〖On behalf of the sacrificial ceremony, and the sacrificial people all said that Taizong was cautious.
On the 15th night of June, chaos broke out in Chang'an, and people said that there was a plot against him.
- "Yong Shi · Taizong Chronicle"〗
On June 14th, in the dead of night, in a secret mansion in Chang'an, in a secret room, a man and a woman were discussing in secret. The man was wearing a black night clothes and a black cloak. Next, the woman was plain-looking, but she was full of sword energy, and it was Wen Ziyan herself. The two were silent for a long time in front of the dim light, and the man finally said: "Please tell the sect master, we can't do it this time, and now we and King Yong are only five or five in terms of the power in the capital, while King Qi is only five or five. Only he or his military talisman can call the military horse, so it is impossible to participate in the succession this time, and besides, His Royal Highness still has a chance, if we act in a hurry, we will be trapped instead."
Wen Ziyan sighed: "The sect master also thinks so, but I always feel that if I don't take the opportunity to kill a few thorns in the eyes, I'm really unwilling."
The man said coldly: "Who can we kill, there is the evil shadow Li Shun beside King Yong, unless the sect master himself takes action, who can succeed in one fell swoop, Jiang Zhe has Master Cizhen by his side, and the others just kill what? To use it as an excuse for their revenge, are you going to kill Princess Changle who was cultivating in Wuchen Nunnery?"
Wen Ziyan smiled and said: "Princess, we naturally dare not kill, but what about Ye Tianxiu, he is in Chang'an now, why don't we take the opportunity to kill him and cut off King Qing's wings."
The man thoughtfully said: "This idea is not bad, but Ye Tianxiu is rightfully staying in the capital after all, and King Qing's status as the chief guard is unusual. We have to kill him secretly, or we have to use a knife to kill."
Wen Ziyan said coldly, "Killing a Ye Tianxiu is easy. If I didn't want to provoke King Qing, I would have done it. Now we kill him while the situation is chaotic. King Qing wants to raise his teacher and ask for guilt, but he can't find anyone."
The man smiled lightly and said, "Let's not do it anymore, let Xiahou go. He is also a disciple of the Moon Sect of the Demon Sect. You don't think he seems to have too many martial arts tricks on the surface, but he is not such a simple person."
Wen Ziyan smiled and said, "Okay, just do as you said. Master often says that you are her right-hand man, and it really lives up to its reputation."
The man said lightly: "What about the right-hand man? It's not like you can only obey others."
Wen Ziyan said sternly: "Don't worry, after this is done, you will be satisfied with the arrangement of the sect master."
The man was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm leaving, it's getting late."
Wen Ziyan nodded lightly and said, "Be careful on the road."
The man walked out of the secret room, his figure was as light as a flying eagle, and he disappeared into the night in a blink of an eye. And a bloody killing is about to unfold.
On June 15, King Yong Li Zhi took the place of the prince to accompany the sacrifice in Chang'an. When Li Zhi completed the ceremony respectfully and perfectly, even the most critical Confucian scholar could only be amazed, and King Yong also took advantage of the situation of the ceremony to renew the ceremony. Returning to the power center of the Dayong court was hated by many, and cheered by some. Ye Tianxiu is one of them. As King Qing's bodyguard, he is very clear about his hatred for King Qing and Fengyi Sect, and he also understands that King Qing has no chance of winning at all. The only way is to use power, but until today , Ye Tianxiu willingly admitted that only King Yong was the one worthy of being an emperor.
Ye Tianxiu reluctantly watched King Yong's car driving away, and finally decided to go back to his residence. Recently, Lord Jiang has sent a letter to His Royal Highness King Qing, and the poisonous injury of Young Master has been temporarily controlled, so Master Hou hopes to be able to Send the little Marquis to Chang'an as soon as possible, but now the situation in Chang'an is so intertwined, Jiang Marquis's power is difficult to ensure the safety of his beloved son, so it is transferred to King Qing, but King Qing also hinders the difficulty. In Chang'an, the power of King Qing is not Steady, although Fengyimen couldn't deal with King Qing's people, it was not because they were powerless, but because they were unwilling to tell King Qing. All these people will be wiped out in one go, and not only will His Royal Highness King Qing's painstaking management be in vain, but Lord Jiang Xiaohou will also be trapped in Chang'an.
Back at King Qing's secret stronghold in Chang'an, it was already twilight. Ye Tianxiu ordered his subordinates to watch the night carefully, and went to the study to write back to King Qing, explaining his opinion. It was less than one watch after finishing the writing, Ye Tianxiu was upset and couldn't sleep peacefully, so she flipped through the recent information in the study.
At this moment, a mysterious man was standing in the alley not far away, looking at it indifferently. He was wearing a gray-black gown with a slightly tight waist and a slender figure, like a jade tree facing the wind. He was covered with a blue gauze, and he couldn't see what his appearance was, but the eyebrows that were exposed outside the mask were already very elegant. He looked at the sky and suddenly flew into the quiet house. His figure was like a flying swallow. In a blink of an eye, he had already jumped over the courtyard wall, and his figure fell high into the courtyard, which had already alarmed Ye Tianxiu's subordinates. Walking inwards, several of King Qing's guards couldn't hold it in any longer, and blocked them forward, only to see a azure light appearing like lightning, and blood immediately flowed. .
At this time, Ye Tianxiu had hurried over, and he shouted loudly, "Who are you, you dare to break into the house at night?"
The man sighed softly and said, "I'm here under orders, see you, Brother Ye." After that, he rushed towards the crowd. Those guards were all masters of martial arts and martial arts. Very outstanding, I saw his figure soaring, and the sword light was like a streamer, shining everywhere in the gray-black figure, sometimes shooting out of the air, sometimes flashing dazzlingly, wherever he went, the sword came out to see blood. Ye Tianxiu shouted angrily, drew his sword and lunged at him, but the man didn't fight him, just chased and killed those guards everywhere, Ye Tianxiu was even more shocked, and shouted: "You guys quickly retreat."
These guards were all well-trained people and immediately dispersed in all directions, while Ye Tianxiu also took the opportunity to block the man. , But the masked man's swordsmanship is light and fast, but unpredictable, and with his unpredictable lightness and movement, it is even more difficult to resist, the two fought seventy or eighty moves in an instant, The exquisite sword moves are brilliant, the sword energy is turbulent, and the two of them are as dangerous as small boats in the storm.
Those guards of King Qing knew that if they made a move, they would cause chaos, and they didn't want to disturb the officers and soldiers, so they could only surround the venue and prepare hidden weapons.
The two of them fought to the point where the masked man suddenly gave a soft drink, and the swords flew towards Ye Tianxiu. The man's body seemed to tremble, and he couldn't help feeling overjoyed, knowing that the man's skill was weaker than his own, his figure flashed an arc, and stabbed the man's back with a sword, and he calculated the position of the masked man. He didn't have time to turn around, and the masked man was really angry, and his body was stagnant. Ye Tianxiu stabbed his right half with this sword, and he was about to succeed. There was a flash of thunder, finally Ye Tianxiu was very thoughtful and had a bit of strength, but only had time to avoid the key point. He cried out in pain, pressed the wound, and shouted: "Break out of each other."
The masked man wanted to chase, but suddenly stopped for some reason, turned and rushed towards the guards who were desperately killing him in order to stop the enemy for Ye Tianxiu. The torrential rain, but a dozen moves, killed the few guards who were left behind. Finally, the masked man looked at the blood on the ground, sighed lightly, took out a snow-white silk handkerchief from his arms, wiped the blood on the sword, and then inserted the long sword into the scabbard disguised as a belt. The sharp sword was actually a soft sword.
At this moment, the mansion suddenly burst into flames, and the masked man frowned slightly. He immediately knew that King Qing's subordinates set fire to the mansion himself, so as not to leave any evidence. middle.
However, this bloody battle was only the beginning of this night's nightmare. Just after the night patrol arrived at the fire and put out the fire, two major incidents occurred in Chang'an City, one was Zheng Xia's assassination, and the other was Chang'an. Urban events.
Zheng Xia was assassinated at the beginning of the second watch. After finishing the finishing work of the festival, Zheng Xia returned to the house at night. Although he was a civil servant, Dayong advocated martial arts. He didn't like sitting in a sedan chair. The entourage protects each other and looks around from time to time. Zheng Xia has always been known for being upright and upright, outspoken and dare to advise the world. Therefore, although he is honest and upright and has a bright character, he still has many enemies, so there are quite a few around him. Some of the guards with excellent martial arts have received Zheng Xia's great favor and are grateful for the pictures, some respected Zheng Xia's character, so they fell in love, and some were simply sent to him by Emperor Yong. Although Li Yuan was confused about some things, he criticized the faint-hearted monarch who accepted his advice. He respected Zheng Xia very much, so after Zheng Xia was assassinated, Li Yuan ordered four imperial guards to be Zheng Xia's guards. Later, it was awarded to Zheng Xia's other four Jianghu natives as guards of the third-class imperial guard. Li Yuan favored Zheng Xia's honor above all officials, and Zheng Xia became more loyal to Li Yuan.
Just as Zheng Shizhong greeted the guards guarding the gate, not long after walking out of the Suzaku Gate, a black shadow was crawling on the roof on the side of the road. At this time, Zheng Xia's guards relaxed a little because of the large number of forbidden troops here. At this moment, the black shadow shot out suddenly and stabbed Zheng Xia with a sword. This sword is as fast as a meteor and lightning. Originally, Zheng Xia was absolutely lifeless, but it was a fluke. When the black shadow volleyed to assassinate, Zheng Xia just remembered that although the ceremony to welcome the holy car and return to Beijing had already been arranged, according to the The etiquette should go to King Yong to ask for instructions. After all, the emperor appointed King Yong to sacrifice on his behalf, so it is equivalent to letting King Yong sit on the bed. Although King Yong was under house arrest during this period of time, the etiquette should not be taken lightly. Zheng Xia Originally, these etiquettes were the most important, so he leaned down from the horse and whispered to a guard, asking him to send a message to Prince Yong's mansion tonight, explaining the reason why he couldn't go to see him tonight. The moment he leaned over, the assassin had already flown and stabbed. It was a coincidence that Zheng Xia only felt a sharp pain, and the sword had already pierced his shoulder.
And just as the assassin flew out, the bright moonlight had already revealed his figure. Although those guards could not stop the sword, they did a good job of mending the situation. The guard Zheng Xia leaned over to talk to him, One pulled Zheng Xia off his horse, and the other guards also drew their swords and surrounded the assassin, but the assassin was unusual and missed a hit. , has broken out of the siege and disappeared without a trace.
Zheng Xia endured the excruciating pain and said, "Immediately send someone to inform His Royal Highness King Yong, Prime Minister Wei, and Qin Qing, the commander of the Imperial Army." After speaking, he was already unconscious. These guards quickly sent Zheng Xia to the Taiyuan Hospital not far away for treatment, and the news of Zheng Xia's assassination immediately reached the ears of the major forces in Chang'an.
Just when all the forces were suspicious, on June 15th, a major event that turned Chang'an upside down happened.
The two most prosperous markets in Chang'an are Metropolitan City (East Market) and Liren Market (West Market), and Pingkangfang, which is adjacent to the East Market, is a place that never sleeps. By convention, the curfew in the two cities is higher than elsewhere. It is two hours later, and Pingkangfang is a good place to stay at night, so it is a brightly lit, spring-like day without night at the third watch. Just at midnight, the fire is everywhere, all over the East Market. Businessmen swarmed to put out the fire, but in the chaos, some people killed and robbed goods while shouting "Shu people swear to death and never surrender to Dayong". There was no square gate in the East City, so the people in the city fled. For a while, there was chaos. , The Chunming Gate, which is the closest to the East City, also started to catch fire, and the blood of Chang'an, who was shouting to be killed, was poured into a river inside and outside the city. Since Dayong established the country, Chang'an has been singing and dancing, and the officials of the East City were caught off guard for a while, so they had no choice but to send someone to report to Qin Qing.
If Qin Qing had not been alarmed by the assassination of Zheng Xia, I'm afraid it would still be delayed, but he took Qin Yong out already, and when he saw the fire in the direction of Dongshi, Qin Qing and Qin Yong were both on the battlefield. The general, immediately ordered all the forbidden troops to be dispatched. Qin Qing sent the forbidden army to protect the important yamen and mansions in Chang'an, and then ordered the city gates to be closed. Qin Qing personally led a forbidden army to surround the Dongshi regiment. All this took only half of the time. When the time came, Qin Yong was in charge of the investigation of the streets and alleys. The Imperial Army loudly conveyed military orders everywhere, announcing that Chang'an had entered a state of martial law. All residents must stay at home and not go out. Anyone who violated the military order would be killed without mercy. When Qin Qing and Qin Yong met in the East City, the only place in Chang'an that had not calmed down was because there were the most merchants and warriors from both inside and outside the East City. Although the fire inside had subsided, they started killing each other. Qin Qing and Qin Yong were killing each other. Although they also wanted to send the forbidden army in to suppress it, this is the prosperous place in Chang'an. If the forbidden army suppressed the jade, all the jade and stones would be burned, and the two of them could not make up their minds for a while. Now the only people who can be the masters of Chang'an are King Yong and Prime Minister Wei. Guan, Wei Guan was a civil official, and the two had to send someone to ask King Yong for instructions.
Before the fire broke out, King Yong Li Zhi was discussing with me what happened these days. Li Zhi said cheerfully, "Suiyun, now this king can be said to have gained Dayong's military and people's heart, what do you think?"
I respectfully said: "His Royal Highness this time to accompany the sacrifice in Chang'an, let the world see His Highness's demeanor, although the Emperor still has the heart to protect the Prince, but now who does not know that the Prince is virtuous, so I beg Your Highness, this time do not rush to persecute, but His Highness still wants Following the meaning of the head of Fengyi, he made a statement. If His Highness really attacked the Prince, I am afraid that everyone in the world would think that His Highness did not care about his brotherhood, and the Emperor hurriedly silenced, obviously just wanted to teach the Prince a lesson. If His Highness pushes too hard, and the Emperor cannot step down, I am afraid that His Highness will be angry."
Li Zhi frowned and said, "You're right, but you also know that now the head of Fengyi's sect has gone out in person, I'm afraid that the crown prince will not make any mistakes from now on. ."
I smiled and said: "Don't worry, Your Highness, now Fengyi Sect is desperate, no matter how powerful they are, they can't win the hearts and minds of the people in the world, His Royal Highness is not a puppet at the mercy, his nature is hard to change, anything can be done. , Of course, we can't just wait like this, the minister's plan has already been made, but King Qi is too much in the way. Although King Qi has a rough temperament and a shallow scheming, there are some things that others have not noticed yet, and King Qi has already relied on his talent. He is alert and aware, so His Highness's top priority is to send His Royal Highness King Qi out of Chang'an."
Li Zhi thought for a while and said, "It's not difficult. There are some changes in the Northern Han Dynasty. I can recommend King Qi to inspect the border."
I hurriedly said: "Your Highness may wish to inspect the border by yourself."
Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "You mean hard-to-get?"
I clasped my palms and said, "That's right, if His Highness returns to the army, it will be like a dragon entering the sea. How could those people let His Highness go there? At that time, there will be no one other than King Qi who has this qualification. As soon as King Qi leaves, His Royal Highness can do it. An Xin fights with the prince, and when the matter is completed, as long as there is a military order, are you still afraid that King Qi will not obediently bind himself and return to the capital?"
Li Zhi nodded and said: "Okay, I'll explain the matter when the royal father returns, and when the sixth brother leaves, I can rest assured. Now the prince's leading general is only the sixth brother. If he leaves, I can rest easy. worry."
I shook my head and said, "That's not necessarily true. The consort of Jingjiang also holds the monarchical power and is proficient in the art of war."
Li Zhi smiled and said, "Suiyun, don't tell me you didn't do anything in the Qin family?"
I smiled slightly, thinking of Hua Liu, the elite of the secret camp, my former personal guard, isn't it by Qin Yong's side now
Just when I was chatting and laughing with King Yong, a guard reported that Zheng Xia had been assassinated. King Yong and I were worried. Not long after, the guards in the mansion came to report that they saw the fire. This is the second fire tonight. The location seems to be Dongshi. King Yong and I looked at each other. I quickly thought about how so many things happened together. If it was a coincidence, it would be too much.