"Master Shangshu, I am still a little confused. Why did you ask me to recommend Chang Xiaotian to the court today?"
In the palace, Lian Xing and several other officials from the Ministry of Revenue gathered together to discuss the focus of the day.
"Yes, Lord Shangshu, if the Holy One agrees, wouldn't it mean..." Several other officials asked incomprehensively.
"Isn't that what it is?"
Wang Yanqing said casually while playing with the inkstone in his hand, "This inkstone is not ordinary at first glance. It has a carved dragon in mind."
"Wouldn't it mean that...the whole of Chang'an is in the hands of the Chang family?"
"Do you think the Holy One doesn't know?"
"Master Shangshu, what are you..."
"The so-called 'Sacred Heart is unpredictable', I have followed the Holy One for so many years, and even today I can't completely guess what the Holy One is thinking." Wang Yanqing continued casually while gently placing the inkstone into the exquisite box. : "Chang Zhishan currently holds the position of General Shence, responsible for deploying and commanding the Chang'an garrison. There are Shence Army barracks for hundreds of miles outside Chang'an. If Chang Xiaotian is in charge of the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army, then the entire As you said, isn't Chang'an all in the hands of the Chang family? Besides, I asked you to emphasize "won the hearts of the people and the army". This army is the army of the Tang Dynasty and the army of the Holy Emperor. Even if the Chang family and his son are no longer If you can lead troops to fight, you are still a minister. How can the Holy Father tolerate the Chang family's prestige in the army being higher than yours?"
"Then..."
"I can't lead the way for Your Majesty in this matter, but I can help Your Majesty block a certain road."
"But your Majesty did not object to Captain Zhaowu today."
"There is no need for His Majesty to veto it, Chang Zhishan will naturally stand up and object first."
"Then your Majesty...has you made a decision on this matter?"
"Enxiang hasn't spoken yet, which means the Holy One hasn't made up his mind yet."
"Sir, do you have any arrangements for this position?"
Wang Yanqing's expression gradually became serious. He shook his head and said: "This matter is not a trivial matter and cannot be controlled by us. The Holy One is suspicious by nature. The reason why Gan Rong can stay in this position for so long is because he accurately guessed what the Holy One was thinking. Concerns. In the past thirty years, Gan Rong has entered the palace only a handful of times. He used his actions to show the Holy One that he was a loyal dog, and he did not dare to have any second thoughts in guarding the house for the Holy One. What's more, I heard that today, Commander Gan Rong When I met the Holy One, my face was rosy and my complexion was good. I am afraid that I will not be able to retreat within half a year."
After hearing what Wang Yanqing said, everyone couldn't make any more suggestions.
Suddenly, a tall and majestic figure appeared in Wang Yanqing's mind. Just for a moment, Wang Yanqing grabbed this figure as if he were grasping some kind of treasure.
"Come here! Prepare the sedan chair and enter the palace!"
Wang Yanqing hurriedly walked out, leaving Lian Xing and others confused. Just as he reached the door, Wang Yanqing suddenly turned around and said -
"Remember! Don't mention this again in the future! No matter where or who you are, don't mention a word!"
…
The Qinzheng Hall is located to the north of the Taiji Palace. It was the place where the emperor of the New Tang Dynasty reviewed memorials and summoned important officials to discuss important matters. The court called it the "North Pavilion". Compared with the Imperial Study Room, the Qinzheng Hall always seemed more solemn and formal. And "walking in the Qinzheng Palace" means people who can enter and leave the Qinzheng Palace, generally referring to the officials selected from among the officials at all levels to provide "political consultation" to the emperor's decision-making of national affairs. The civil and military officials who can walk in and out of the "Beige" can be counted with one hand - Yin Jingting, Xu Younian, Wang Yanqing, Chang Zhishan.
The 'Qinzheng Hall Walk' can be said to be the most glorious and supreme existence in the Tang Dynasty, and civil and military officials also regard it as a symbol of identity and status. With the retirement of Duke Dingguo, now 'Northern There are only three members of the cabinet left.
In the palace, Emperor Tang drank the decoction in the jade bowl in one gulp. Looking at Yin Jingting who was sitting in front of the case, Emperor Tang didn't bother to wipe his mouth clean and asked: "Ahem... Prime Minister Yin, do you have a candidate for the position of commander-in-chief of the Twelve Guards?"
"Back to the Holy Spirit, I have no choice."
"Is there really no one?"
Yin Jingting looked at the papers in front of Emperor Tang and remained silent, as if he was thinking hard about how to respond to Emperor Tang's question.
"The position of the commander-in-chief is uncertain every day, and I cannot rest assured! Gan Rong can still stay in this position for a year and a half, but... ahem... but what I am considering is the great commander-in-chief. Tang’s long-term plan.”
Seeing Emperor Tang like this, Yin Jingting felt like he was about to die. Under the control of this feeling, Yin Jingting finally made up his mind and said: "Your Majesty, I think there is one person, but..."
"Oh? Prime Minister Yin said it doesn't matter."
"The old minister believes that the position of commander-in-chief of the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army must be both discerning and selfless. To put it bluntly... he must be like a loyal dog, barking three times at anyone he sees. . Because this position can only be loyal to you, the Holy One, it will inevitably offend many people, even relatives of the emperor and the country... With these few points, there are very few people who can do it. However, as the last portal of the Tang Dynasty, I , the commander-in-chief himself must also have excellent cultivation. If the "Six Kings Rebellion" had not been for the decisive killing of Commander Gan and the execution of several rebels who were ready to move, Chang'an would have been in chaos. Based on the above points. ..I’m afraid there is someone who is qualified for this position..."
"explain!"
"Ning Qiu Luan!"
Upon hearing this name, Emperor Tang closed his eyes tightly. He put his left hand on his eyebrows and rubbed it gently, and placed his right hand in front of the case and tapped it lightly, making a "ta-da" sound.
Seeing Emperor Tang like this, Yin Jingting said no more and quietly waited for Emperor Tang to speak.
With a sigh, Emperor Tang slowly opened his eyes. He said with a hint of helplessness in his tone: "The person Yin Xiang mentioned is consistent with what I thought."
"The Holy Spirit is clear."
"In terms of ability, this person is indeed the most suitable. But as a last resort..."
"Holy Saint!"
"This matter does need to be discussed again. Let me think about it carefully. You can kneel down and rest in peace."
"Yes! I retire!"
Yin Jingting bowed his body and exited the Qinzheng Hall.
Looking at Yin Jingting's leaving figure, Emperor Tang coughed twice unconsciously, and then his thoughts returned to the name that just appeared.
Ning Qiu Luan—Gan Rong's old subordinate, is also his most capable subordinate. This person is brave, fierce, silent, extremely irritable, and extremely vicious in his methods. During the Rebellion of the Six Kings, he just found a sword belonging to King Ning's army in the corner of the street, and ordered all the residents near the street to be slaughtered. From then on, even the six ministers had to avoid this person when they saw him. .
It's a coincidence that Ning Qiu Luan's name is three consecutive surnames in "Hundred Family Surnames" - and by coincidence, his neighbor of the Ning family is named Luan. What's even more coincidental is that the Ning family and the Luan family have a big relationship. hatred. So when Ning Qiu Luan was born, his father gave him this name.
Ning Qiu Luan's figure was different from ordinary people. He was nine feet tall, with shoulders two feet wide. His chest was as thick as a millstone, and his arms hung down close to his knees. Affected by his name, Ning Qiu Luan lived up to his father's "high expectations". When he was sixteen, he took the opportunity to sneak into a neighbor's house and killed all the male members of the Luan family and humiliated all the female members. Then he fled his hometown and came to Chang'an alone in order to evade pursuit. .
With such a bad case happening, Ning Qiu Luan naturally had nowhere to hide. When facing the cross-examination of the Twelve Guards, Ning Qiu Luan fought violently and knocked down several guards in an instant. Ning Qiu Luan, who was originally guilty of the death penalty, added the crime of rushing into the Twelve Guards, and he was adding death to his life. But by chance, Gan Rong happened to be nearby at that time. Seeing Ning Qiu Luan's fierce and fierce look, Gan Rong inexplicably thought of his dead son, and he couldn't help but feel a love for talents in his heart. After some taming, Gan Rong recruited Ning Qiu Luan into the Forbidden Army.
With Gan Rong's escort, the government naturally did not dare to trouble him. Gan Rong had no children and saw that Ning Qiu Luan was extremely talented, so he treated Ning Qiu Luan as his own child and taught him everything he had learned in his life. Perhaps because his body was different from ordinary people, Ning Qiu Luan was born with supernatural powers and was quite talented in cultivation. In just a few years, he became the sharpest fang among the Twelve Guards.
Although Ning Qiu Luan was difficult to tame, he was a person with a clear sense of grudges and grudges. He was loyal to Gan Rong who had helped him. Even if Gan Rong asked him to assassinate the Holy Emperor, he would do it without saying a word.
But besides Gan Rong, can anyone tame this beast?
If Gan Rong passes away, who can control him? Emperor Tang sighed deeply - after all, how easy is it to control a powerful Tianji man?
…
The Queen sat dignifiedly in the Li Zheng Hall, and Wang Yanqing respectfully saluted the dignified and elegant Mother of the Nation as usual.
"I heard that daddy is ill?"
"It's just a cold weather, I have to worry about the Queen."
"I am in the palace and it is not convenient for me to go back to visit my family. I will leave it to you to take care of my father."
"yes."
After the ceremony, Wang Yanqing walked to the table, picked up the tea, blew a sip of the fragrant tea, and then waved his hand to signal all the maids and eunuchs in the palace to leave.
The palace maid retreated consciously, and did not forget to close the door tightly after going out.
After only the two Wang brothers and sisters were left in the Li Zheng Palace, Wang Yanqing put down the tea, walked to the Queen's side and said, "What are your plans for the Twelve Guards of the Forbidden Army?"
The queen shook her head, and then she seemed to think of something and said, "Did you recommend Chang Xiaotian to the court today?"
"Exactly."
The queen sneered and said: "The Holy Lord is suspicious by nature. Even if Chang Zhishan saves his life, he will not let the Chang family become so powerful. I think Chang Zhishan knows this."
"So today in the court, Chang Zhishan himself spoke out against it. This is what we want."
The Queen Mother was satisfied with her brother's response - even the Chang family couldn't get what the Wang family couldn't get!
Afterwards, Wang Yanqing looked at his sister seriously and said, "I have a choice."
"who?"
"Ning Qiu Luan."
The Queen couldn't help but be startled when she heard this name. A tall and fierce image appeared in her mind——
This is the only person who makes the Queen feel uncomfortable. It can even be said that in her noble life, she is one of the few people who has shadowed her. In the year of the Six Kings Rebellion, when the Queen wanted to go to Chang'an City, Ning Qiu Luan stood in front of the Queen. No matter how much the palace maid emphasized that this was the Queen's phoenix chariot, Ning Qiu Luan remained motionless. Finally, a little eunuch relied on the fact that he was the queen's favorite, pointed at Ning Qiu Luan's nose and yelled, but Ning Qiu Luan didn't say a word, just raised his hand and slapped the little eunuch hard, and the little eunuch His head spun half a circle in an almost twisted posture and he was killed on the spot, frightening all the accompanying maids into screaming. The queen had no choice but to get down from the phoenix chariot. Even though she was thinking of her mother, she tried to calm herself down, but after seeing the miserable condition of the little eunuch, the queen still couldn't suppress her trembling body. Ning Qiu Luan, on the other hand, searched Feng Nian carefully and unceremoniously, knelt down and saluted the queen indifferently, and then stopped looking at her...
The queen took a deep breath. She came back to consciousness from the shadow deep in her heart and asked calmly: "Are you sure you can control this person?"
"Although this person is surly and violent, he must repay his kindness."
"This man is still in prison. By 'favor' you mean taking him out of prison and sending him to the position of commander-in-chief?"
"These worldly favors may be able to buy other people, but they are not enough to buy this person. Moreover, our ability alone cannot send him to that position."
The Queen Mother nodded slightly, but her expression still showed a trace of doubt. Wang Yanqing said directly: "This man only served Gan Rong in his life. Back then, Ning Qiu Luan was hunted down by the government like a lost dog. It was Gan Rong who came to save him and saved his life. Then Gan Rong took him into the Twelve Guards." Along with it, we taught him all his cultivation skills without any reservation... So only by getting Gan Rong's nod can we conquer this person."
The Queen Mother fell into deep thought, and then she suddenly remembered some details and said: "I heard that Gan Rong's most beloved son was killed a few years ago. The murderer was absconding and has not been found. Every time Gan Rong mentioned this person, he wanted to drink his blood. He ate his meat and threatened that if he found this person, he would make his life worse than death, but I heard that this person is now hiding in Yunyue Pavilion."
Wang Yanqing smiled slightly and said, "That's exactly what I meant."
The Queen Mother understood her brother's intention, nodded and began to think about the matter.
"Gan Rong's problem has been solved, but there is still another problem that needs to be solved." Wang Yanqing said calmly as he sipped the fragrant tea again.
The Queen Mother raised her eyebrows, but in the blink of an eye she understood the meaning of her brother's words - just now Wang Yanqing said that 'the abilities of his brother and sister alone cannot send Ning Qiu Luan to the position of commander-in-chief' - she Knowing the importance of this position, the two brothers and sisters alone do not have this ability. But for Ning Qiu Luan to take the position of commander of the Twelve Guards... only that man can do it.
The Queen Mother thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said: "You and I really don't have it, but the Holy One does."
"It's just that the Holy Emperor will definitely not use this person unless it is absolutely necessary." Wang Yanqing said solemnly.
"Then I will give the Holy Father a 'last resort'!" The Queen's eyes flashed with a faint cold light.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Find a time to go to the prison and meet that Ning Qiu Luan. Remember! Don't let anyone else find out!"
"Of course I know."
"Send someone to Daliang again. Shao Jing is about to enter the school affairs office. He won't go this time." The queen thought for a moment and said.
Wang Yanqing was startled for a moment, then nodded silently.
So who is suitable?
Wang Yanqing asked secretly, and countless faces flashed through Wang Yanqing's mind...
Suddenly, a simple and honest face appeared in front of him. Then, a smile appeared on Wang Yanqing's lips. Apparently, he already had a candidate in mind.
