It was late at night, and Zhang Yongde didn't even dare to go home. He spent the night in the Konghe Army camp near the city gate.
He tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep, so he got up, put on his clothes, walked to the table, picked up a tool next to him and gently moved the wick of the oil lamp.
The light in the room brightened slightly, and then he took out a torn envelope, stretched out a hand to receive it, and poured out a piece of paper from the envelope. Zhang Yongde leaned under the light and read it carefully again; there were many words, written very smoothly, and it was indeed Wang Pu's handwriting. It was written entirely in the capacity of a private friend, not in the name of the Privy Councilor, which meant that Zhang Yongde could completely refuse the invitation without being accused of disobeying orders.
But can he really refuse? Zhang Yongde thought over and over again.
Zhang Yongde was very glorious in front of others. He was the highest-ranking general of the imperial army, and his wife was the fourth daughter of Emperor Taizu, a true royal relative. But he felt that he had not lived a comfortable life in recent years because he was too prominent and was always being watched by others, which made him feel uneasy. Fortunately, he knew himself, otherwise he might not be able to maintain his stability now.
Zhao Kuangyin had already escaped today, and logically the victory and defeat had already been decided, so he should have understood his choice immediately. However, things were not that simple.
When he was still in Hebei, the emperor was seriously ill, and Zhang Yongde occasionally thought of something very tempting.
The emperor would rather have a strong army and strong horses. In this world, the emperor has been a military general for many years; and Zhang Yongde is the highest-ranking military general under the emperor. He married Taizu's biological daughter; from the relationship with Guo Wei, it is hard to say who is closer to him, the son-in-law or the wife's nephew Chai Rong. The current emperor is seriously ill again, and his son is only a few years old.
It is impossible that Zhang Yongde never thought about it. Even if he didn't want to, others would help him think about it. For example, Emperor Chai Rong and his powerful general Zhao Kuangyin must have wondered whether Zhang Yongde wanted to go further.
But the last step is the most difficult one. Countless people cannot take it. People who are too greedy can easily fail. There are too many failures like Li Shouzhen. If you fail, you will not be famous. Zhang Yongde thought about it again and again and thought that he had no chance and there was no need to persist.
So when he learned this morning that Zhao Kuangyin had suddenly disappeared after the Tokyo mutiny, he immediately became alert and rushed to the Konghe Army camp to avoid disaster.
Zhang Yongde had already figured out the conflict between Zhao Kuangyin and the Queen's party. He immediately realized that he might be pushed up by Zhao Kuangyin to fight against Guo Shao's army.
There is no benefit in doing this. If Zhao Kuangyin fails, he will be crowned as the emperor and his family will not be killed. He will be considered the winner. Everything is done by Zhao Kuangyin. He feels that it is difficult to sit in the upper position. The key is that the imperial city is controlled by others. The chance of winning is not great. What if Emperor Chai Rong can still stand up? The people in the imperial city are desperate and invite the emperor to come out. Zhang Yongde, as the emperor's brother-in-law, is deeply favored by the emperor. How to face it
Zhang Yongde thought about it and felt that some things were definitely not his and he couldn't force them. It was really damn scary. It was a dangerous place even more dangerous than the battlefield with mountains of swords and seas of fire.
The next morning, Zhang Yongde brought his entourage to the Donghua Gate and entered the imperial city alone.
Upon hearing the news, Guo Shao breathed a sigh of relief.
With the support of Zhang Yongde, the chief inspector of the palace, the Privy Council could adjust the defenses calmly and divide and insert the Iron Cavalry. Next, from the central government to the military commanders of the imperial army, who would oppose the Queen's ruling? Maybe there were people who were dissatisfied, but they were just some small characters without strength and could not turn over a prodigal son.
In the side hall outside Jinxiang Hall where ministers rested, Lu Chengyong and another personal soldier were putting away the quilts and blankets on the ground. Guo Shao sat on a chair beside him, took a sip of tea, and turned his head to look out of the bright carved window. He saw the morning sun rising from the east. It was another sunny day.
At one point when he got the news, Guo Shao felt happy, but then the shadows returned. Now he could only feel relieved.
For some reason, he just couldn't feel happy when it was a time to celebrate. He imagined the future again, and could foresee that he would have great power, status and wealth, but these still didn't make him happy, and he was still unhappy.
Fu Jinzhan's position in his heart has indeed surpassed his interests. No matter how much power or money he has, it can't help him get rid of the shadow in his heart.
This shadow was not caused by his rebellion against the emperor; in fact, the emperor had always been threatening his safety, and everything he had obtained depended on Fu Jinzhan. No one could hurt Guo Shao from the heart except her.
Just then, the eunuch Cao Tai came to the door and said: General Guo, the Queen summons you.
Guo Shao quickly collected his thoughts, glanced at the armor placed next to him, and thought that he didn't need to wear it for the time being, so he said: "Please lead the way, Eunuch Cao."
He walked silently into the Jinxiang Palace with Cao Tai. Along the way, he recalled what Fu Jinzhan had done and how she trusted and was kind to him. If it came to loyalty, the person he should be loyal to was the queen.
Considering the long-term situation of the Zhou Dynasty, the queen will play a core role. Guo Shao immediately persuaded himself to regain his sanity and proceed from the overall situation. He still had to maintain a close relationship with the queen. After all, there were more people who depended on him to live safely. He had responsibilities and could not just care about his personal emotions.
This time, as soon as I passed through the main hall of Jinxiang Hall and entered the small door on the side, I saw Fu Jinzhan. She was sitting alone inside.
Cao Tai waited for Guo Shao to go in, then gently closed the door. Guo Shao couldn't help but look back, clasped his fists and said: "I pay my respects to the Queen."
Fu Jinzhan didn't look very good this morning, and said casually: Come here and sit down, I have something to discuss with you.
Guo Shao sat down in front of her as she said, but bowed his head out of courtesy and didn't look at her directly. He didn't want to say those ambiguous words anymore and looked unhappy.
This morning, the emperor was able to eat. Fu Jinzhan whispered, "Is his illness going to get better?"
When Guo Shao heard this, his mood, which had just been relaxed, immediately became tense again. He was shocked and said: How can I get better after I have been so sick
He couldn't help but think about it. If there was a destiny, Chai Rong really shouldn't die now. It's just that he fell ill early during the Northern Expedition. Could it be that Chai Rong couldn't let it go and wanted to make trouble again
Guo Shao was confused about the situation and asked in more detail.
Although I sent people to control the emperor's bedroom yesterday and couldn't help but say some angry words, I didn't want to treat him badly. Fu Jinzhan frowned and said, after all, he is the emperor's man. But this morning he took the initiative to drink the soup and said he wanted to drink porridge.
Guo Shao was speechless, thinking: A strong man is a strong man, he can't swallow his breath, so he dares to muster up the courage to fight against the disease and death.
Of course, he couldn't say anything, even in front of Fu Jinzhan, whom he trusted the most. After all, the emperor was her husband. But one thing was certain, since the situation had become like this, the emperor must not be asked to get up to see other people; otherwise, those involved, including Guo Shao, would die without a burial place.
What does he want to do? Guo Shao couldn't help but speak. Even though Chai Rong was under house arrest, Guo Shao felt very stressed when he heard the news. The queen was under house arrest at the beginning, but now she is in power.
Fu Jinzhan suddenly said coldly: I want to kill him
Guo Shao stood there in a daze.
Fu Jinzhan turned pale and said in a deep voice: I couldn't have bad intentions before, but now it's like this, if he doesn't die, we will die. This is what I think. If I don't feed the official and starve him, it's no different from murder. It will only make things worse, and people around me will always know it was my idea. It's better to do it quietly.
Her shoulders were trembling slightly when she said this.
Suddenly, there was a slight clacking sound, her teeth were chattering, as if she was shivering with cold. Her voice was out of tune, and she was not talking to Guo Shao at this time, but trying to convince herself: I have no choice, he suddenly became energetic this morning and wanted to drink porridge again. I am so scared that I can go alone and poison him. I can't poison him. I will tie him up while he is asleep, and then smother him with something. No one will know, only you will know.
She looked at Guo Shao and said: "Everyone knows that the emperor is seriously ill. If he dies suddenly, everyone will think that he died of illness. Is that right?"
Guo Shao remained silent.
Chai Rong was indeed a powerful leader. Even when he was lying on the bed and being controlled by others, he could still scare a woman like Fu Jinzhan into such a state. His aura and accumulated power were evident.
What should I do? Fu Jinzhan asked again.
Guo Shao suddenly looked at her seriously and said: "Thank you Queen for trusting me so much. If not, you wouldn't have told me such a serious secret."
It's so important that I don't dare to trust myself. I have to find someone to discuss it with, so as not to be confused by fear and make a wrong step with disastrous consequences. Fu Jinzhan said, I don't even trust you, who else can I trust
Guo Shao nodded and said: We really need to think about it carefully.
Fu Jinzhan stretched out his trembling hands to support his head, and said with a pale face: If people know that the emperor was murdered, even if we have already won, it will be difficult for us to have the prestige to control the court for long.
Guo Shao suddenly thought of Empress Xiao Zhou who was insulted by a painting in history, and couldn't help saying: The key is that she will be infamous for thousands of years. People will say that the queen killed the emperor and her husband and committed a heinous crime. Moreover, the queen really had no choice but to kill her close family members. How can she feel at ease in the future
Fu Jinzhan was supposed to die, but she left a good reputation in history. Guo Shao saved her, but forced her to the point where she is now. Is this good or bad for her
He pondered for a long time, took a deep breath and said: Is there a passage in Jinxiang Palace that can avoid people? Queen, take me to see the emperor. Let's see what his condition is first, and then we can make a long-term plan.