As Su Xuanyong's voice sounded, the dispute came to an end. The ministers in the palace stood up and resigned and left the hall.
The ministers left one after another and disappeared from sight after a while.
After leaving the imperial city, the ministers' discussions began. Within the imperial city, they all had to follow one rule.
It is forbidden for people to talk to each other in twos and threes in the imperial city. This is His Majesty's taboo.
Only after leaving the city and getting acquainted with the ministers would they make an appointment and communicate in a specific place.
Su Xuanyong also knew this, but he didn't stop it. As long as it didn't go too far, he would probably turn a blind eye.
This seems a bit self-deceptive and makes people feel contradictory, and this is precisely caused by Su Xuanyong's suspicious and tangled character.
As the emperor, it is absolutely impossible to treat his ministers with 100% trust and reuse, and he can only pull and beat them.
Let these ministers understand at any time that the imperial authority is strict and cannot be violated, and their hearts must be tense at all times.
Just like the scene where Zheng Yuan and the other three crashed into the Panlong Pillar, Su Xuanyong could certainly see that the three of them were acting deliberately to show their loyalty.
But he couldn't expose it, nor could he let the three of them really die in the hall.
The balance of the court's political situation cannot be broken. For so many years, the balance of the court has always been Su Xuanyong's top priority.
No matter when, one cannot favor one side, everything is for the sake of the stability of the imperial power.
As for whether the three princes really have contact with the local state pastor, it is not important. We can just find an opportunity to discuss it in the future.
As for Su Qi'an, such a big incident in Xizhou City still made Su Xuanyong feel uncomfortable, and he had to find an opportunity to deal with it.
After all, what Su Xuanyong wants is a royal son who is in control and who is devoted to the royal family, not a marquis who is uncontrollable and acts wantonly.
At this time, Chu Xiong and Wen Xuan were sitting opposite each other on a carriage leading to the Hanlin Academy.
Fortunately for Chu Xiong, Wen Xuan's face looked a little ugly. Although he had expected it, he still didn't expect that His Majesty would finally use a harmonious way to easily remove Chu Xiong's almost certain guilt.
Now, he can somewhat understand why Su Qian was unwilling to stay in Kyoto.
Indeed, when it comes to His Majesty, even big things can be reduced to trivial matters as long as they do not touch the majesty of the imperial authority.
Chu Xiong knew what Wenxuan was thinking, and he comforted, "Master Wen, this matter was never intended to bring down Zheng Guogong and others. Even if there is ironclad evidence, our Majesty will not do what we want. "
"If you think about it, you have been by His Majesty's side for many years, and you still don't understand His Majesty's temperament. As long as we can ensure the stability of Great Liang and the stability of the royal family, no big deal will matter."
"Although I didn't bring down Zheng Guogong and the others, it was not without some gains. At least it gave them a reminder not to overdo some things, otherwise it will bring disaster to themselves sooner or later."
"Furthermore, His Majesty did not issue the order in person, which is also a victory for us. In His Majesty's heart, Dongshan Hou is still valuable and carries a heavy weight. It is not that easy to get rid of him easily."
Listening to Chu Xiong's comfort, Wenxuan felt a little better. He sighed, "Hey, my poor student is really in trouble. However, the sage said that those who want to achieve great things must temper their will, muscles and bones. The truth is clear, but If it really happens, I’ll still be worried.”
"If His Highness the Crown Prince had not passed away prematurely, my heir might not be like this."
Chu Xiong nodded, glanced outside the car curtain, and said softly, "Master, it's better not to say these words. You know better than me. Don't worry. After all, Dongshan Hou has come out of a poor family step by step. I trust him. He will definitely make a comeback, and what we can do is do our best in court to clear out some of his evil hands."
Wen Xuan calmed down, nodded and suddenly smiled, "Chu Zaifu, you and I have been so close during this period, so I am not afraid of His Majesty's blame."
Chu Xiong shook his head carelessly, looking free and easy. "Anyway, I'm about to retire. If I can retain a rare talent before I retire, it doesn't matter if I lose something."
"And with His Majesty's shrewdness, he has already guessed how many ministers in the court have no contact with him? They have been keeping an eye on my position."
"Just in time, before retreating, let's give them a surprise and let them know that Zaisu's position is not that easy to do."
Speaking of this, Chu Xiong's face showed a bit of cunning, Wen Xuan said with a smile.
"As expected of an old fox in the officialdom, I admire you."
There were bursts of laughter in the carriage.
At the same time, in the private room of a restaurant in Kyoto City, the three princes Zheng, Zhao, and Chen all arrived.
This private room is surrounded by tight security, and there is a back door in the private room. Even if something happens outside, you can leave as soon as possible, which is quite safe.
The three of them were sitting. Chen Guogong was the first to speak. He praised Zheng Guogong's previous performance in the palace. After some bragging, Zheng Guogong waved his hand and said suddenly.
"The three of us are able to speak unanimously to the outside world because of the efforts of our two highnesses. But I have something to say first. We have the same goal in dealing with Su Qi'an. We must not hide it, otherwise it will be bad for everyone."
There was obviously something in Zheng Yuan's words, and they were directed at Chen Guogong.
Chen Guogong's expression changed slightly, but after all, he was still a first-class Duke. In terms of rank, he was the same as Zheng Yuan, but he was in charge of some government affairs, which was a little inferior.
But he was definitely not Zheng Yuan's subordinate. He said directly, "Zheng Guogong, what do you mean? Say what you have to say."
Zheng Yuan smiled and said, "Hey, I don't mean anything else. I just want to remind Chen Guogong that I heard that Chen Dao of your family had received some kindness from Su Qi'an. Chen Guogong still needs to discipline him well. If he ends up showing up, If something goes wrong, it has nothing to do with us."
Chen Guogong's eyes flashed. He underestimated Zheng Yuan. Chen Dao was indeed under Su Qi'an's care during the northern battlefield and the defense of Kyoto.
But that was just a normal personnel transfer. It was not a big deal, but it could still reach Zheng Yuan's ears, which was enough to show that Zheng Yuan's intelligence work on Kyoto should not be underestimated.
Chen Guogong was honest and said directly, "I have my own arrangements for my son's affairs, so I don't need to worry about Zheng Guogong."
"Really, that's what I'm worrying about. After all, think about it, there are so many powerful princes, and only Chen Dao can survive. Chen Guogong still needs to take good care of him, so that nothing happens and we are the only ones left. I regret it so much."
Zheng Yuan's words directly caused Chen Guogong to change his expression. He smashed the wine glass in his hand and stood up suddenly.
He looked at Zheng Yuan fiercely, his mouth trembled, but he didn't say anything irrational. After a moment of silence, he just said goodbye and turned around to leave.
The Duke of Zhao next to him tried to pull him back, but he couldn't.
Looking back, Zhao Guogong looked at Zheng Yuan and said with confusion on his face, "Old Zheng, are you crazy? Chen Guogong has no enmity with you. If you curse like this, aren't you pushing him away? If he stands on the side of Wen Xuan, Chu Xiong, let me see if you are crying or laughing."
Zhao Guogong had an angry look on his face. Although Chen Guogong could not compare with Zheng Yuan, Chu Xiong, or him in government affairs, he was still one of the four first-class Dukes.
A skinny camel is bigger than a horse, and he is still the fourth prince's son. If he betrays them, it will definitely be a huge blow to them.
He couldn't understand why Zheng Yuan, who always kept his thoughts to himself, was so crazy today.
Zheng Yuan looked at Zhao Guogong with a calm face, waited until he had finished losing his temper, and said.
"Do you think this is because I'm crazy? I don't know the weight of Chen Guogong?"
"Then what are you doing?"
"This is a decision negotiated between the second prince and the fourth prince."
As soon as these words came out, Zhao Guogong's expression changed drastically. He couldn't believe it.
In the imperial court, the first-level Duke had the most distinguished status, but there were only four of them.
The four of them are naturally the ones who have been strongly attracted by several princes over the years.
Except for Chu Xiong, who is not rich in oil and salt, Zheng Yuan is from the second prince, and Chen Guogong is from the fourth prince.
And he was also four at first
The prince's people just made a deal with Zheng Yuan after Zhao Ang died.
As long as Su Qi'an dies, he will definitely help the second prince with all his strength. Now he can be regarded as a double agent, but for now, he still prefers the fourth prince.
Originally, the two princes were at odds with each other. With the help of the three of them, the two princes did not completely suppress each other. From this point of view, we can know how important a first-grade prince is.
But now, because of the appearance of Su Qi'an, the two princes temporarily reconciled and began to cooperate.
But at this juncture, Zheng Yuan turned against Chen Guogong directly, saying that he had received orders from the two princes.
To be able to make the two princes abandon Chen Guogong without hesitation is enough to illustrate a point.
Zhao Guogong thought of something quickly, and said with an unbelieving tone.
"Could it be that the two princes suspect that Chen Guogong and Su Qi'an have a deal?"
Zheng Yuan nodded and said coldly, "If there was no deal, why did more than ten powerful princes and marquises go and only Chen Dao came back? Moreover, during the defense of Kyoto, our Chen Guogong did not contribute at all. Isn't this strange?"
"Therefore, based on the principle of preferring to kill by mistake rather than letting anyone go, Chen Guogong has no value and must be discarded."
Although he could understand it, Zhao Guogong said, "Then it is necessary to make it so tense. There are many ways to get rid of him."
Zheng Yuan sneered, "Humph, Old Zhao, do you really think that Chen Guogong will still rebel? Hey, don't forget, after the battle to defend Kyoto, there is still an explanation to the people of Kyoto."
"Your Highnesses have already decided on this matter, let's just wait and see."
Duke Zhao understood instantly and nodded repeatedly, "High, so high!"
Zheng Yuan and Zhao Guogong were discussing in the private room. After about an hour, they came to a conclusion on how to deal with Xizhou Mu.
He agreed to Xizhou Mu's request for return reinforcements, but only sent out 10,000 Xizhou soldiers, led by Liu Xin, deputy commander of the Forbidden Army.
After arriving at Xizhou City, meet Dongshan Hou as soon as possible and bring Dongshan Hou back to Kyoto as quickly as possible.
It was this imperial edict that made both parties find it intriguing and required careful consideration.
