Li Rong pondered and did not speak.
Xiao Wen is Xiao Su's son. Li Ming called Xiao Wen into the palace at this time. After Xiao Wen left the palace, someone left Huajing. It is very likely that Li Ming contacted Xiao Su through an unconventional channel.
Under what circumstances would an emperor want to contact a frontier general through the closest and least error-prone channel, avoiding layers of eyes and ears
Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan knew very well.
It's not the first time they have experienced mutiny.
Whether it was when Li Chuan was abolished, Li Ming was deposed on the side of the Qing Dynasty, or the family tried to rebel several times in the palace, this was not the one thing that made them panic in the three decades of political ups and downs.
It's just that this is a big event after all, so both of them are silent.
Shangguan Ya saw that the atmosphere was low, and she was also interested. After bowing her hands, she turned around and walked out.
When only Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were left in the room, Pei Wenxuan finally said, "We need to make a decision early."
"Are you in such a hurry?" Li Rong's voice was very soft, she pondered, "What did the royal father think?"
In the last life, Li Ming took action against Li Chuan, but it didn't seem to be so early.
Li Rong felt a bit absurd, and couldn't help raising the corners of her mouth: "Could it be that the royal father is really angry with the crown, and must save Concubine Rou?"
"I heard that now, His Majesty's condition is getting worse."
Li Rong paused, and Pei Wenxuan sat opposite Li Rong, and said slowly, "It is understandable that Your Majesty wants to stabilize King Su's position earlier."
After all, since the Shangguan family's own internal investigation, its strength in the court has been reduced a lot. Now the family and Li Rong have just formed an alliance. Judging from the strength of the court, Li Rong and the family now have the upper hand, but if they want to launch a mutiny , but not necessarily.
Li Ming has Xiao Su's army in the northwest, and the Li family's direct line army that he has been operating for many years, adding up to a total of 100,000 troops, and he is not afraid to face any aristocratic family alone.
What he was afraid of was that after the aristocratic families were assembled, a new army would be formed with Li Chuan as the representative.
But now the family is in a mess. After the establishment of the Inspectorate, although it seems that they are united to punish Concubine Rou, they actually have different opinions.
If Li Chuan doesn't have enough troops in his hand, and if he launches a mutiny at this time, Li Ming does have enough advantages.
"There are nearly 100,000 troops in His Majesty's hands, 50,000 in Xiao Su's hands, 10,000 in Beijing, and 40,000 scattered around Huajing." Pei Wenxuan said, took out a map from under the table, spread it on the table, and lifted it up. Pointing his hand on the northwest corner of the map, and then paddling all the way to Huajing, "If Your Majesty starts to move troops from the northwest now, Xiao Su will go from preparation to marching to this place, and it will take at least a month."
"But the northwest is far from Huajing, with Su and Xie in the middle." Li Rong pondered, "If they block a little, it will take more than two months."
"But will they?" Pei Wenxuan asked back, Li Rong paused, looked up at Pei Wenxuan, and Pei Wenxuan reminded seriously, "It's not just you and me who know the future."
If Su Rongqing had already returned, then he would not be able to sit still.
Although the Xie family had been silent since Xie Lanqing was exiled, they were afraid that they had long since renounced Li Chuan. The Su Clan and Xie Clan are separated from the northwest. If Xiao Su crosses the border, the worst result may be to bring Su Clan and Xie Clan's army to Huajing together.
"Su Rongqing..."
Li Rong tapped on the table and couldn't help but read Su Rongqing's name. Pei Wenxuan listened to her muttering, raised his hand to drink tea, and said casually, "Why, do you miss someone?"
"Isn't it?" Li Rong said with emotion, "I still underestimate him. Xie Lanqing's exile, he is afraid that he planned it too early."
Looking back now, when Xie Lanqing was the minister of the Ministry of Punishment, she targeted her everywhere. At first, she only thought it was because of the conflict of interests between the Superintendent and the Ministry of Punishment, but now that I think about it, I am afraid that Su Rongqing did something behind.
Su Rongqing forced her to abolish Xie Lanqing early, and cut off the way of Xie and Li Chuan, unless Li Chuan really decided not to be her eldest sister.
But Li Chuan couldn't do that.
And the discord between Xie's and Li Chuan, which is usually nothing, has become the key today.
If Xiao Su can drive straight to Huajing without hindrance, then no matter where she draws her troops, it is impossible to arrive earlier than Xiao Su.
Once Xiao Su's army came to Beijing, Li Chuan would have no way out.
Li Chuan is dead, and the family has lost its leader. Unless another leader is elected to rebel, it will be a mess. With the temperament of the noble family, it is probably to retreat to protect themselves. At this time, Li Ming is more favourable and powerful, taking the opportunity to remove the Shangguan clan, and no one dares to say anything more.
Li Rong closed her eyes gently, raised her hand and pinched her eyes: "Let Zhao Chongjiu immediately send a message to the northwest, and let Qin Lin stare at Xiao Su, once Xiao Su's army goes to Huajing..."
Li Rong hesitated for a moment, and she felt a little uneasy.
It was indeed too early for them to use force at this time, and Qin Lin directly intercepted Xiao Su's army, which was an act of rebellion anyway.
"Then it has to be stopped."
Pei Wenxuan saw her hesitation, and he said decisively: "Your Highness, it's time to use Lin Feibai, call him back to Beijing."
"What are you doing back in Beijing?"
Li Rong frowned, and Pei Wenxuan raised his hand and tapped on the map: "Recognize our ancestors and return to our ancestors."
Li Rong reacted immediately, Lin Feibai even confessed to Xie Lanqing himself, even if he was guilty, but he was Xie Lanqing's son after all. Once the Xie family's direct son is away, he will have the opportunity to inherit the Xie family.
If it was before, even if Xie Lanqing's son died, Lin Feibai would not be the illegitimate son. But now Lin Feibai has military power.
With military power and the identity of Xie Lanqing's son, Lin Feibai inherited the Xie family, that is, a little operation.
"Although the Xie family has a conflict with His Royal Highness, the tax payment is related to the entire family. The Xie family cannot be an iron plate. Now Lin Feibai has military power. As long as the head of the Xie family, Xie Chunhe, dies, then Lin Feibai will become the new Xie Xie. The head of the family is just a little bit of operation."
"So the first thing we have to do is to kill Xie Chunhe."
Hearing this, Li Rong raised her eyes to look at Pei Wenxuan: "Why not just kill Li Cheng?"
As soon as Li Cheng died, if Li Ming killed Li Chuan again, the Li family would really fall by the wayside.
"In the past when Li Cheng was killed, the royal father was afraid that he could have another son, so he took the opportunity to abolish Chuan'er. But now, he probably doesn't have the ability and time to have another son."
Li Rong's voice was calm: "If I make a move, he probably won't be able to spare me, but since he has made a plan to ask Xiao Su to come from the northwest, it can be seen that he does not plan to spare me and Chuan'er. Li Cheng stays, but also There is no need."
"If His Highness intends to do so," Pei Wenxuan's voice was very soft, "it's not impossible."
"Kill Li Cheng and Xie Chunhe," Pei Wenxuan's hand twirled lightly on the map, "If Su Rongqing doesn't want Chuan'er to ascend to the throne, there is only one way to rebel. Su Minzhi won't agree."
"In this way," Pei Wenxuan calmly said, "Even if Xiao Su enters Beijing, it will no longer be useful. But in this case, the only risk is," Pei Wenxuan raised his eyes and looked at Li Rong, "Your Majesty may vent his anger. will kill you and the queen."
Li Rong was silent, Pei Wenxuan looked at her: "Only move Xie Chunhe, Your Majesty may not realize our true intention, the goal in his heart is the prince, and he won't move you just to beat the grass and startle snakes, just because of a Xie Chunhe. If you touch Li Cheng, of course it can be done once and for all, but Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan's voice was very soft, "His Royal Highness Prince will be His Majesty's only heir. In order to minimize the influence of the Shangguan family on the Prince, he will definitely take some measures. Very tricky. Whether it's for personal vendetta or the future of the prince, His Majesty will kill you and the queen at any cost. Do you want to do this for the prince," Pei Wenxuan said seriously, "think about it again."
"Are you trying to persuade me?" Li Rong asked directly after listening to Pei Wenxuan's analysis.
Pei Wenxuan chuckled: "How can I persuade you?"
He raised his head slowly, his eyes full of tolerance: "I'm just accompanying you."
When Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan were talking, Hua Le grabbed the token that Concubine Rou gave him, restrained the trembling, and hurriedly returned to Xiao's house.
She kept reassuring herself.
She can't panic, she can't panic at this time.
She must be calm, and don't let anyone read her jokes and think that she will be weak if Concubine Rou is gone.
When Hua Le arrived at Xiao Mansion, she calmed down. She grabbed the token given to her by Concubine Rou and walked down from the carriage.
The Xiao family has been in business for many years, and only two uncles have been promoted.
One is the eldest uncle Xiao Su in the northwest, and the other is the third uncle Xiao Ming in the Imperial Forest Army.
Hua Le entered the room and saw Xiao Ming, her whole body almost softened, but she held herself up and saluted with red eyes: "Uncle Third."
"Don't panic," Xiao Ming raised his hand to let Hua Le sit down, took the teacup, and frowned, "What did your mother leave behind?"
"Stayed."
Hua Le hurriedly nodded, she took out the token in her hand, handed it to Xiao Ming, wiped her tears, and said anxiously, "Mother said to give me this token, and let me kill Li Chuan, if I can kill Li Rong better."
"Kill the prince?!"
Xiao Ming's face was shocked, Hua Le nodded, she was afraid that Xiao Ming would not dare, and added: "Uncle, now my mother can't keep it, and now our only way out is to kill Li Chuan quickly, so that the prince can only Cheng'er is the only heir left, and the father is no longer alive. Cheng'er can ascend to the throne as soon as he dies. At that time, you will be His Majesty's uncle, and I will be the eldest princess. You can see how beautiful the Shangguan family is now, isn't it? Because they are the father's mother family?"
Xiao Ming remained silent, Hua Le was a little anxious, and she hurriedly said: "Uncle, this is the only way to save my mother and brother. When Li Chuan ascends the throne, will you let us go for him and Li Rong? Shangguan does not like us. For a long time, you were going to sit still like this? You…”
"Hua Le." Xiao Ming interrupted her and said slowly, "This is too big, let me think about it, you go back first."
"Uncle?" Hua Le looked at Xiao Ming in shock, "Are you going to watch my mother die like this?"
"Even if you kill Li Chuan, you won't be able to save your mother." Xiao Ming sighed, "It's not that my uncle won't help you, he's just thinking of a foolproof plan. You go back to rest first, and I'll think about it later. It's just that time is too short," Xiao Ming He murmured, "I don't know if I can wait until this year's winter hunt, but this is a good opportunity."
Hua Le's eyes lit up when he heard this.
Xiao Ming glanced at Hua Le and asked for Hua Le to be sent out.
After Hua Le went out, the butler came to Xiao Ming, poured tea for Xiao Ming, and said in a low voice, "You said that the madam is too, isn't it a joke to let the Highness of Hua Le go down and assassinate the Prince? If His Royal Highness is so good at assassinating, Can you wait until today?"
"It's not easy to assassinate a person. It's not that there is no chance. Opportunities are made by people, but they are just afraid of the price."
Xiao Ming gently taped the rim of the teacup with his hand: "It's not stupid that my sister can make it to this day. Do you think she really expects Hua Le to assassinate Li Chuan?"
Xiao Ming sneered: "She is looking for a scapegoat for someone who wants to die. Now, there are a lot of people who want Li Chuan to die. As long as Hua Le is willing to be the culprit after the accident, everyone is willing to help her."
"Then..." The housekeeper frowned, "Niangniang, are you planning not to protect Her Royal Highness Hua Le?"
"Use a daughter for the throne of a son," Xiao Ming held up the teacup. "In the eyes of the empress, it is not a disadvantage. When His Royal Highness Su Wang ascends the throne in the future, it will also be a comfort to pursue His Highness Hua Le. This family, There isn't a good thing, look at Hua Le, the long princess with her mouth shut, how much do you think she cares about her mother?"
Xiao Ming had a bit of sarcasm in his eyes: "A daughter wants her mother to die in exchange for the position of the eldest princess, and a mother thinks of using her own daughter to die in exchange for her position as the queen mother, which is very interesting."
"Then, does the master look at it like this?"
The housekeeper hesitated: "After all, Niangniang and the Xiao family are both prosperous and damaged."
"Of course I didn't watch it. I quickly asked someone to pass the news into the palace to your majesty, and said that Hua Le was emotional and wanted to assassinate Li Chuan. Oh, remember," Xiao Ming held the tea bowl and instructed, "you can only Let His Majesty know, don't let the people around him listen too much, who knows what ghosts and snakes are around him?"
"Yes."
The butler responded respectfully.
The news of Hua Le's assassination of Li Chuan reached Li Ming's ears that night.
Li Ming thought about it in the hall alone in the middle of the night, and when he went to court the next day, Li Ming set a date for the winter hunt.
Winter hunting is a big summer custom. It is said that it is winter hunting, but it is actually when the army in Huajing exercises and competes every year.
There are six armies in Huajing, the imperial army in the hands of the emperor, the Yulin Guard in the hands of the prince, and the remaining four armies, east, west, north and south, guarding the four city gates.
The chiefs of the four armies were from Shangguan, Su, Pei, and Li Ming's direct descendant, King Ning.
Every winter hunting, these six armies will conduct drills in the forest to prevent the army from slackening.
Li Rong heard Li Ming set the date for the winter hunt, and she had a plan in her heart. After the court, Pei Wenxuan walked to Li Rong's side, and they walked side by side, looking ahead.
"The winter hunting time is set in ten days. Has Your Highness's thoughts been settled?"
"How long will Lin Feibai be back?"
"He is alone, and he will be there in three days."
"Prepare to kill Xie Chunhe first."
"It's a little thing."
Pei Wenxuan chuckled: "I will arrange the winter hunt."
Li Rong responded, and the two walked out of the palace gate together. Pei Wenxuan saluted respectfully: "Your Highness, I'll go back first."
Li Rong nodded, and Pei Wenxuan couldn't help but look at her one more time. Seeing that Li Rong didn't keep him, he still felt a little regretful in his heart.
Now his relationship with Li Rong is that Li Rong is pestering him to the outside world. Although Li Ming may have doubts about him after the Roufei affair, he still needs to keep his face to the end. Maybe Li Ming is not that smart
Therefore, Li Rong didn't leave him, and he couldn't, so after he saluted, he pretended to be indifferent and returned to his carriage.
He just sat down just after getting on the carriage, and when he turned around, he saw Li Rong jumping up with the carriage.
Pei Wenxuan was slightly taken aback, Li Rong sat next to him, raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Why, I can't sit?"
Pei Wenxuan regained his senses. He suppressed a smile and patted his lap: "Come, sit here."
Li Rong twisted her waist and sat on Pei Wenxuan's lap, raised her hand to hook him, and said to the outside world, "Let's go, this palace will give Lord Pei a ride."
Pei Wenxuan was sitting upright, but Li Rong seemed to have no bones. The driver didn't dare to look inside, so he hesitated, "Sir?"
"Let's go." Pei Wenxuan's voice came from the carriage, and it was a little cold, "Listen to Your Highness."
The coachman just thought Pei Wenxuan was helpless, looked at Pei Wenxuan with some pity, and drove the carriage to the Pei Mansion.
The carriage crunched and remembered, Pei Wenxuan wrapped Li Rong's waist with one hand, and said softly, "I thought His Highness had gone back to the manor."
"You are my sweetheart," Li Rong leaned against Pei Wenxuan's chest, "How could I give up on you?"
Pei Wenxuan laughed without saying a word, listening to Li Rong talking nonsense. After Li Rong leaned on for a while, she heard Pei Wenxuan ask, "Your Highness can't decide?"
"Pei Wenxuan."
Li Rong said in a low voice: "If I kill Li Cheng, and the royal father really wants to kill me, Huajing will inevitably mutiny. Chuaner has five thousand Yu Linwei in his hands, and I have a thousand inspectors and Shangguan. There are 4,000 people in Shi and you, and the total is no more than 10,000. But the royal army alone is more than 10,000. If Su Rongqing and King Ning join forces, do you think Chuan'er will be willing to protect me and fight against the father?"
Pei Wenxuan didn't speak, he raised his hand and stroked Li Rong's back.
"If he doesn't want to fight for me, I'll die."
Li Rong raised her head and looked at Pei Wenxuan: "I will die for a prince's throne like Concubine Rou."
"His Royal Highness can't trust His Royal Highness."
Pei Wenxuan must have spoken out, he thought about it, his voice was steady: "If Your Highness wants to kill Li Cheng, the Pei family has 2,000 troops in the city, and 1,000 troops of my own, and I have private personnel all over Huajing. , If the Prince abandons His Highness, I will escort His Highness out of the city, and His Highness flees all the way out of the city to Qingzhou, where you have a garrison, and when Huajing takes the first place, no one will pursue your whereabouts. If the Prince wins, you will Just come back. If the prince loses, you will abandon Qingzhou and go far to Dongying to save your life."
Li Rong didn't speak, and Pei Wenxuan paused while stroking her back. After a while, he couldn't help laughing: "You don't believe me either."
"Pei Wenxuan," Li Rong's voice was a little hoarse, she snuggled into Pei Wenxuan's arms, "I'm sorry."
Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath, raised his hand and hugged Li Rong tightly.
"It's not your fault, it's because the world didn't teach you to trust someone. It doesn't matter," Pei Wenxuan kissed her, "If you're afraid, kill Xie Chunhe first. After Lin Feibai took control of the Xie family, the Xie family Stop Xiao Su from entering Beijing, Qin Lin pursues Xiao Su from behind, you and Shangguan's army join forces to enter Huajing, we will just follow step by step."
"The price is too high."
Li Rong closed her eyes: "Also, if Su Rongqing joins forces with the royal father, if anything goes wrong in the northwest, we will be finished."
"We have to kill Li Cheng."
Li Rong's voice was calm: "But, as soon as I close my eyes, I will think of my previous life."
"In the last life, I met Chuan'er for the last time, and he asked me to play chess. He didn't tell me anything about me, nor did he ask me how my health was. He just said that he had acquired a new elixir, and after eating it, he could live forever. He asked me about the establishment of the reserve, and asked me how Li Ping was."
"There's nothing in his eyes, all pawns."
Li Rong opened her eyes in a trance: "Wen Xuan, although I am very close to Chuan'er and my mother, they are my family. But in my heart, I have always been afraid."
Li Rong's expression was calm, but Pei Wenxuan saw from Li Rong's calmness that she saw deep in her heart, hidden for many years, dare not speak, deceived herself and others, so that she couldn't help trembling slightly. of pain.
"They didn't love me that much, and I didn't love them that much."
"My mother-in-law will let me die for Chuan'er."
"Everything I did for Chuan'er was for him and myself."
"And Chuan'er..."
There was a moment of confusion in Li Rong's eyes: "If he came back from the previous life, after I killed Li Cheng."
"He will let me die."
With my sister and mother, in exchange for the overall situation, in exchange for an agreement with my father, in exchange for a high throne, in exchange for absolute control of the world.
If Li Chuan from the previous life stood here.
Li Rong felt so cold in her heart—
He will let her die.
When this point surfaced, Li Rong's hands and feet were cold.
Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong quietly, and Li Rong smiled reluctantly: "I'm sorry for letting you see such an ugly thing."
A family is not a family, a country is not a country.
Everyone in this court seems to be an alienated beast, trapped in this Colosseum.
"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan held Li Rong's hand, "try it."
Li Rong looked up blankly and looked at Pei Wenxuan: "What you are afraid of is being let down. But if you don't give everyone a chance to prove yourself, then you will never know that there are people in this world who can trust you."
"Try it once." Pei Wenxuan looked at her with pity in his eyes, "I promise, you'll be fine."
He didn't know what choice Li Chuan would make.
But as long as he lives.
With the body as the bridge and the bones as the wheel, he will send her out of Huajing well.
"We've lived all our lives, Rongrong," Pei Wenxuan took her into his arms, "I don't want you to live a life of despair like the last one."