In the flower garden behind Fengyi Palace, there is an elegant pavilion. The pavilion is surrounded by lush forests, bamboos and flowers, making it a good place to enjoy the scenery and rest.
At this time, Cheng Dong, the Duke of Zhenguo, was standing beside the sofa in the pavilion, talking quietly to Queen Cheng Wen.
"The current situation is probably like this, what do you think?"
"Brother, I think Tian Mu can do things well, so let's go with his ideas. Let Ouyang Lin and Hu Baoqi fight with Murong Xue, Li Xi and the others first, and then our people will step in to clean up the mess." Cheng Wen raised her eyebrows. Qing Qing frowned: "In the past few days, the emperor has been so happy because of the victory on the front line, which is not a good sign. Therefore, it is necessary to stir up some trouble in the imperial capital to suppress the interest of the government and the opposition."
Cheng Dong folded his hands and nodded slightly: "That's right. Once Bao Yuchun collapses, several main legions will be able to cross the river quickly, and the southern rebels will not be able to hold on for long. Once the great enemy Lao Jianhua is killed, there will be nothing more that can be done. The Suppression Army has been controlled. However... I heard that the Suppression Army is currently discussing returning home. Li Jiangyao and Xu Youchang have also spoken out to the outside world, saying that after the rebellion in Jiangnan is quelled, except for the Navy, which will continue to be stationed in The rest of the soldiers and horses in the Luzhou and Yangzhou areas have all returned to Western Xinjiang to live in peace. I don’t know whether it is true or not."
Cheng Wen snorted coldly: "It doesn't matter whether he is true or not. The grudge between father and second brother must be settled with them! If Li Jiangyao is allowed to hide safely back in the Ghost Desert of Western Xinjiang, I will never be able to swallow this breath!"
Cheng Dong glanced at his sister and said solemnly: "I feel that the time may not be very ripe now. I have just been appointed to the Ministry of Punishment. My status in the court is not high, my foundation is unstable, and my influence is limited. Both sides really want to There is a stalemate, and I’m afraid I can’t fight them.”
Cheng Wen said calmly: "Don't worry about this, I have a way to deal with it."
For Cheng Dong, stability is the key to everything. He was happy to watch Ouyang Lin and Li Jiangyao fight from the other side, but it would not be fun if his camp had to directly confront the powerful Zhenjiang Army.
Again, it's not that he doesn't want to avenge his brother Cheng Xi, but the prerequisite is that he can't get himself into trouble and be beyond redemption.
Thinking of this, Cheng Dong couldn't help but ask: "What can you do? How do you need me to cooperate outside?"
Cheng Wen also knew that the eldest brother was still worried about his ability, so he was asking how to cooperate, but in fact he still wanted to get to know his sister.
Cheng Wen smiled coldly: "I am going to give Li Jiangyao a big gift to reward this great hero of the Holy Tang Dynasty."
Cheng Dong didn't quite understand, and thought the queen was speaking sarcastically, so he frowned and said, "Sister, listen to my brother's advice. There is a saying in the art of war. It is necessary to win without being outstanding. There is no need to fight without victory. The fate is all-powerful. Of course, it will be decided in one battle. If you want to completely defeat Li Jiangyao, you must save enough capital and make a plan before taking action..."
"Okay, okay, stop hanging my book bag with me here," Cheng Wen waved her hand impatiently: "You didn't understand what I just said, what are you making nonsense comments about?"
Cheng Dong was stunned by her, and then said displeasedly: "Then you should explain it to me carefully."
Cheng Wen sat up straight, looked around first, and then lowered his voice: "The big gift I'm talking about is a real big gift, do you understand?"
"I don't understand." Cheng Dongwu shook his head: "What kind of ceremony?"
Cheng Wen's eyes were shining brightly, and she replied with a smile: "Jiuxi."
"Jiuxi?!"
When Cheng Dong heard this word, he was stunned on the spot.
The so-called Jiuxi are nine kinds of ritual utensils given by the emperor to princes and ministers who have achieved special honors. They represent the highest courtesy of a dynasty.
The nine kinds of specially gifted ritual vessels are: chariots and horses, clothes, Lexian, Zhuhu, Nabi, Huben, axes, bows and arrows, and 鬬鬯.
Chariots and horses specifically refer to two noble vehicles: golden chariots and large chariots and military chariots and military chariots. They are also equipped with two black horses, that is, eight pure black horses. It is said: Those whose virtues are worthy are given chariots and horses.
Clothes refer to Gongmian robes, which are the dresses worn by emperors and princes when offering sacrifices to heaven, earth, and ancestors, with dragon patterns embroidered on them. As the saying goes: Those who can bring peace to the people will be given a crown.
Lexian, also known as "Lexuan", is a special instrument used for setting and correcting the sound, and it is also only available to the royal family. As the saying goes: Give it to those who make the people harmonious and happy.
Zhuhu, that is, the door painted with red paint, refers to the regulations of the mansion. The red lacquer door is decorated with copper nails, which only the imperial palace and royal palace can do. As the saying goes: If there are many people, give them to them.
Nabi refers to the specially carved steps when ascending to the palace, so that the climbers do not show their boots, just like a special passage, to show their prominence. As the saying goes: Those who can do good will be given to them.
Huben refers specifically to the army guarding the imperial city. The Huben guard symbolizes military authority. If the soldiers under his command are named Huben, holding a halberd and an ax, it is the highest honor for a general. As the saying goes: Those who can ward off evil will be given tigers and benevolence.
Bows and arrows, Tong bows have hundreds of arrows, Xuan bows have thousands of arrows. The red and black sacred bow and arrows specially made by top craftsmen are also a military honor and symbolize the highest level of martial virtue. As the saying goes: Those who can conquer injustice should be rewarded.
Ax and axe, a high-level ceremonial weapon used by his personal guards. As the saying goes: Those who can punish the guilty should be given.
"第鬯" generally refers to the fragrant wine used by the royal family for sacrifices. It is brewed from rare black millet and tulips and is extremely precious. As the saying goes: Give it to those who are prepared for filial piety.
If any of these nine top-level ritual objects are randomly selected and awarded to meritorious ministers, it will be a supreme honor that has been cultivated for several lifetimes, enough for future generations to brag about. Like their Zhenguo Duke Mansion, their ancestor Cheng Qianli, as the founding father of the country, only received the favor of Tong Gong Xuan Gong.
If all nine kinds of ritual instruments were given to ministers at once, they would simply fly into the sky.
It is precisely because of this that no one in the Shengtang Dynasty has gathered the glory of Jiuxi after eight hundred years. Not only that, including all previous dynasties, there are also only a handful of people who can get Jiuxi.
The most terrible thing is that nine out of ten so-called meritorious officials who were awarded Jiuxi in history were powerful officials who controlled the government at that time. They regarded the emperor as a puppet and plaything and forced the other party to award Jiuxi.
To put it bluntly, it is no different from usurping power.
At this time, Cheng Wen proposed to give Li Jiangyao a great gift of Jiuxi, and the sinister intentions behind it are self-evident.
Cheng Dong couldn't help frowning and muttered: "It stands to reason that Li Jiangyao fought alone to regain the western border; then he defeated the Turks and regained the imperial capital; and now he is also conquering the rebels in the south of the Yangtze River, and he is about to win a complete victory." For his merits, he does deserve the honor of Jiuxi. But...hey, I’m not throwing cold water on you, the emperor will never agree to it."
"Who said you need His Majesty's consent?" Cheng Wen sneered: "What I want is for this to happen, not to be done."
Hearing what she said, Cheng Dong's mind raced a few times, then his eyes lit up and he said happily: "Sister, you mean... just to create momentum?"
Cheng Wen nodded proudly: "Brother finally understands my plan. What you said is absolutely right. What I want is momentum! The government and the public are working hard to gain Jiuxi's momentum for Li Jiangyuan!"
Cheng Dong's heart suddenly shook violently. It was as if he was meeting his sister Cheng Wen for the first time, and he couldn't believe that the other party could come up with such a cruel plan.
The government and the public appealed in unison for Li Jiangyao, asking the emperor to award him the gift of nine tins to reward his extraordinary achievements. Doesn't this mean that Li Bing was forced to kill Li Jiangyao?
Which emperor is willing to share nine tins with his heroes? What is the difference between this and dividing the world equally? What is the difference between this and encouraging ministers to make further progress and directly covet the imperial power?
Cheng Dong took two deep breaths and asked, "How can we create such a big momentum?"
"It's not difficult." Cheng Wen smiled faintly: "Li Jiangyao himself is very cooperative and saves us a lot of effort. Didn't he just win a big victory in Jingkou? Isn't the entire imperial capital rejoicing about this? Then let's take advantage of the situation. , follow the current trend, start from the court and the people at the same time, and adopt a two-pronged approach."
Cheng Dong nodded slightly when he heard the words: "It's interesting. Sister, after you reminded me just now, I immediately thought of many ways. The Ministry of Rites, the Imperial College, Taichang Temple, and the Secretary's Prison are all under our control and can be operated together. Including the third and fourth brothers, they can also help the military. In addition, find some literary celebrities and folk sages to directly bring the voice of the imperial capital to the city while all the people are praising Li Jiangyao's achievements. stand up."
"Brother, that's right." Cheng Wen said happily: "As long as we brothers and sisters are of the same mind, no matter how powerful Li Jiangyao is, he will still have to die! In addition, I have a clever plan that can be promoted at the same time to ensure better results. .”
Cheng Dong couldn't help but feel curious: "What a clever idea, please tell me."
Cheng Wen shook his head: "If you tell me in advance, it may not work. What's more, it is a matter related to us women. You can't help me if you listen to it. Brother, you only need to do two things right now. One It is to keep an eye on Tian Mu and ask him to provoke a struggle between Ouyang Lin and the Zhenjiang Army. This will not only disrupt Li Jiangyao's position, but also help me further win over Ouyang Lin. Second, the nine mentioned above Regarding the matter of tin, deploy it secretly, the sooner the better."
Cheng Dong nodded repeatedly when he heard this: "Don't worry. As long as there is no direct conflict with Li Jiangyao, I have no worries and will fully support your plan. Within three days, there will be progress."
Cheng Wen Yanran smiled, and after thinking about it carefully, she specifically warned: "Go back and tell Tian Mu. You are just hiding aside to watch the fun, and you are a little dull and passive. You should still make some noise and help the people on both sides." Pressure. The environment is not favorable, so they are prone to making mistakes."
Cheng Dong secretly praised his sister's cleverness and agreed: "Your idea makes sense. I will convey it to Tian Mu and others when I get back. In the past few days, let Bei Ya Ni Lin Division find a reasonable name to create something in the imperial city. The tense situation makes both Ouyang Lin and the Prince Consort suspicious, which makes it easier for them to make mistakes."
