ago, so Gu Shubai quickly adjusted the strategic layout Send troops to reinforce Weizhou. Eldest brother is also among them, how can my servant understand better than him?"
Kun Junyue's face changed, and she saw Emperor Kun looking at him displeased.
"I have already made repeated orders in the court. Since Beili intervenes in the infighting between Dongling's rebel army and the court, we must not intervene. Do you take my words as a deaf ear? The lady of Beili once promised me that she would never Take the initiative to attack Xikun. But the Weizhou you attacked is one of the ten important towns allocated by Dongling to Beili, you are not attacking Dongling, you are attacking Beili!"
Emperor Kun was domineering and flamboyant all his life, but he didn't dare to act rashly towards Bei Li.
Yufu promised never to attack Xikun in his lifetime, but if Xikun took the initiative to send troops to Beili, would she still abide by the agreement
Kun Wushang glanced at Kun Junyue, waiting to hear his explanation.
I just heard Kun Junyue say: "Father calm down, it's my son's fault. My son just wants to take advantage of Dongling's civil strife to secretly occupy their city, and has no intention of going against Bei Li. My son doesn't know Weizhou has already been taken over by the Beili army, and they just wanted to take advantage of the fact that their handover has not yet been completed and the guards are loose."
The Xikun army attacked the border city of Dongling every year, so Kun Junyue explained it based on this, and Emperor Kun had nothing to refute.
Kun Wu said sadly: "My son heard some news, but I don't know if it's right or not, so I dare not speak nonsense in front of my father."
"If you don't know if it's right, don't say it. Is it you who can talk nonsense in front of the father?"
Kun Junyue turned her head and gave him a cold look, her eyes full of warning.
Emperor Kun said displeasedly: "I'm still here, you are so unkind to your brother, if I go, won't you want to kill people?"
Killer
Kun Junyue sneered in her heart, didn't this happen a long time ago? Emperor Kun watched him brutally kill and consolidate the crown prince indifferently, but today he said such words.
He didn't dare to show his real thoughts on his face, he just said: "Yes, I don't dare. I'm just worried that my seventh brother's nonsense will affect my father's recuperation."
Emperor Kun's eyes softened a little, and he looked at Kun Wushang, "Just say what you have."
Kun Wu smiled sadly, "I remember that when the crown prince sent troops to attack Weizhou, it was the time when Bei Lixue was in a catastrophe and ran out of food and grass. At that time, Gu Shubai's army was delayed in purchasing food and grass from Lin'an City, and almost The food was cut off, and the prince sent troops to make it difficult for Gu Shubai to advance, and then on New Year's Eve, the rebel army attacked Gu Shubai's army... To be honest, the prince's unintentional move was really a coincidence, as if it was coordinated with the rebel army's sneak attack Like."
He didn't look at Kun Junyue, but just looked at Kundi, and Kundi understood a lot from his gaze——
He is not dead yet, someone has already colluded with Dong Ling's forces behind his back, this is something that a domineering emperor all his life cannot tolerate.
"Prince..."
"Father!"
Kun Junyue frowned, and was thinking about how to explain it, when Emperor Kun changed the subject, "I heard that the wedding between the Queen of Beili and Gu Shubai is coming soon. I, Xikun and Beili, are friends, so I must congratulate you. I decided to send the crown prince to deliver the congratulatory gift in person to express my friendship and sincerity in Xikun."
"What?"
Kun Junyue was horrified.
Emperor Kun's move was nothing more than not wanting him to continue colluding with the rebel army in the country, but let him go to Beili to congratulate Yufu and their wedding... Isn't the power in the court just given to Kunwu
Kun Wushang didn't expect that Emperor Kun would make such a choice, but he just smiled and didn't speak.
He would not mistakenly think that Kundi's move represented his preference for himself, so much that he would hand over the future power to himself.
"Father, my son was just confused for a while before, and I will never do it again in the future. The matter of congratulating the big wedding ceremony is just a trivial matter, why send my son to go in person?"
Kun Junyue looked at Kun Wushang, "Isn't the seventh brother a better candidate? He is the younger brother of Beili Nujun!"
Emperor Kun immediately vetoed his idea, "You have a high status as the prince, so it's only suitable for you to go. Only if you go, can Bei Li feel the sincerity of my Xikun. The sentence that I will never attack Xikun in my lifetime , can count.”
Emperor Kun seems to have made up his mind, no matter how much Ren Kun Junyue refuses, it will not work.
Just when he lowered his head in despair, Emperor Kun looked at Kun Wushang, "You go out first, I have something to say to the prince alone."
Kun Wu bowed his arms and exited the dormitory. After a while, all the maids and eunuchs who were serving in the palace retreated. It can be seen that what Kundi wanted to say was very secret.
He laughed at himself and hurriedly walked out of the palace.
Only Kundi and Kun Junyue were left in the dormitory, and Kundi waved his hand, signaling him to sit down beside the bed.
"I ordered you to go to Beili to send congratulatory gifts. I have my own opinion. You also know that your seventh brother is the younger brother of Beili's female monarch. In the future, I will be a hundred years old. Are you not afraid that she will support your seventh brother to ascend the throne?"
Kun Junyue was taken aback for a moment, and heard exciting news from his words. What he meant was... he will definitely pass on the throne to himself in a hundred years
But hasn't he been supporting Kun Wushang to fight against himself
Emperor Kun seemed to see his thoughts, "No matter how much I train you, the position of the crown prince is yours. I have never wavered about this. So don't mess with your thoughts. The most important thing for the current plan is to please Bei Li, don't offend them. I sent you to Bei Li, you have to explain the Weizhou matter to them clearly, don't let the two countries have a rift, understand?"
Since Emperor Kun spoke so sincerely, Kun Junyue simply opened the skylight to speak frankly.
He said: "Father Emperor is so famous, why are we afraid of a yellow-haired girl now? Why should we be wronged to please Bei Li? Instead of doing this, it is better to help Dong Ling's rebel army succeed. Wouldn't it be good for me, Xikun, and Dong Ling to fight against Bei Li? "
"Confused."
Emperor Kun's voice was a little harsher, "What's the use of those mobs in the rebel army, and they are worthy of forming an alliance with me in Xikun? That Yin Shuo knows that he is a scheming master in the court, but he is a novice in the use of soldiers. The rebel army was originally A group of farmers who can only wield hoes and sickles, if they can fight, why should we train soldiers every day?"
Seeing that Kun Junyue was silent, Emperor Kun said again: "I taught you to read since childhood, have you ever read the history books of peasant uprisings since ancient times, which one succeeded? There were ten rebels, and they were defeated." Ninety-nine percent. On New Year's Eve, the rebel army was defeated in a sneak attack and the main force of the forward was wiped out. Do you still need me to talk about it?"
It turned out that Emperor Kun knew everything. Even though he was lying on the sickbed, he knew everything about the wars in the court and neighboring countries.
He was probably aware of the collusion between himself and Yin Shuo.
Kun Junyue hurriedly said: "I...I understand. My father is thinking about my son, but my son was confused and almost gave up this opportunity to the seventh brother. The minister will no longer support the rebel army..."
"No, you can support them, but don't let me know."
Emperor Kun talked for a long time, and he was a little tired. He closed his eyes and said, "There has never been a gentleman's agreement in this world. If Bei Li tore up the treaty before it was a hundred years old, at least we can use the rebel army to contain them. One more Friends, the road is always easier."
Yufu once promised that she would never take the initiative to attack Xikun during Emperor Kun's lifetime.
Kun Junyue couldn't help sweating on her forehead, and her eyes showed conflicts and entanglements.
After thinking for a while, he finally understood Emperor Kun's intentions, and hurriedly got up to thank him, "I will order the Ministry of Rites to prepare a congratulatory gift for Bei Li, and I will definitely not disappoint my father!"
I don't know whether he meant that the preparation of the gift would not disappoint Kundi, or that he himself would not disappoint Kundi.
Emperor Kun nodded with his eyes closed, and without saying anything, Kun Junyue quietly exited the bedroom.
When he was leaving the palace, he saw Kun Wushang still standing outside the palace gate, chatting with two ministers, and when he came out, he left immediately.
Kun Junyue stepped forward generously, "Seventh brother, when did the news become so well-informed? It's because I underestimated you."
"Where, the crown prince has no scruples when he holds great power, but now that the father is sick, the crown prince is even more unscrupulous, isn't he?"
"Seventh brother's words are misunderstood as brother."
The prince smiled meaningfully, "Brother is actually very happy to help the seventh brother. In a few days, brother will go to Beili to congratulate the queen on her wedding. Although the father's illness is not serious, he can't get up for the time being. , don’t you rely on the seventh brother for everything in the court?”
When Emperor Kun just said this, Kun Junyue was very unwilling, and even wanted to push Kun Wu to do it.
Now he looks smug, it can be seen that Emperor Kun must have said something to him just now... He said something that was beneficial to Kun Junyue.
This was also expected by Kun Wu, so he smiled, "Then I wish the prince a smooth trip, don't worry, I will be with you in everything."
The calm eyes suddenly became threatening, and the smile on Kun Junyue's face disappeared. Thinking of what Emperor Kun said just now, she gradually calmed down again.
Kun Wu said sadly: "But the prince should be careful, if the father is really sick and the prince is far away in Beili and can't come back, wouldn't that be in vain for me?"
"you!"
Kun Junyue's complexion changed, "What do you know?"
Kun Wu said with a sad smile: "I was born in Immortal Valley, although my poison skills are not as good as my brothers and sisters, I still have the ability to get a pulse."
Kun Junyue suddenly turned angry into a smile, "Yes, you are from Xianrengu who studied poison. If something happened to the father, you must be the most suspected, brother, right?"
The two brothers looked at each other unkindly, until they heard the sound of chariots and horses not far away, presumably they were visiting the royal family of Emperor Kun in the palace.
The two quickly separated their glued eyes, and walked towards the two opposite paths outside the palace gate.
Five days later, Kun Junyue and a group of envoys from Xikun entered from Weizhou with congratulatory gifts to Beili and headed north all the way.
What he meant was to go to Weizhou first, and explain to the Weizhou defender who had a conflict before, explaining that he had no intention of capturing the city of Beili before, and then go to the capital to talk better.
Unexpectedly, Weizhou was neglected by the defenders, making their team from Xikun wait outside the city gate for a long time, refusing to open the gate for a long time.
"What does your general mean? I, Xikun, are friends of Beili. His Royal Highness specially sent a generous gift to the capital to congratulate him. Why don't you open the city gate? What kind of etiquette is this?"
A Xikun envoy yelled below the city, but the soldiers on the city were unmoved and didn't even look at them.
It was only then that the envoy remembered that now Weizhou is guarded by people from Beili, not from Dongling. It is useless to attack them with the word etiquette.
People from Dongling pay more attention to etiquette, but in the eyes of people from Beili, etiquette is nothing!
After a while, a soldier came out of the tower and shouted down: "What's the noise? If you say that the prince is in the car, we'll believe it. Who doesn't know that you Xikun people like to play tricks?" , who knows if they tricked us into opening the city gate?"
Words like "Xikun" hurt all the Xikun people, and Kun Junyue got up angrily from the carriage, "Who said that I am a Xikun person? Stand up for me!"
The soldier who shouted didn't answer him, but looked into the city tower, and soon a woman's crisp voice floated down from the high city, without any timidity.
"It's what the general said, what will the prince do?"
－－－－－Off Topic－－－－－
The most awkward sibling reunion ever.