After listening to Princess Fenyang's words, Li Jiangyao suddenly understood.
Li Xi planned to eliminate all competitors who could threaten Murong Ling during the public discussion in the court. In this way, among the final candidates presented to Li Bing by the Ministry of Rites, Murong Ling naturally had the greatest chance of winning.
However, this idea is a bit easier said than done.
Not to mention that it was difficult to control the public discussion. Just because Wei Zixuan Shangshu Zuopushe was the prime minister, there were countless party members in the court waving flags and shouting.
Kill Cheng Wen? It would be good if Murong Ling is not killed.
Li Jiangyao did not want to participate in such boring court disputes, nor did he want to use Murong Ling as his political bargaining chip, nor did he want to end up sacrificing this innocent little sister in exchange for his and Lian Ji's safety.
After a moment of silence, Li Jiangyao persuaded her nicely: "Princess, regarding the matter of appointing a queen, I suggest you not to interfere."
Li Xi was stunned when he heard this: "Brother, why do you say that?"
Li Jiangyao first looked at Hu Yufei next to him, and then said to Li Xi: "You are from the royal family, so you should understand this truth better than me. Since ancient times, it is best to let the emperor make his own decisions for all choices that are closely related to him. Outsiders If you want to participate in it, or even try to influence the emperor's choices, it usually won't end well."
"What the Protector said is a wise saying, and I agree with it!" Hu Yufei said loudly: "Princess, I once taught you how to read. Today, I will rely on you and act as a teacher again. Think about it carefully and get his own for the king. Idea, which one will end well in the end? Especially in matters such as the appointment of a crown prince and the appointment of a queen, you must not interfere. "
Li Jiangyao continued: "Our emperor is inevitably sensitive and suspicious due to the coercion of powerful ministers. Once he finds out that someone is playing tricks in the process of selecting the queen, he will never forgive him. At that time, how should you behave yourself? Where is the place?"
Li Xi lowered his head and thought for a moment, then asked, "Brother, aren't you worried that Cheng Wen will be instigated and seduced by Wei Zixuan and hold on to her father's death?"
"Worry. But I don't plan to make a fuss by appointing a queen." Li Jiangyao smiled calmly: "If the emperor knew that I secretly eliminated Cheng Wen and supported Hui Concubine Murong Ling to take the throne, I'm afraid it would be more troublesome than harboring an assassin. Princess, I It's already a lawsuit, and I don't want to create any more complications."
Hearing what he said, Li Xi smiled and nodded: "Okay, since brother has made a decision, then Fenyang should abide by it. Regarding the matter of appointing a queen, I will no longer interfere, not even Concubine Hui. Recommended. As my brother said, it should be clean and neat, so as not to get involved in trouble and cause trouble for yourself."
Li Jiangyao happily picked up the wine glass and said with a smile: "That's right! As the saying goes, if you have wine today, you will get drunk today, and you will have worries tomorrow. Let's drink this glass first, and what the hell!"
-
Shangshu Zuopushe's official residence, Mingde Hall.
Wei Zixuan, Tian Mu, Gong Chengze and Yin Chengyi were sitting around the table in the hall, drinking and talking.
I just heard Gong Chengze boasting: "Prime Minister Wei, your trick of borrowing a knife to kill someone is absolutely amazing! It's not an exaggeration to say that it's a miraculous calculation. Come on, brother, I'll give you a drink."
Yin Chengyi also joined in and said, "What Chengze said is absolutely true. If Brother Zixuan takes action, Li Jiangyao's good days are over! I'll have a drink too."
Tian Mu looked a little confused and couldn't help but ask: "Prime Minister Wei, where did you get the news that Li Jiangyao was harboring the assassin Lian Ji?"
Wei Zixuan glanced at him and asked instead, "What? Do you suspect that the news is wrong? Or do you think you already knew it and were just pretending to be confused about the truth?"
Tian Mu heard the words and said with a smile: "To be honest, someone from Nilin Division did report to me before, saying that he had met Lian Ji in Western Xinjiang when he was cooperating with the Zhenjiang Army. Moreover, that woman was also related to Li Jiangyao She seems to be his mistress."
"This thief is so cowardly!" Yin Chengyi scolded: "Even the murderer who assassinated Old Duke Cheng dared to be included in the account. He simply doesn't take the court seriously!"
Gong Chengze had a bad smile on his face: "I heard that Lian Ji was a stunning beauty. Cheng Kaiyang was seduced by her, and then he was poisoned. Li Jiangyao must not be able to resist the temptation of this woman, and he falls asleep every night. Luan defeats phoenix, hahaha."
Tian Mu glared at him, turned to Wei Zixuan and asked: "Mr. Wei, is that girl Cheng Wen trustworthy? Does she really dare to deal with a feudal official with a heavy army?"
Wei Zixuan said lightly: "Brother, please don't underestimate Cheng Wen. A noblewoman from a wealthy family like this is as cruel as a man. I told her the truth, and she immediately said that even if she couldn't become a queen, she would still be a queen. Lian Ji and Li Jiangyao were cut into pieces!"
"Determination is one thing, but ability is another," Tian Mu said with a smile: "Cheng Wen sits on the throne of the queen, can she be more powerful than the emperor? Even His Majesty has nothing to do with Li Jiangyao, she is just a mere What can a queen do?"
Wei Zixuan smiled faintly and thought to himself: Are you trying to trick me? You are still young.
"Brother, you don't understand this," Wei Zixuan responded: "There are some things that the emperor has to worry about because of his status, but it is completely different for the queen to do it. When Li Jiangyao falls into a situation that is beyond redemption, you You know my strategy, brother."
Seeing that Wei Zixuan refused to disclose the details, Tian Mu also felt helpless. He laughed a few times along with the other party and said, "Has Prime Minister Wei arranged the matters for public discussion in court? What do you need me to do?"
Wei Zixuan glanced at the three of them: "Brothers are invited here today precisely to discuss this matter."
He paused and introduced: "Currently, including Cheng Wen who was recommended by Governor Yin and I, the Ministry of Rites has received a total of forty-eight candidates for the queen. Excluding those crooked and unseemly stupid women, there are five people with the strength It’s strong and can pose a threat to Cheng Wen.”
"Ma Yunfang, the concubine of Shangyang Palace, Murong Ling, the concubine of Yixiang Palace, Yan Yijun, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Kaiyun, Li Xiangning, the sister of Li Mu, the great scholar of the Youzhou Holy Sect, and Li Qin, the princess of Linzhou, a distant branch of the royal family. It can be said that, No matter their life experience, background, knowledge, or appearance, these women are on par with Cheng Wen and each has their own merits."
After listening to Wei Zixuan's words, Yin Chengyi couldn't help but frown and said: "Oh, this is not easy to handle. Not to mention the two empresses, the forces behind Marquis Kaiyun and Princess Linzhou alone are very difficult to mess with. You Although Zhou Li Mu has no official position, he is very famous in the literary world. One time, the emperor even joked that as long as Li Mu is willing to come out, he can be exchanged for the position of prime minister. "
Gong Chengze nodded repeatedly: "Yes. Although many people in the court now listen to our words, after all, we still can't cover the sky with one hand. What if..."
"There is no chance!" Wei Zixuan waved his hand: "We must find a way to get rid of these five women and clear the way for Cheng Wen! Three brothers, think about it, if we pushed the empress of the world to her. , then can we have less glory and wealth in the future? Isn’t it worth fighting for?"
"Do it!" Gong Chengze slapped the table: "Xiang Wei, what do you say, we promise to act according to your orders!"
Seeing Tian Mu and Yin Chengyi also nodded, Wei Zixuan sneered: "Let's start with the simplest one, Youzhou Li Mu. Chengze, I'll leave this matter to you. Send his men to the north to secretly collect Li Mu's crimes. Whether it’s nonsense, counter-poems, or complaints about dissatisfaction with the emperor and the court, in short, you must take the evidence and witnesses and bring them back to the imperial capital for me!”
Gong Chengze readily agreed: "I'll send an urgent dispatch eight hundred miles early tomorrow morning!"
Wei Zixuan turned to Yin Chengyi and said: "Brother, you are in charge of the Marquis Kaiyun's Mansion. Their family has military generals for generations. You, the Governor's Mansion, are picking on the bones. Even if I dig three feet in the ground, you still have to dig out some sins to scare them away." They were frightened and refused to submit, so they took it to the court for public discussion!"
Yin Chengyi gritted his teeth and said: "Damn it, for the sake of a bright future, I will risk everything! I am not afraid of offending Marquis Kaiyun!"
"Brother Tian Xian, you are the most powerful, you come to deal with the royal family." Wei Zixuan then arranged: "The grandfather of Princess Li Qin of Linzhou and your Majesty's grandfather are cousins. The relationship is neither far nor close. There must be some scandals about their family in Nilin Division's files. Please go and search through them, and then give them a beating so that the royal family's forces will retreat."
Tian Mu nodded: "Don't worry, Mr. Wei, this matter is taken care of by me."
Wei Zixuan smiled with satisfaction and said: "Concubine Shu and Concubine Hui are left to find a solution. To be honest, the reason why their two families were valued by His Majesty and selected as concubines was entirely because of the need to win over the army. Now, Neither Ma Hongjie nor Murong Xue are as popular as before, I only need to write two letters to scare them away from coveting the harem position!"
After hearing what he said so confidently, Gong Chengze quickly flattered him again, making Wei Zixuan laugh. Yin Chengyi saw Tian Mu's absent-minded look and couldn't help but asked curiously: "Master Tian, you have been listless tonight, but what's on your mind?"
Tian Mu first looked at Wei Zixuan and Gong Chengze, and then sighed: "Oh, three brothers, you are drinking and chatting and relaxing, but you don't know that I have a big headache."
Gong Chengze was suddenly curious: "What's causing the headache?"
Tian Mu replied: "Hey, don't mention it. Chengze, Cao Xun of the Navy, is your sworn brother, right? Sun Chen is the one favored by Prime Minister Wei, and Huo Rulun was an old subordinate of the Governor of Yin. They were Li Jiangyao was beheaded, and the three brothers were all filled with indignation, but the emperor blamed the lawsuit on his younger brother. Now that Li Jiangyao has come to the imperial capital, do you think I can avoid having a headache?"
"It's good that you're here!" Gong Chengze said: "If you just let go and deal with him, it's over. What's there to worry about?"
Tian Mu gave him a blank look and said angrily: "That's nonsense! Ten thousand ghost-faced white-robed troops are squatting outside the imperial capital. If you dare to touch Li Jiangyao, our whole family will be slaughtered directly!"
