After leaving the Guangyang Gate, the main gate of the palace, Yang Guang's group of close officials were divided into three. Yang Su walked to the left, Yu Wenshu walked to the right, and Yang Ji and others walked directly behind. Yang Zhao and Yang Su walked side by side, and Yang Jian and Yu Wenshu talked and laughed.
Looking at the two princes Jingwei and Mingming walking in front of him, Yang Ji couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. Yang Guang ascended the throne in a hurry and everything was complicated. He could understand it, but the prince who was related to the stability of the country had never been decided, and he didn't know if Yang Guang was the real prince. Even though I am busy, I still have other considerations.
"What is King Wei sighing about?" Pei Ju from behind saw Yang Ji shaking his head and sighing, so he quickened his pace and stepped forward to ask.
"You have also seen the scene in the palace, Mr. Pei." Yang Ji turned his eyes to Pei Ju and said as he walked: "Judging from the behavior of You Pushe, he clearly asked me to take charge of Youzhou's army and horses, and then from Yizhou Enter Daizhou, and then attack Taiyuan from Daizhou. But Yang Yichen and Li Zixiong are nothing more than a cover thrown out by him."
"That's true, but so what?" With Pei Ju's wisdom, he naturally saw that Yang Su and Yu Wenshu were infighting and fighting openly and secretly. And he believed that Yang Guang also saw it, but Yang Guang not only did not object or stop it, but instead acquiesced in the tit-for-tat confrontation between the two. I am afraid that deep down in his heart, he was happy to see it happen. If Yang Su and Yuwen were happy, he, the emperor, would probably I can't sleep anymore.
Yang Ji said: "Everyone knows that Liangzhou is a mess, and many things are inseparable from me, the state shepherd, but You Pushe recommends me to go to Youzhou? Doesn't this mean that I am compromising my career and not doing my job properly?"
Pei Ju smiled and said, "In the final analysis, King Wei asked for it."
Yang Ji asked doubtfully: "How do you say this?"
Pei Ju understood: "The King of Han has hundreds of thousands of soldiers, but King Wei has proposed a 'quick victory'. If the war cannot be won quickly, the power of the new dynasty cannot be established. Even if the battle is won in the end, the commander will still be the hero." If you go too far, you may even be held accountable! This is also the main reason why General Yuwen later gave up his activities. Because he did not dare to protect himself from being able to 'quick victory', so he became the governor with peace of mind. Commander, we no longer want to be the leader of the entire army. As for the right servant, he is also under a lot of pressure."
Since the two of them were in a cooperative relationship, Pei Ju spoke quite straightforwardly. He smiled slightly and continued: "King Wei is also a famous general in the world. If there is a disagreement between the generals during the war and the generals disobey his orders, can you quickly A quick victory?"
Yang Ji said without hesitation: "Absolutely not."
"That's right, that's why You Pushe recommended you as the commander-in-chief of the partial division." Pei Ju analyzed: "Because you are not only good at fighting, but also a prince who puts the royal family and the Sui Dynasty first, so You Pushe doesn't worry You disobey the battle orders. And Li Jing is a member of General Yuwen. If it were him, Youpu She would not be sure. If Li Jing is delayed at a critical moment, how can Youpu Shee win the battle quickly?"
Yang Ji was silent for a long time and said, "Isn't it possible that someone is making fun of Sui's interests?"
"People's hearts are unpredictable, King Wei thought so. Others may not be so considerate of the overall situation." Pei Ju sighed: "Official struggles have been extremely cruel since ancient times. In order to defeat the opponent, everyone will do whatever they can. If everyone has their heart in mind, With great righteousness, Qin, Han, and Jin would not have collapsed. If everyone had great righteousness, 'Dugu Tuo' would not collude with Bujia Khan to attack Liangzhou and ambush General Changsun."
Yang Ji nodded silently. Coveting for fame and profit is a normal feature of life, and for personal gain and power, some people will do anything. But now after listening to what Pei Ju said, he realized that the fight in the court was far more powerful, cruel, and without limits than he imagined.
Especially the performance of Yang Su and Yu Wenshu today made him know what it means to turn over a book. After all, not long ago, everyone was cheerfully supporting Yang Guang and anxious to save Yang Guang. However, Yang Guang had just come to power, and before his throne was even stable, everyone started to stir up trouble.
This very intuitive scene also made him realize the horror of fame, wealth and power. Although he has no intention of harming others, he must be on guard against others. In the future, he must be more careful, more cautious, more cautious, if someone really threatens him. When it comes to your own survival, there is no need to be polite to your opponents.
After a long silence, Yang Ji said: "According to what Mr. Pei said, it seems that I will not have smooth sailing in Youzhou this time."
"Not necessarily, but you must have preparations and precautions in this regard, so as not to be caught off guard by emergencies." Pei Ju was deeply pleased to see that he accepted his theory and good intentions. Yang Ji's martial arts skills and ability to navigate the battlefield, At most, he can only become a military commander, but if he wants to become a handsome man or a prime minister, he must understand the hidden arrows from within. Only in this way can he go further and more steadily. Of course, these things are not born naturally, but Yang Ji's ability is to be able to draw inferences from one instance and make it clear from one point.
"Alas!" Yang Ji felt a deep headache. The imperial court and Yang Liang were currently actively preparing for war and gaining momentum, and had not yet pierced the thin layer of window paper, so the contest between the two sides took place under the water.
Compared with Yang Liang, who had long had the ambition to rebel, the court headed by Yang Guang was in a hasty "fight" situation due to a series of major events. Therefore, in order to gain time for deployment, the court did not use any unfriendly methods to stimulate Yang Liang, but such a move It also prevented him from leading troops to Youzhou.
The key is that when Yang Ji goes to Youzhou, he must pass through the territory of Yang Liang, Cui, and Lu. If something happens along the way, it seems to be a very normal thing. If he died on the way to Youzhou, of course it was "Yang Liang" who did it. As for the truth, of course it would be nothing.
This difficult task also made Yang Ji couldn't help but think of Pei Shuying, who was either a disaster star or a lucky star. He wanted to ask about her current situation, but when he thought that these days he couldn't just inquire about the whereabouts of ladies, he was alone. The husband and wife couldn't do it even more, so they had no choice but to press this idea. After separating from Pei Ju in the imperial city, he returned to his residence to convene his staff to discuss matters.
When Xiao Ying heard that her husband, who had been busy all night, had returned to the house, she hurriedly welcomed him out of the inner house. However, she heard that Chief Gongsun said that as soon as her husband came back, he would summon his subordinates Wenwu to the Hall of Yingwu to discuss matters.
She had no choice but to turn back to the flower hall of the inner house, sit beside the Arhat couch and sigh softly. Liu Rumei, who was making clothes for Yang Ji on the Arhat couch, glanced at her, seeing that she was unhappy, and asked curiously: "Is the eldest lady worried? "
Xiao Ying shook her head gently and said worriedly: "Since the late Emperor's visit to heaven, the court has entered a troubled period, and Lang Jun is in the center of the storm, busy every day without even touching the ground, which is really worrying."
Liu Rumei fought with the army and witnessed a series of miracles. She had inexplicable confidence in Yang Ji. When she heard what Xiao Ying said, she bit off the thread and comforted her softly: "Madam, don't worry! The young master is highly skilled in martial arts and resourceful. , and he is the saint’s confidant, what can happen?”
"What's the use of being strong in martial arts? At that time, Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, was arrogant, invincible, and powerful. If Han Gaozu fought with him alone, ten thousand people might not be enough to kill Xiang Yu. But what happened? Xiang Yu was killed by Han Gaozu He was forced to commit suicide. It can be seen that the affairs of the world and the court cannot be decided by the strength of martial arts." Xiao Ying looked ahead and said with a sad expression: "Lang Jun fought against the Turks in the past, but the enemy at that time was It can be seen, but it is different now. As Lang Jun becomes more and more powerful and his status becomes higher and higher, those who are envious and jealous of him will not openly become enemies of Lang Jun, they will hide in the dark , use subtle and invisible means to deal with Lang Jun. The so-called open guns are easy to hide, but hidden arrows are difficult to guard against. This is it. "
Liu Rumei used to be a secret assassin in the Duke of Yue's palace. She knew more about some dark things in the officialdom than Xiao Ying, who was born in a noble family. She knew that the sanctimonious officials would use any dark and dirty methods to harm their opponents. At this time, she heard When Xiao Ying talked about officialdom, she was silent for a long time and sighed leisurely: "Men always have to work hard outside. What can we women do? Isn't it possible to persuade Mr. Lang to give up his official position and go into seclusion and become a contented farmer?"
"Lang Jun is a prince, how can he be a farmer? Even if he wanted to, the saint wouldn't allow it!" Xiao Ying couldn't help laughing.
Liu Rumei asked: "Then what do you want to do?"
"What can I do as a woman about court matters?" Xiao Ying thought for a long time, then suddenly blushed and said dejectedly: "I can only worry blindly."
Liu Rumei thought Xiao Ying had some good ideas, but after waiting for so long, she said this and couldn't help laughing.
Xiao Ying felt that she was offended, and said angrily: "I am a lady and a princess, please show some respect to me."
"Yes, yes! You are not only a lady and a princess, but also the sister and sister-in-law of the future queen! Who dares to disrespect you?" Liu Rumei said respect in her mouth, but her smiling eyes turned into a pair of crescent moons. .
The words woke up the dreamer. After hearing these words, Xiao Ying's eyes suddenly lit up, and a look of joy appeared on her face: "Yes, my sister will be the queen in the future! If Mr. Lang is tricked by others, I will Go to Sister. Let Sister say good things in front of the saint."
However, Liu Rumei was not too optimistic about it. She shook her head and said, "After all, your sister is the mother of a country. How can she bend the law for personal gain?"
"That's not necessarily the case!" Xiao Ying said confidently: "Queen Wenwen is a selfless person, but when facing my mother-in-law, doesn't she make exceptions time and time again? My sister is the most soft-hearted. If she doesn't agree, I just cried until she said yes.”
"..." Liu Rumei was amazed when she heard this. Xiao Ying was the one who picked her, Murong Xianyue, Liu Xu and others from the Yue Kingdom Palace, and then freed them and their families from slavery and became good men of the Sui Dynasty.
Although it was Yang Ji who was freed from slavery and naturalized as a citizen, without Xiao Ying's first choice, there would not have been anything that happened later. Therefore, Xiao Ying's original decision was a rebirth of kindness for them.
Liu Rumei and others worked hard to understand Xiao Ying in order to better repay their kindness and protect her better. In Liu Rumei's impression, Xiao Ying was as well-behaved as a kitten, always a well-educated, gentle and courteous person. However, not long after she married into the palace, she became so shameless, which really made Liu Rumei funny and surprised. If she continues to study with her mother-in-law for a while, will she be able to do it in the future?
However, the relationship between Xiao Ying and the queen gave the palace an extra strong protective umbrella. If she could perfectly inherit her mother-in-law's mantle, then the whole family would be blessed.
. . . . .
The whole day that day, Yang Ji did not have an inner house. He had lunch and dinner with his staff in the Yingwu Hall in the atrium. Xiao Ying heard that her husband only rested for two hours and discussed matters with his subordinates again.
She and Liu Rumei were not surprised. Since the late Emperor Bintian until now, their husband has been so busy, and they have become accustomed to it.
Xiao Ying waited for a long time before her husband arrived, so she put the needlework in her hand into the bamboo basket and walked slowly to the couch, wanting to turn off the lights and have a rest. At this time, the door to the outer room rang softly, and someone came in. Xiao Ying thought it was Qiu Shui and Qiu Yue, and said, "You all go and have a rest. There is no need to wait."
No one answered behind her, but the footsteps were getting closer and closer. A mischievous smile appeared on the corner of Xiao Ying's mouth, and she pretended not to know and continued to do her own thing.
The footsteps stopped behind her, and a pair of big hands gently held her soft waist from behind. Listening to the familiar footsteps, Xiao Ying already knew who the person was. She leaned back meekly and nestled there. With his broad and strong chest, he looked back at his husband and said with a smile: "Mr. Lang has been busy since yesterday. I thought you were staying at the Yingwu Hall tonight."
Yang Ji smelled the faint scent of osmanthus on his beloved wife and yawned again and again: "I'm busy with business. I left some messy chores to others and ran back to accompany my wife."
Xiao Ying laughed. She pulled her husband's hands away, walked to the lamp stand and lit one or two candles, which made the room a lot brighter. She asked with concern: "Mr. Wang, do you want to take a bath?" ?”
Yang Ji sat on the edge of the couch and said, "It's been washed."
Xiao Ying said "Oh", returned to him, and sat down on the edge of the couch: "Would you like some snacks?"
"No need!" Yang Ji yawned again, leaned on the couch and said lazily, "Let's go to bed earlier."
Xiao Ying bent down to take off her husband's boots and socks, moved his legs to the couch, gently relaxed his shoulders, and said softly: "Mr. Wang is tired, let me give you a massage."
"It's quite tiring for you to settle accounts all day long. Stop working so hard." Yang Ji hugged her waist and rolled together on the soft couch. After this episode, the room returned to silence for a moment.
Seeing that her husband hadn't spoken for a long time, Xiao Ying couldn't help but ask, "Isn't the husband just tired? Is there something on your mind?"
Yang Ji pondered for a long time, and then said in confusion: "I have been thinking about one thing. When I first became an official, I was the leader of Liangzhou's military and political affairs. In the blink of an eye, I reached a height that others could not reach in a lifetime of hard work. , I had no experience in politics or the military at that time, but I was able to do three jobs with ease. Now, as time has passed, I feel that I am not up to my ability, and I always feel that I can't take care of any aspect."
Xiao Ying said: "As small as a family, as large as a country, isn't it the same thing? When Lang Jun first went to Liangzhou to take office, he used thunderous means to annihilate the invading enemies. All the voices of injustice within Liangzhou were suppressed by Lang Jun's domineering methods. Suppression. During the Sui Dynasty, the most important thing was foreign enemies. Those people did not dare to risk the disapproval of the world to oppose Lang Jun, otherwise they would be collaborating with the enemy and sponsoring the enemy. Because of this, there was naturally no trouble within Liangzhou. However, the external enemy was destroyed. As time passed, the people below no longer had any worries about collaborating with the enemy or siding with the enemy, and naturally they started to have various thoughts again. Isn’t it the same for the important ministers in the court? Whenever a foreign enemy invades, everyone reluctantly unites to deal with the outside world, but once the war is over, everyone The fight started again.”
"It makes sense!" Yang Jishen said in agreement: "Infighting will always be the main reason for the decline of the Central Plains dynasty. I have such a high status, it is normal for me to be targeted, and besides, I have done such offending things."
Xiao Ying didn't quite understand what she was hearing, so she had to comfort her softly: "Mr. Sir, you are too worried. Maybe you are too tired recently, so just take a rest."
Yang Ji thought of today's overt and covert fight between Yang Su and Yu Wenshu, and recalled what Pei Ju said. He shook his head and said, "I have a hunch that if I continue to manage Liangzhou and the court as I do now, I am afraid that in the end If you don't do well on both sides, you will lose both sides. I can't be far away from the world and high up in the temple, so I have to give up one."
Xiao Ying asked softly: "Which one do you think you should discard?"
Yang Ji didn't answer and asked: "What do you think?"
"It must be here in the capital!" Xiao Ying murmured: "After all, Lang Jun is too young, lacks political experience, and does not understand official struggles as well as those veterans. If he is an official in the capital, he will definitely be controlled by those veteran officials. You might be used as a knife without realizing it. If you work hard in Liangzhou, you can gain experience and stay out of the situation, and you can observe the affairs of the capital from a distance."
Yang Ji suddenly understood: "Yes! I understand."
