Although it was bitterly cold outside, Ganquan Palace was suffocatingly dull.
The Sangong and Jiuqing were divided into different mountain courtyards, and they could neither discuss with each other nor travel out of the palace.
Any order issued by the leading minister Li Si was in compliance with Qin law. Even Feng Jie, the always grumpy imperial censor, remained silent at this time.
Every day, the three ministers and nine ministers had only one thing to do, and that was to secretly come to the late emperor's tomb to pay homage to the late emperor under the guidance of the officials of the Weiwei Mansion.
Then, amid the low and sad funeral music, there was a state of indifference, and no one wanted to talk to anyone.
After the memorial ceremony, everyone returned to their own courtyard.
The entire Ganquan Mountain returned to deathly silence.
At this time, it belongs to Meng Yi alone, in Mond's courtyard.
As usual, Meng Yi sat in the courtyard after returning from the memorial ceremony, looking up at the dead trees in the courtyard, lost in thought.
And Mond was beside him, lighting the fire and making tea, silently.
The smell of tea floated everywhere with the cold wind. Meng skillfully picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea for Meng Yi, and then poured a cup for himself, blowing it gently.
"Uncle, the weather is getting cold. Let's warm up with a cup of hot tea."
Mond took a sip of tea and reminded with a smile.
Meng Yi was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Meng, frowning and said: "How can you still laugh?"
"What my uncle said is true. If my nephew doesn't smile, why is he still crying? In His Majesty's mourning hall just now, my nephew cried until his tears dried up."
"What is this nonsense!"
Meng Yi said with some displeasure: "The late emperor was kind to our Meng family. We... No, why do you still call your majesty? The late emperor has already..."
At this point, Meng Yi's face darkened and he said coldly: "Do you know something?"
"ah?"
Mond's expression was stunned, and then he said in a funny tone: "What are you talking about, uncle?"
"snort!"
Meng Yi snorted coldly and said seriously: "Don't think that I don't know that you have a close relationship with Young Master Hao. Now that Young Master Hao's reaction is mediocre, he must be plotting something big, and you can't accept Hu Hai's ascension to the throne so calmly."
"Uncle's words are all based on conjecture and have no solid evidence. Mond does not admit it."
"Ah!"
Meng Yi snorted and said noncommittally: "Then why did you write a letter to Wang Li?"
"No uncle, you jumped on the topic too quickly!" Mond complained, somewhat dumbfounded.
Meng Yi ignored him, immediately picked up the tea cup on the table, looked at the door nonchalantly, and lowered his voice: "Did Young Master Hao tell you to do this? Do you have any plans?"
"No!" Mond denied.
Meng Yi's face darkened, and he asked coldly: "Have you ever heard a sentence?"
"Um?"
Mond was stunned for a moment, a little confused.
But I heard Meng Yi say in a solemn tone: "Uncle is also a father! If your father is not here, your uncle can take your father's place and enforce the family law!"
"ah?"
Meng subconsciously jumped up from his seat and looked at Meng Yi in astonishment: "Uncle, are you serious? I am your nephew."
"A country has a country first, and then a family. Now that the country is in crisis, how can I only care about personal relationships?"
"But."
"Without further ado!"
Just when Mond was about to struggle for a few words, Meng Yi suddenly stood up from his seat and said solemnly: "Tell me your plan quickly!"
"No, uncle, my nephew doesn't know about the young master's plan. It's just that he has a bad premonition and wants to warn Wang Li in advance. I hope he can protect his father and the eldest young master."
"oh?"
Meng Yi raised his eyebrows, then quickly regained his composure, waved his hand and said: "Follow me!"
"only."
Soon, Mond and Meng Yi came to the study.
Although they couldn't leave Ganquan Mountain, the courtyard inside Ganquan Mountain was very well arranged. It not only contained a study room, a bedroom, but also a living room and a separate kitchen.
This was arranged by the First Emperor to allow the officials to rest and discuss important military and political matters.
At this time, Meng Yi sat in the main seat and asked in a soft tone: "Mont, our Meng family and the Wang family are both the arms of the empire, but the Wang family is not as prosperous. Do you know why?"
Mond thought for a while and said with some shame: "Because the Wang family has Wang Li, but our Meng family does not."
"No!"
Meng Yi shook his head and said: "Although the Meng family and the Wang family are both general families, the Meng family and the Wang family are different;
First, the Wang family only focused on military affairs and not on political affairs. The Meng family integrated military and political affairs, paying equal attention to both internal and external affairs.
Secondly, if the Wang family does not support the crown prince, they can have both sides and sit back and relax. If the Meng family stands alone as the crown prince, they will both be prosperous when they gain, and suffer when they lose.
Based on these two points, do you understand the situation of my Meng family? "
"Understood."
Meng nodded suddenly, and then said in confusion: "Since the Wang family can not stand as the crown prince, why can't my Meng family do it? Do my father and uncle really like the eldest son?"
"You still don't know much about the court."
Meng Yi pointed at Meng helplessly and sighed: "It is not the Meng family who must support the eldest son to ascend the throne, but it is the wish of the late emperor! Otherwise, why did the late emperor give the eldest son to your father instead of the king? Ben, or Li Xin?"
"Didn't my uncle just say that they don't support the Crown Prince?"
"hehe."
Meng Yi smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying: "The relationship between your father and the late emperor has long gone beyond the friendship between monarch and subject. In other words, our Meng family is actually the retainer of the late emperor!"
"It's like, if your father entrusts you to me, will I leave you alone?"
"this"
Mond was speechless and didn't know how to communicate.
But I heard Meng Yi sigh again: "But I still haven't figured out why the late emperor established Hu Hai as the prince, knowing that Hu Hai had no one to rely on."
"Could it be that His Majesty has a secret plan? Or is he completely disappointed in the eldest son?"
"Even if I am disappointed with the eldest son, it is not Hu Hai's turn," Mond couldn't help but interjected.
Meng Yi was stunned for a moment, and then he stopped laughing; "I know you are complaining about Young Master Hao, but that is the late emperor's last edict, and there is nothing we can do about it."
"but."
As he spoke, he changed the topic and continued: "You warned Wang Li before, can you tell me the reason?"
"Actually, there is no specific reason. I just feel that the atmosphere in Xianyang is not normal. How should I put it? It's just too quiet."
Mond mused: "Young Master once said that before the storm comes, it will be unusually quiet."
"So, you have foreseen this strange situation a long time ago?"
“So be it”
"So, are you worried that Hu Hai will attack your father and eldest son?" Meng Yi narrowed his eyes.
Mond said seriously: "Since ancient times, power struggles have rarely been bloodless. What's more, the eldest son is the most powerful contender for the throne. If I were Hu Hai, I would also get rid of the eldest son."
"As for my father"
At this point, he paused, and then continued: "Didn't my uncle just say it? My Meng family and the eldest son both prosper and suffer!"
"hehe."
Meng Yi smiled faintly and couldn't help but tease Meng: "It seems that the time you studied with Young Master Hao was not in vain!"
“In fact, I didn’t learn much.”
Mond scratched his head in embarrassment.
Meng Yi pondered for a moment, then continued: "Of the two edicts left by the late emperor, only one was made public, and the other was reserved for the prince. I also guessed that the edict should be related to the eldest son."
"What if, I mean, what if that edict is not good for the eldest son?"
"snort!"
Meng Yi snorted coldly, interrupted what Meng wanted to say, and said with a sullen face: "Tiger poisonous and does not eat its children, if the late emperor is really so confused, then wait for the eldest son and your father to march south and establish a new king! "
"Who?"
Mond was greatly moved and asked quickly.
Meng Yi asked: "What do you think?"
Mond shook his head pretending not to know.
Meng Yi smiled slightly, and then said meaningfully: "You have stood up for my Meng family again, haven't you?"
"ah?"
Mond was startled, his mouth opened wide, and then he suddenly remembered something, rubbed his mouth, and muttered: "Actually, there are many people standing by him, including Wang Li."
"Isn't this nice?"
"Too."
On the other side, Jiuyuan County.
After Li Fu's incident, the gap between Meng Tian and Fu Su became more and more obvious.
Wang Li, who was caught in the middle, was even more tormented.
Sometimes, Wang Li really wanted to give up his job and go directly to Wang Ben.
However, Wang Ben and Li Xin were like crazy and kept attacking the Dayue clan and the Qiang people. After the army was pulled out, they disappeared. Until now, Longxi County is only guarded by one general, Weng Zhong.
Wang Li couldn't find Wang Ben even if he tried to find him.
"Why"
Wang Li sat on the city wall, holding a dog's tail grass in his mouth. He didn't look like a general or a soldier and sighed.
At this time, a touch of sunset has appeared on the horizon, and the sun will soon set.
But he had no desire to return to the military camp.
Because the atmosphere in the military camp was indescribably depressing.
Fusu was still studying his ores, veins, and newly planted potatoes, and was indifferent to Jiuyuan's military and political affairs. Meng Tian kept a straight face all day and rarely spoke.
Sometimes, Wang Li felt that it was not a military camp, but a cemetery, lifeless.
"Wang Li, I'm here to take over the defense, you can go back!"
While Wang Li was sighing, a slender young general came to him with a group of people smiling.
Wang Li turned his head and looked at the other party, frowned and said: "Why are you here to take over the defense?"
"Does this mean that I can't come to defend you?"
The young general smiled and couldn't help but ask.
Wang Li was silent.
According to Jiuyuan's practice, the generals sent to take over the defense were usually Meng Tian's lieutenant generals or other city defense generals.
However, he never expected that Li Yi, the captain of the guard next to Fusu, would come to take over the defense.
For a moment, Wang Li was confused and said, "Aren't you helping the eldest son to make steel? Why are you here?"
"Oh, you said this!"
Li Yi suddenly said: "The eldest son asked me to come here specially. He said he wanted to see you for something!"
"Eldest Young Master, do you want to see me if you have something to do?"
Wang Li was a little surprised.
Although there was no barrier between Fusu and him, since the Li Fu incident, Fusu still had very little communication with him.
But Li Yi smiled and said: "Yes! Go ahead and leave this place to me!"
"etc!"
Wang Li was still very confused and couldn't help asking tentatively: "Brother Li, do you know why the eldest son is looking for me?"
"How do I know about the eldest son?" Li Yi laughed.
Wang Li asked persistently: "Aren't you always by his side? How could you not be clear?"
"this"
Li Yi looked troubled, and finally sighed helplessly: "Well, Li Fu came here today and said something to the eldest son."
"Li Fu?"
Wang Li's face darkened and he said coldly: "Why is he here again?"
"I don't know either, you can ask the eldest son!"
"Does General Meng know about this?"
"Know!"
"What did General Meng say?"
"Say nothing!"
"Weird!"
Wang Li's eyes widened and he jumped down from the city wall.
Li Yi quickly supported him and patted his shoulder: "Okay! Stop talking nonsense, the eldest son is still waiting for you!"
"But."
Wang Li originally wanted to ask a few more questions, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was unnecessary, so he patted his butt and muttered: "Forget it, the soldiers will block it, and the water will cover it. I will go find Li Fu and watch him play." What a trick!"
After saying that, he rushed out without looking back.
"It's not Li Fu, it's the eldest son."
Li Yi had no time to stop Wang Li, so he could only shout from a distance and watch Wang Li walk away.
When his group was the only one on the city wall, he leaned against the wall and sighed: "This boy's character is just like his father's. I don't know what my father is like."
"The Marquis of Longxi has won consecutive battles outside the Pass, which is no worse than in the past."
One of the guards smiled and complimented.
Li Yi smiled bitterly and shook his head, but made no reply.
No one knows better than him that his father's torture over the years originated from the war that year.
However, no one except his father himself could help him get out of the shadow of the war.
Not even his son.
Therefore, Li Yi has not contacted his father all these years, just hoping that his father can come out on his own.
Because he believed in his father, he would never recover after a setback.
"General Li, look what that is, there is a large group of people coming this way!"
Just when Li Yi was thinking a lot, another guard shouted loudly.
"Um?"
Li Yi was slightly startled and subconsciously ordered: "Alert! Immediately."
Before his order was sent out, a group of flags and honor guards came rushing over.
"Wait! That is"
"Report——!"
A scout quickly reported: "The emperor's envoy has arrived!"
"Who is the special envoy?"
Li Yi did not go down to the city or open the city gate, but stood on the city wall and asked the other party.
But I heard someone say: "Special Envoy Yan Le, the honor is intact!"
"Yan Le? Who is he?"
"I don't know!"
Li Yi fell silent.
Some time ago, a special envoy from the emperor came, causing chaos in Jiuyuan. Today, another special envoy from the emperor came. Did something big happen again?
Thinking of this, Li Yi waved his hands expressionlessly: "Immediately report to General Meng that the emperor's special envoy has arrived!"
"promise!"
A personal guard came out as promised.
Not long after, the convoy of special envoys from far away took advantage of the last ray of sunshine to arrive at the pass where Li Yi was.
"The special envoy Yan Le, the commander of the imperial carriage, has met the general——" (End of this chapter)
