His face turned red with anger, but he didn't say anything when asked. Zhuang Xun was confused.
"It's too much to bully others, it's too much to bully others..." Staring at Zhuang Xun with almond-shaped eyes.
"What's wrong? Is it about me?" Zhuang Xun was stunned by her vicious gaze.
"Forget it, Mr. Zhuang, you probably don't know..." Li Rusi also felt that her actions were inappropriate.
"What do you know? Tell me." Zhuang Xun was confused and confused.
"This is not something you should know, Mr. Zhuang." Li Rusi saw Zhuang Xun's incomprehensible expression, and her anger weakened slightly.
"Is there anything I shouldn't know? I am your future husband." When she said this, Zhuang Xun became even more curious.
"..." Li Rusi fell silent.
Tell Zhuang Xun that he climbed a high branch? Although her behavior is somewhat similar, she still feels shameless when she says this.
In the end, Zhuang Xun did not ask what the situation was.
On the way to Chengguo, I met two or three waves of generals, all in similar situations, and they all gave their blessings to Zhuang Xun and the others.
Zhuang Xun didn't think it was anything, and He Jung didn't say anything when he found out, but his expression was no longer relaxed and natural.
We marched all the way north, over the mountains, until we were blocked by a huge river. The river was very wide, and we couldn't see the other side. It looked like an ocean. If we couldn't see the river flowing quietly, we would have mistaken it for a big lake. and sea.
"Is this a big river?" Zhuang Xun stood on the mountain and looked down at the vast river. He couldn't see the end at a glance. It was much bigger and wider than the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers on earth. It was so big that it made people scared.
"Yes, the river is a hundred miles wide. This is a natural chasm that is difficult for ordinary people to cross. It also serves as the junction of the Three Kingdoms." He Jung, standing next to Zhuang Xun, said.
"I'm a little confused. If Hebei Road is north of this river, how can it establish effective rule?" Zhuang Xun looked at the endless, clear river water.
"Hebei Road is said to be Hebei Road, but in fact the real part of Hebei only accounts for half of the road and is relatively desolate, such as Daijun where the benefactor initially wanted to establish the foundation." He Jung explained.
"Dai County, Yinshan County and other counties are backed by Yinshan Mountain. There are copper mines, pastures, and farming. However, after Yinshan Mountain, it is a barbaric land with mostly desert environments. It is impossible to build a stronghold against Chengdu by relying on counties such as Daijun and Yinshan County. The two big countries of Yu are harassed by barbarian barbarians, so they have always had to accept the rule of Yu." Zhuang Xun understood He Jung's explanation a little bit.
It was a situation where he had no choice but to rely on him. Indeed, the reason for choosing the county was because he had the advantage of being able to stand on his own feet.
Climbing the mountain and looking at the river, it would be a terrible thing if the river flooded with such a flow, but there are gods in this world, and the Dragon King Temple may be really useful.
"Let's go, Mr. Zhuang, Si'er's country used to be in the past." Li Rusi was full of nostalgia, seeing Zhuang Xun staring at the river in a daze, and she couldn't wait to cross the river, see his family, and let them meet Zhuang Xun.
…
In the quaint and peaceful Taoist temple, sandalwood scent lingers, and a middle-aged man in Taoist robes holds his breath and concentrates, sitting cross-legged and holding an elixir.
It wasn't until there was a knock on the door that he opened his eyes and shouted weakly: "Come in."
This person was King Cheng at this time, the monastic emperor of Chengguo.
"Your Majesty, the envoy from the State of Yu is here." The eunuch opened the door and said cautiously.
"I heard that the leader is Zhuang Xun, who is praised by the immortals?" The emperor's words were light and full of interest.
When it came to the word "immortal", the eunuch did not dare to be negligent and quickly explained: "It is true. The immortal said that he has the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix, and his future is limitless."
"Can immortals see clearly the misfortunes and blessings of people?" the emperor said in disbelief.
"This is not something that only slaves can know. It's just that the generals all agreed, and so did the generals of Yu State who were investigated." The eunuch knelt down in fear.
"Get up, I have never seen a true immortal. I don't blame you. Prime Minister Xuan has entered the palace." The emperor sat peacefully on the soft couch, his expression unchanged.
"Yes!" The eunuch agreed and withdrew.
Immortal, Immortal.
Thinking of the Immortal Emperor makes me feel a little more irritable.
Cultivation of immortality has both political purposes and personal factors. He really wants to become an immortal, but it is difficult to find a real immortal, and all those who come are just some swindlers.
In terms of political goals, the situation in Chengguo is better than that in Yuguo, but not by much.
It was also monopolized by aristocratic families. Cultivation was a way for the emperor to extract money from aristocratic families, and it was also a way to avoid court disputes.
As long as he does not appear, these ministers will continue to fight among themselves. As long as he appears, these ministers will unanimously fight against the outside world.
Simply hand over the power to the queen and the harem representing various forces. It seems that the various forces are fighting, but in fact, it is behind the scenes that she is slowly taking back the power.
The prime minister is the queen's father and the faction he secretly supports.
"Without the guidance of the Immortal Family, how can we cultivate Taoism by relying on these charlatans?" Hearing that an Immortal appeared on the front line, he hastily sent someone to invite him, but in the end it was a step too late, as the Immortal had already left with his sword.
"Why are there no immortals guarding Chengguo?" The emperor got out of bed and picked up the Taoist scriptures, but he couldn't read a single word in it.
He met an immortal, but the other person did not agree to his request to teach immortality, and reluctantly left a Taoist scripture that he said was for the cultivation of body and mind.
He asked if all the national teachers in the world were liars? The other party replied that Ge Guoshi of Yu State was a master of Taoism.
He is not worried about few but about inequality. If all the immortals in the world are high and low and do not care about worldly affairs, then he may regret it, but he will not think too much about it. After all, the main purpose of cultivating Taoism is to balance the situation in the court, and the secondary purpose is to balance the situation in the court. The goal is eternal life.
However, even useless monarchs like the Yu Kingdom were helped by immortals. He had such a strong will to practice Taoism, but what was wrong with him was that the immortals were unwilling to help him.
Zhuang Xun's arrival today allowed him to relive his memories again.
After all, compared to Zhuang Xun being praised highly by the immortals, the emperor received a sentence from the immortals: "Your Majesty is not suitable for cultivating immortals. He should still have the manners of a king."
At that time, I didn't know how to break his guard. He had a photographic memory and was very talented. But it was not suitable for me to practice Taoism. If I couldn't do it, then who would be suitable?
Even if he said that he was willing to give up being an emperor and practice Taoism, the other party would still say: "If you don't have this fate, your Majesty should just be a good man."
At that time, there was something wrong with his mentality. He always felt that the immortal rejected him on purpose. Afterwards, although he studied the Taoist scriptures given by the immortal honestly, he still recruited monks with good Taoism from all over the world. Unfortunately, he found no real immortals today. .
The latest one, this time, also found nothing, and he felt a little depressed.
Suppressing the irritability, studying the Taoist scriptures and reciting the scriptures, the irritable mood gradually became calmer, thinking about the arrival of the Yu State envoys, the strategic position of Jiannan and Hebei, and the promotion of Chengguo. There is the issue of Youguo’s counterattack.
Time passed by, and the emperor was as motionless as a statue. Only the occasional blink of his eyelids showed that the emperor was still alive.
The quiet small courtyard temple made a thumping sound again, and he came back from his thoughts.
"Come in." He picked up the Taoist Scriptures, sat cross-legged on the soft couch, straightened his clothes, and called to the door.
"My humble minister, Gao Guozhou, is here to see Your Majesty." The prime minister, an old man in his fifties with a short beard, came in and kowtowed first.
"Stop being polite and sit down. I want you to come here this time to receive the envoys from the State of Yu!" The emperor was close to the prime minister and spoke more casually.
"Wei Chen understands." The prime minister was half sitting on the chair. Although he was the emperor's father-in-law and the current prime minister, his cautious and respectful behavior towards the emperor was the reason why the emperor always relied on him.
"This time the Chengyu coalition defeated Youguo in Xishui. Youguo has lost all its elites and no longer poses a threat to our country." The emperor opened the topic first.
"Hebei Road or Jiannan Road, Prime Minister, which one our country needs now, Yu State can only accept the cession of one." The emperor practiced Taoism but had a clear understanding of the country's situation, unlike the rumors from the outside world that he didn't care about anything.
"It depends on whether His Majesty's future policy is to prioritize internal affairs or external affairs." The prime minister already had a draft in mind and said calmly.
"What's going on inside, what's going on outside." The emperor was very interested.
"King Yu is about to die soon, and the princes of the Yu Kingdom will definitely fight for the throne. This is a great opportunity to cannibalize the Yu Kingdom.
The You Kingdom suffered a huge defeat and lost all its elites. King You had originally killed his father and brother to ascend to the throne. This defeat will definitely destabilize the country. There will be two situations. First, use all the troops in the country to at least Only by capturing Jiannan Road can the situation be stabilized. Secondly, rebellions in various places will overthrow King You. This is also a great opportunity to encroach on You Kingdom. "
The Prime Minister analyzed that the matter of taking Jiannan and taking Hebei has been discussed countless times.
"Jiannan Road is the junction of the three countries and the place where the Four Wars are fought. If your Majesty has the intention to seize the two countries, Jiannan Road can be taken."
"Domestically, General Li has won a great victory over Xishui, shocking the world. The country of You is frightened by it, and the reputation of the country is growing. Although it is a blessing for the country, it is not a blessing for your majesty. This is a danger. King Qinghe's soldiers have sufficient food and grass. Being silent and waiting for the opportunity to act is the second danger." Talking about the situation in the country, the prime minister observed the emperor's face.
"If we want to solve the domestic troubles, we can take the Hebei Road. Without the pressure of being attacked by the two fronts of Yu State and You State, we are facing each other across the river, which is considered a natural chasm."
After speaking, the prime minister lowered his head and waited for the emperor's decision. This was also the policy that represented the emperor's desired goal.
Whether to solve domestic troubles or to calm down domestic conflicts through external wars, just like this time, King Qinghe, who was originally ready to make a move, was now extremely calm and frightened by Li Pingyuan.
"..." The emperor was thinking, considering, weighing, and finally sighed.
"Let's go to Hebei Province. So what if we cannibalize the Yu and You countries? The stability of the world will have to be spit out." This is the experience of the dynasty for hundreds of years. Facing the natural chasm, the dominance will decline, and eventually an inherent territory will be formed. .
This reflects the pitifulness of an emperor who has no one to support him. Everyone else knows that he wants to fight for the dragon and is preparing to unify the world. But he is still using the same old ideas to think about facing each other across the river. The chaos will calm down after a while. He cannot control the land he is encroaching upon.
"General Li is sick?" The emperor said in a strange tone.
"As soon as I came back, I said I was sick, and medicine and stone are difficult to cure." The prime minister didn't react at all. He was an old fox and managed his expression very well.
"He knows how to avoid it." The emperor was noncommittal.
"General Li is a very wise man. His Majesty came out of the city to greet him. He understood and handed over all the military symbols." The prime minister did not praise Li Pingyuan for his loyalty, but praised Li Pingyuan for his wisdom.
"What a wise man, what a great contribution. Cheng and Yu's armies defeated Youguo's cavalry. In the first battle at Xishui, the whole world will probably know that Li Pingyuan was half-crossed by Xishui." The emperor said with a sneer.
The emperor likes generals who have meritorious service, but it is difficult to describe generals who have made too many merits. There is a word called "high merits shake the master".
"General Li cannot be touched at this time. Your Majesty, King Qinghe still needs General Li to intimidate him." The prime minister seemed to beg for mercy but was actually angry.
"Then who is going to scare General Li? Most of the generals in this country are old friends with him. If he just raises his arms, this country will change." The emperor couldn't help but say.
As an emperor, who is not afraid? Kings always say that destiny is in me, destiny is in me. Some of them believe it and blindly believe in destiny. In the end, they only realize that they have a shitty destiny after losing the throne.
The emperor is not like this. He understands very well that Li Pingyuan's current influence, especially after Xishui, no one in Chengguo can suppress him. If the plan is well planned, changing dynasties is also an easy matter.
"General Li is extremely loyal and will not commit treason. The return of the military talisman is proof of this." At this time, the prime minister said that Li Pingyuan was loyal, so it would be better not to say anything.
"He's tampering. He doesn't have such thoughts yet, but he can't resist others' admonishment. If he doesn't move once, he won't be moved again. What if he gets moved once?" The emperor really felt the threat like a ray of light on his back. , even if Li Pingyuan reported his illness, it could not be relieved.
What a generous heart it is to expect the loyalty of your ministers. People's hearts are changeable. Maybe one thought one moment, and another one the next moment. Siqin Shengjing was also famous for his loyalty at first, but later, he knew people and knew faces but not the heart. .
"Your Majesty is right, but now that General Li's reputation is growing, how should we deal with it." The prime minister showed a headache and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Rebellion, we can only use the method of treason to eliminate him." The emperor's face was cold, and the emperor's traditional skills were used to frame the general for treason.
"Your Majesty, what should I do if the opponent is completely defeated? In addition to the soldiers in the imperial city, there are many armored men that you can directly command. This is inappropriate." He was just trying to make a fuss, but what he said was half the truth.
A common problem in feudal countries is to recognize the generals but not the emperor. The Li family has been entrenched in the army for so many years. Li Pingyuan has subordinates and friends all over the army. When the emperor announces that the Li family has rebelled, everyone will listen to the emperor or the general. Who can tell for sure.
In particular, Li Pingyuan had just fought a beautiful battle that destroyed a country. Being his opponent requires psychological pressure. Do you ask ordinary soldiers to listen to the so-called emperor and feel that their fate is greater, or to listen to the victory in the battle of Xishui? The country's Li Pingyuan has a great destiny. Even if half of the army obeys the emperor and not two-thirds obey the emperor, with Li Pingyuan's ability, is it difficult for one-third of the army to defeat two-thirds?
"Then Prime Minister, do you want me to endure it until Li Pingyuan really gets sick and dies of old age?" The emperor became more and more uncomfortable. Maybe many people would laugh at his stupidity, but when you face a general with unparalleled military achievements, you have no confidence. Regardless of whether he will always be loyal, the result can only be one word: kill.
"It is not easy to survive General Li, who has already practiced Qi and turned into strength. What Wei Chen means is to do this in a hidden way, but as fast as thunder, to shock everyone, and to deal with all relevant personnel in a short time, at least one The Li family cannot let them run out, otherwise the escaped Li family will hook up with the generals at the edge of the town and cause endless troubles. At the same time, we must be prepared to prevent King Qinghe and others from making trouble on this issue."
The Prime Minister's words were emotionless. He would be happiest when the entire Li family was dead, but he couldn't just kill them as the emperor said, without knowing who would kill whom.
"Then what should I do?" The emperor's expression became anxious. He could also imagine what would happen if the Li family were let go.
"First, give General Li a title, promote him and demote him secretly, let him withdraw from the army, and then punish Li Chengzhi, who has been causing trouble in the Li family recently, and lower the Li family's vigilance." The prime minister suggested, but the suggestion did not feel like comforting, but rather Infuriated.
So the emperor asked directly: "Are you sure this won't anger Li Pingyuan?"
"It just makes General Li feel at ease. He is a smart man. He is eager to fade out of your Majesty's sight. He just needs to control the speed. This is just right. In fact, I don't recommend that your Majesty kill everyone. This will take away the people who are slowly arranging your Majesty. That's good, after all, General Li has great talent." The prime minister persuaded, but the emperor could no longer listen to his persuasion.
"I arranged people. I arranged people more than once. As a result, the loyalty of these people cannot be guaranteed at all. If I arrange them, I don't know how many people will listen to me in the future." When the emperor talked about this matter, it was difficult to control his emotions. Li Pingyuan was also recommended normally, and he couldn't tell whether it was his person or Li Pingyuan's person.
"That's because there was no such position as General before. Now that General Li has been promoted, we can naturally choose an obedient person to take over this position. And unlike General Li, the successor can be changed as he wants."
The prime minister grasped the crux of the problem. In the past, Li Pingyuan firmly held the power of the general. Naturally, the appointment and dismissal of army generals had to go through his hands. Now, it is easy to muddy the waters with a new person.
"Okay, let's do this. The next step is how to deal with the Li family. In a short time, we will arrest all the Li family at once. Prime Minister, what are your plans?"
"In my opinion, General Li does intend to retire, and there is Concubine Li in the palace. Your Majesty does not need to worry too much. Besides, King Qinghe still wants General Li to frighten you. Your Majesty, please think twice." The Prime Minister advised again.
The bad guys always say nice things about their victims before they harm them, so that they can stab them in the back secretly. When the emperor can't persuade him anymore, he says nice things.
The emperor was really unwilling to deal with Li Pingyuan, so he would in turn persuade the emperor how big of a threat Li Pingyuan was and that he must eradicate it in time to protect the throne.
"My mind has been made." Sure enough, the emperor snorted coldly. He had already made a plan and did not intend to change it. This is the supreme pride.
"Well, since His Majesty wants this, there is indeed an opportunity recently to bring all the Li family together." The Prime Minister showed a helpless expression.
"What opportunity?" The emperor's expression perked up and he said slightly anxiously.
"This is also the time when the Yu State's envoys arrived. With this opportunity, the envoy leading the delegation this time is named Zhuang Xun. He is only twenty-three years old. He is the supervisory censor of the Yu State and the right envoy of Hebei Province. , led Jiannan Road on behalf of him, and was evaluated by the immortal as having the appearance of a dragon and a phoenix." The prime minister told Zhuang Xun's age and background.
"Isn't his surname Tang?" The emperor was stunned, and then asked naturally: "Is he the child of King Yu who lives among the people?"
"There are rumors like this, but they have not been confirmed. The point is not that, but that he has an affair with the second lady of the Li family." The prime minister also thinks that the rumors are reliable. He is twenty-three years old and is not the emperor's illegitimate son. He will arrange for you to be sent as an envoy. The country was granted the title of Supervisor and Censor, and led Jiannan Road on its behalf?
"The one who killed the tiger with three punches? Is this Zhuang Yushi having an affair with her?" The emperor thought about the huge tiger at that time and the petite and pitiful appearance of Li Rusi, who was only fifteen years old. He still remembered it freshly now.
"This is this girl. She is still unmarried. If the two get married in Chengguo, the Li family will come to congratulate them regardless of their distance. This is the best opportunity to eradicate the Li family." The prime minister's tone was cold, and there was a tinge in his eyes under the wrinkles. On the cold light.
"Yes, yes, when the legitimate daughter gets married, the Li family will definitely come. The Prime Minister is thoughtful." The emperor suddenly realized and praised the Prime Minister for being thoughtful.
"As long as all the Li family are here, we can use internal guards to surround the Li family and arrest and execute them all at once." The emperor said excitedly.
"There is a small problem now." The prime minister had to interrupt the emperor who wanted to execute the Li family.
"What's the small problem?" The emperor frowned. Isn't it that easy?
"Censor Zhuang already has a wife, and he wants to marry Miss Li Er as his wife!" The Prime Minister smiled bitterly after hearing the latest rumors.
"I have heard about it." Recalling that the reason why the immortal praised Zhuang Xun seemed to be because Zhuang Xun wanted to marry the second lady of the Li family as his concubine, at that time he was only thinking about the immortal's departure and what kind of person Zhuang Xun was. Being called a dragon and a phoenix, he didn't think much about the fact that the second young lady of the Li family wanted to be his concubine, and just laughed it off.
"The Li family will not easily agree to such a request. They must ask Your Majesty to grant a marriage." the prime minister requested.
"Marriage?" The emperor thought for a while and showed a troubled expression.
"It would be fine if he didn't have a wife, but now Zhuang Yushi has a wife." Thinking of the rumors, Zhuang Xun couldn't divorce his wife.
"That's why Your Majesty has to raise the level of this wedding. Otherwise, if the second young lady in the family marries someone else and becomes an equal wife, all the Li family may not be present. Then such an opportunity will have to wait until Li Chengzhi gets married." The prime minister reminded, Remind the emperor that the opportunity cannot be missed.
"Okay, I will grant marriage to the two of you, but I have been practicing Taoism recently and have not come up with this idea. It is not convenient for me to mobilize the internal guards, so I asked the prime minister to inform the queen when he visited the queen." The emperor agreed.
"I accept my order." The prime minister knelt down and took over the emperor's oral instructions.
After the prime minister resigned and left, the emperor's expression quickly became cold, and he picked up the Taoist scriptures to study again. The Taoist robe he wore really looked like a Taoist priest studying the Taoist scriptures in a Taoist temple, without the dignity of an emperor.
"The snipe and the clam fight against each other, the snipe and the clam fight against each other..."
"Prime Minister, you are in a hurry."
6000 words, can you please give me a monthly pass?
(End of chapter)
