Probably because they were discussing secret matters, the colors in the study became much darker. The faint rays of the autumn sun shined through the cracks in the window on Liu Chengyou's face, making him look slightly cold.
Liu Chengyou calmly ordered Li Chongju: "Let our people keep an eye on Yang Bin and Shi Hongzhao, especially Yang Bin. I will know every move he makes next!"
"yes!"
Before food and grass are moved, intelligence comes first. Liu Chengyou has always attached great importance to intelligence information. As early as when he was really determined, he carefully selected dozens of scouts from the army, and based on them, he formed an intelligence force, specializing in inquiring about information, and stabbed everything in the military, government and people's livelihood.
After entering Kaifeng, Liu Chengyou paid more attention to it. However, spies with a background of scouts had their limitations after all. It might not be difficult for them to gain military intelligence in a dangerous situation. But if they were to monitor the government and the public in Kaifeng, a place they were unfamiliar with, and spy on the news, it would be beyond their capabilities. The intelligence front is never easy to deal with and requires talent.
Therefore, during this period of time, Liu Chengyou devoted himself to building his team of secret agents, improving sources of information, especially monitoring political opponents. Secretly, Li Chongju was ordered to carefully recruit a group of informants to be responsible for surveillance, and also sent some people to sneak into the houses of Yang Bin and others...
However, until now, the progress is still very slow. The formation of "special agents" is not so easy.
"How is the organizational training of the 'Xiao' department going?" Liu Chengyou asked.
Xiaobu, also called An Xiao, is a very good name. It was Liu Chengyou who spent great efforts to select a group of people from the military and civilians to reorganize a group of secret agents.
"Everything is on track."
"Well! These owl soldiers must be trained to become Gu's eyes and ears. Don't slack off!" Liu Chengyou nodded, warned, paused, and asked: "Do you still have enough money and food?"
Li Chongju's answer was simple: "Your Highness has allocated money from the treasury, and it is sufficient!"
No matter what era, if you want to do something, you cannot do without resources. Although Liu Chengyou lives a "poor" life, he really has a lot of money and food in his hands. And most of them were secretly intercepted from the property recaptured from the Khitans.
Turn it all over, Liu Chengyou is not that stupid. The generals of this era, whether they were fighting thieves and quelling rebellions, punishing traitors and eradicating traitors, or capturing something, they basically kept it in their own pockets with little restraint. As for Liu Chengyou, he is much more low-key. He has a lot of room for manipulation and it is not difficult to do it at all. Just pay attention to the appearance.
"Take some time and let me go and see for myself!"
Li Chongju cupped his hands and said, "General, I will make arrangements!"
"And that Wang Jingchong, keep an eye on him and see what's going on with this person?" Having calmed down completely and pondering for a while, Liu Chengyou rubbed his chin and ordered coldly.
Liu Chengyou was almost certain that Wang Jingchong was ordered by others and would never show up for no reason. Regardless of the specifics, keeping an eye on this person would probably yield results.
After pondering for a while, he suddenly asked: "Also, how is my eldest brother's illness? I'm going to see him today. I see that he doesn't look good."
Li Chongju kept Liu Chengyou's instructions in mind and was a little surprised when he heard this question. Recently, Liu Chengyou seemed to be very concerned about Liu Chengxun's illness. He didn't think much about it and just reported quickly: "It's not a serious illness. It is said that it has improved a lot. "
"oh......"
...
Just as Liu Chengyou guessed, Wang Jingchong was used by Yang Bin. After going to court, he sent his servants to keep an eye on Yang's house until it was late. When he learned that Yang Bin had returned from the Privy Council, he couldn't wait to visit him with gifts.
Yang Bin, who had just returned home, was obviously in a happy mood and his steps were much lighter. However, not long after his butt touched the chair, he learned that Wang Jingchong was visiting, and his face suddenly turned ugly, and he said disdainfully: "This person can't sit still?"
If this was seen by someone who was interested, wouldn't it be true? He wanted to refuse, but when he thought that Wang Jingchong was already in front of the house, pinching his nose to invite him in, he felt as uncomfortable as eating a fly.
In front of Yang Bin, Wang Jingchong behaved very humbly, bowed his head, spoke in a low voice, and was extremely flattering.
"Prime Minister, look." Seeing Yang Bin's cold face, Wang Jingchong became more careful and displayed a gorgeously decorated sandalwood box in front of Yang Bin. He opened the lid and revealed a luminous pearl the size of an egg, which was smooth and smooth. There was a burst of crystal aqua soft light.
"What are you doing?" Yang Yan only glanced at him and then looked away.
Wang Jingchong laughed along with him: "This is a little bit of Xiaguan's intention. Such precious things cannot be owned by rough people like Xiaguan."
"You are so thoughtful." Yang Bin said without any pretense: "Put it away and take it back. I understand your thoughts. Don't do such bribery and do your best to serve the court." Can!"
Looking at Yang Bin's neither salty nor bland look, it was obvious that his hot face was against his cold butt. Wang Jingchong stood there, very embarrassed, with a smile on his face, looking a little aggrieved.
Noticing Wang Jingchong's "at a loss" performance, and seeming to feel that he was a bit unreasonable, Yang Bing's expression softened slightly, coughed slightly, and said: "You did a good job in the matter in the palace today, I can see it." .”
"It is an honor for me to serve the Prime Minister," Wang Jingchong said immediately.
Seeing Yang Bing nodding, Wang Jingchong slapped the snake on the stick, showed a humble smile again, stepped forward, bent even lower, and asked tentatively: "As for the matter of lowering the official position..."
Hearing his words, Yang Bin narrowed his eyes, and as expected, he raised his hand to pick up the tea cup, but Wang Jingchong quickly picked it up and handed it to Yang Bin. Yang Bin became more and more disdainful of this person's flattery. He blew on the hot steam and sipped his lips before squinting at him: "Don't worry, just wait patiently for the time being. The imperial court will take action soon, and we will arrange for you to be released. It is not difficult for one party to suppress Jiedu."
"But..." It felt like Yang Bing was a little perfunctory, and Wang Jingchong looked anxious.
As soon as he opened his mouth, Yang Yan stopped him: "But what, will I still break my promise?"
"I don't dare!" Wang Jingchong hurriedly apologized: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, it's because I was anxious."
"You have been an official in the Tang and Jin Dynasties for twenty years. After so many years, don't you still have the patience to wait for a while?" Yang Yan was not much older than Wang Jingchong, but he said to him in a tone of educating the younger generation: "The matter of establishing an heir is not over yet, so you are a bit reckless when you come here."
Hearing the rebuke, his face twitched, and Wang Jingchong lowered his eyebrows even more submissively: "The prime minister's lesson is right."
Mentioning this, observing Yang Bin's expression, Wang Jingchong deliberately wanted to get closer to each other and said, "Today, so many officials have asked to establish a second prince. If Your Majesty agrees, wouldn't it be self-defeating?"
Hearing what he said, Yang Yan chuckled, with strong confidence in his cold tone: "With Shi Hongzhao and I here, how can the position of crown prince be successfully established in the current dynasty?"
Still short, Wang Jingchong opened his mouth and said: "My husband is a great minister of the Han Dynasty. He has worked hard and made great achievements. He is deeply trusted by your majesty. Your opinion on the establishment of the heir apparent, even your majesty, has to be carefully considered..."
As for Wang Jingchong, he naturally wanted to communicate more with Yang Bin and get closer to him. Unfortunately, the impatience on Yang Bin's face gradually disappeared. So, I could only hold back the humiliation in my heart and resigned with a sensible smile.
After leaving Yang Mansion, Wang Jingchong walked away expressionlessly, walked to the corner of the street, looked back at the tall and majestic Yang Mansion gate, Wang Jingchong could no longer hold his face, and spit on the ground fiercely: "What is that? , dare to look down on me like this!"
"General." The servant who was following him was startled.
Taking a deep breath, Wang Jingchong quickly calmed down. A smile appeared on his face again, but there was a cold light in his eyes: "What a good Prime Minister Yang, I will make you look good sooner or later!"
"Go back home!" With a flick of his sleeve, Wang Jingchong turned and left.
What Wang Jingchong didn't know was that on the other side of the street, a pair of eyes had stared at him and followed him.
In the imperial city, after going to court, Liu Zhiyuan returned to the Chui Gong Hall to rest. He attended the court for such a long time, which was a heavy burden for him. Until the afternoon, I got up to inquire about the government and read the reports of the ministers, but my interest was not too high and I looked impatient. Because most of the memorials presented are related to the position of the crown prince.
He raised his hand to rub the bridge of his nose, then opened his eyes again, and the tiredness in his eyes suddenly appeared. The chamberlain next to him came forward and asked: "Guan family, do you want to rest for a while?"
"Show it in the Renming Hall!" Liu Zhiyuan stood up and ordered after discarding the memorial in his hand on the imperial desk.
Since entering Bian Palace, Liu Zhiyuan has been busy with general affairs, so Liu Zhiyuan has not been to Li's side many times. Without being informed, Liu Zhiyuan strolled over and happened to see a man coming out of the palace. He looked very upright, but there was a bit of slickness between his brows.
When he saw Liu Zhiyuan, the man was startled, shrank his neck, and came forward to worship him: "I will see you at the official house."
"Yes." Liu Zhiyuan glanced at him, responded lightly, and walked past him towards the palace.
Looking at Liu Zhiyuan's back, the man breathed a sigh of relief. He had always been very afraid of Liu Zhiyuan. This man's name is Li Ye, the younger brother of the Li family. He is frivolous, has great ambitions but little talent, and has high ambitions but low abilities. After entering Bianjing, as a foreign relative, Liu Zhiyuan named him a military envoy and mingled in the palace, doing nothing all day long. However, the youngest son in the family has always been the most loved, and Mrs. Li is also very fond of his younger brother.
"I respectfully welcome the official family." Upon learning that Liu Zhiyuan had arrived, Empress Li personally welcomed him.
"No gift!" Liu Zhiyuan personally helped Mrs. Li up, glanced at the simple decoration in the palace, and felt a layer of cocoon on Mrs. Li's hands. Liu Zhiyuan sighed: "Sanniang, thank you for your hard work."
Li Shi smiled gently, asked the maids who were playing with looms in the palace to leave, and led Liu Zhiyuan to sit down and talk, and asked: "The official family is busy with state affairs, why do you have time to come here today?"
Hearing this, Liu Zhiyuan sighed and looked at Li's graceful face and said, "I feel depressed."
Li asked: "Is the government encountering difficulties?"
"The child is getting older!" Liu Zhiyuan said after a moment of silence.
His eyes flickered, and seeing the tiredness on Liu Zhiyuan's face, Li stood up, stood behind Liu Zhiyuan, raised her hand and gently put it on his head to squeeze him: "The official is talking about Erlang?"
"Yes." Feeling Li's movements, Liu Zhiyuan showed a comfortable look on his face: "Sanniang, you haven't massaged me like this for a long time."
Mrs. Li was as gentle as water: "Then today, I will serve you well..."
Liu Zhiyuan sighed again, closed his eyes, and told Li what happened today. Immediately, she asked: "Sanniang, in your opinion, who is more suitable to be the prince, Da Lang or Er Lang?"
Liu Zhiyuan's question surprised Li. She paused for a moment, then continued to rub it, and said softly: "The prince's proposal is a national matter, related to the country, the country, and the country. I am no more than a palace lady, and my knowledge is shallow. How dare you make unreasonable comments?"
"Sanniang is too modest!" Liu Zhiyuan said, still closing his eyes: "With your knowledge, you can surpass thousands of men in time!"
Mrs. Li shook her head gently: "I am a member of the harem and I dare not interfere in politics."
"Between you and me, we have been husband and wife for almost 30 years. We know each other well, so how do we distinguish each other? To put it bluntly, we treat it as a private conversation between husband and wife." Liu Zhiyuan pressed Mrs. Li's hand and said sincerely.
Mrs. Li was silent for a long time, then sighed and said: "The elders and younger ones are in order. In order to protect the peace of the country, in my humble opinion, it is better to establish a husband as a concubine."
Liu Zhiyuan leaned his head on Mrs. Li's chest and looked up at her, a little surprised: "Don't you always love Erlang?"
The virtuous and sensible temperament in Mrs. Li's body was even stronger, and she replied: "It is true that I love Erlang, but in the country, there must be no partiality. Dalang is also my son. Abolition of elders and establishment of younger ones is the way to bring disaster. , which is not good for the country.”
"To be honest with Sanniang, my original intention was to take Da Lang as my heir. However, he is too weak and gentle. He can be a king in governing the world and become a king for generations to come. But in this world, I am afraid that he will not be able to control those arrogant and fierce soldiers. General, governor of the vassal town. Erlang has changed a lot in the past year, which is completely beyond my expectation. He is heavy and cold, calm and courageous. Although his actions appear to be extreme and fierce, he is well versed in the way of survival here..." Liu Zhiyuan was quiet and quiet. Sigh, expressing his hesitation.
Li said leisurely: "The brothers have always gotten along harmoniously and have a very good relationship. If the second brother can assist the first brother, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?"
Maybe Li didn't even realize that her breath was a little weak when she said this.
Sure enough, Liu Zhiyuan smiled bitterly: "How cruel is this battle for the throne? With Sanniang's intelligence, don't you know? From Liang, Tang, to Jin, people fought to the death for this position. What happened? Is it still too little?”
Hearing this, a look of worry flashed across Li's face, and the palms and backs of her hands were all flesh. Although she usually cared less about Liu Chengxun, it didn't mean that she didn't like him.
After thinking about it, Mrs. Li said to Liu Zhiyuan somewhat solemnly: "In this case, the official family should decide on the status of monarch and ministers as early as possible, so as not to delay it for a long time and develop into an irreversible situation. By then it will be too late to regret... ..”
"I'm thinking about it." After holding it in for a while, Liu Zhiyuan replied.
The couple didn't speak anymore, they just cuddled together and felt the rare silence.
Liu Zhiyuan did not stay at Li's place for too long, and returned to his palace. However, after the conversation with Li, he felt much more relaxed.
At night, bright yellow lights flickered on Liu Zhiyuan's face, serious and serious. Recalling the scene in Chongyuan Hall today in his mind, Liu Zhiyuan sighed for a long time: "It's not a good thing to be too anxious..."
When he said this, Liu Zhiyuan looked firm.
The next day, Liu Zhiyuan issued an edict, naming Liu Chengxun as King of Wei and Prefect of Kaifeng, and Liu Chengyou as King of Zhou and patrolling the capital.
