In the main hall of the Zhou Mansion, candle shadows flickered, and the cold north wind howled outside the window, seeming to be the envoy of hell that seduced people. On the dim bed, Zhou Zhongwang's sallow face showed a hint of paleness. He held Xun Mou's left hand tightly with his trembling hand and said sincerely: "They say, 'When a person is about to die, his words are also good', Mou'er! You are the disciple who has been taught by my master all my life, and I have always been proud of you..."
"Master..." Xun Mou's eyes were wet, "Disciple knows, knows! Disciple has always been proud of you. Now is not the time to say these words. When you get better, disciple will still listen to your teachings!"
Zhou Zhongwang smiled happily and said, "Master, I have known my fate for a long time! You have already left the army, so there is no need to mourn. I have two things to entrust to you, can you... agree?"
"Master, don't say it's just two pieces, even if it's one hundred pieces or ten thousand pieces, my disciple still has it and should do it!"
"Well..." Zhou Zhongwang nodded happily, "All of the sons of the master are useless. After the master left..."
"Master, I have always regarded your children as my elder brothers and sisters, and I will definitely take good care of them. It's too early for Master to say this now!" Xun Mou's nose became sore, and he suppressed tears.
Zhou Zhongwang continued, "I feel relieved if you can say that I am a teacher. There is one more thing that concerns you!"
"What's the matter?"
"The current situation in the court seems to be calm, but in fact there is a turbulent undercurrent. The prince and Prince Ning are fighting secretly, eyeing the throne. Many officials in the court are taking sides!" Zhou Zhongwang said in a hoarse voice, "Mou'er!"
Xun Mou was startled, then responded: "Disciple, listen! You tell me!"
"Honestly, do you really want to side with the prince?"
Xun Mou lowered his head and said nothing. The dark shadow on the ground swayed under the light. Xun Mou's mind was buzzing. This question was too sharp. After getting along with the prince for a long time, he found that although the prince was ambitious, he was capable. Among the princes, he can be regarded as a leader, but Prince Liu Yan is sometimes narrow-minded and intolerant. This personality is very similar to that of his grandfather, the current emperor. Even if the prince succeeds in ascending the throne in the future, I am afraid that it will be difficult to get along with him in the future. Who can Knowing that he will dig out old scores and get rid of the confidants who helped him rise to power in the future? But what about King Ning? He is now the most favorable contender for the throne and the thorn in the side of the prince. If the prince falls, Prince Ning must be the most powerful to ascend the throne. Considering the character of the current emperor, the prince has not made any major mistakes. It is difficult to compare the prince to the throne. The position is given to King Ning, but with the help of Lu Zuo, King Ning has a good chance of winning. After Xun Mou was silent for a long time, he slowly raised his head and said, "The prince is the crown prince of the country, and he should ascend the throne!"
Zhou Zhongwang smiled contemptuously, "If there was no Prince Ning, what you said might be good!"
"Oh?" Xun Mou exclaimed, "Does Master not think highly of His Highness?"
Zhou Zhongwang sighed softly and nodded, "You know, my biggest rival in my life is your uncle Guzhi Zen Master. He has followed your master with me since he was a child. I have been jealous of his talent and wisdom since I was a child. Later, I didn't Thinking that he has also accepted a disciple, who is on par with you, and now Lu Zuo has returned to the court..." Zhou Zhongwang coughed twice softly as he spoke, and continued, "Now that Lu Zuo has chosen to assist Prince Ning, I think I will definitely become your fierce rival!"
Xun Mou was stunned, "Master, what do you mean..."
Zhou Zhongwang's eyes glowed with a faint green light, "Get rid of him!"
"This... is easier said than done. Now he is not only a confidant of Prince Ning, but also a popular person around the emperor. It is extremely difficult to get rid of him! To be honest, my disciple also wants to find Lu Zuo's tail today. But it’s really hard to catch him.”
"If you want to catch him, I'm afraid you won't be able to get rid of him in this life!"
"Master..." Xun Mou frowned, "Do you mean to let your disciple get rid of him directly?"
Zhou Zhongwang nodded vigorously, "Master has heard some news..."
Xun Mou asked curiously: "What's the news?"
"Do you still remember "Guigu Zongheng Lun"?"
"This..." Xun Mou was startled, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes, "Is there really such a book?"
"For a long time, there have only been rumors about this book in the world, and your master has never told me whether it really exists. Now I can tell you for sure that such a book does exist, and it is indeed in Lu Zuo's house. In hand!" Zhou Zhongwang said decisively.
Xun Mou was silent for a moment. He held his master's hand tightly and slowly slid it away. He lowered his head and thought. It was rumored in the world that this book was written by Guigu Patriarch with all his efforts. As long as he could get this book, It can be said that he has gained all the wisdom in the world. It seems that Lu Zuo was not in prison just to anger himself, but because this book really existed. Xun Mou raised his head and continued to ask: "Master, how did you know about it? And where is the book now? Where did Lu Zuo hide it?"
"You don't have to ask where you got it. This news is absolutely true. As for where the book was hidden, the man didn't tell me. Since Lu Zuo entered the court, although he has been at home as safe as a mountain, In fact, he secretly controlled many things behind the scenes."
Xun Mou was confused and curious, how could the master know so much, "Control? Control what?"
"For example, Gao Jun, Xia Jingying, and Anyuan Mountain!" Zhou Zhongwang was extremely calm when he said the names of these people.
"This..." Xun Mou's cheeks trembled, feeling that everything was simply unbelievable, "How is this possible? Gao Yun is Gao Han's biological brother, he is also one of ours, and Xia Jingying is because his son offended Fan Enyu, An Yuanshan is Lu Zuo's old Taishan, can't he have hands and eyes that can reach the sky?"
"Gao Yun has always been Lu Zuo's friend. The two of them have known each other since they took part in the imperial examination, and they are also sworn brothers."
"No wonder, no wonder..." Xun Mou murmured, "No wonder Gao Yun won the command so easily. No wonder he conquered Shanlan in the west. No wonder the two of them cooperated so seamlessly. No wonder he rose through the ranks in the officialdom. , it turns out that he is not only the emperor’s confidant, but also Lu Zuo and Prince Ning’s.”
Zhou Zhongwang said calmly: "There is also the Xia Jingying case, which is actually a trap set up by Lu Zuo!"
Xun Mou was so frightened that his face was livid, "How... is this possible? Master, does he have any evidence?"
"Think about it, Fan Enyu is a wealthy man in this dynasty and a famous family in Shanlan area. It's not surprising that he knows Lu Zuo. As for the situation set up between him and Fan Enyu, it was only informed by Wei Shi's insider. , and there is no evidence.”
"How could it not be!" Xun Mou was a little excited, "Since there is an insider, wouldn't it be enough to let that person stand up and give evidence? In this way, wouldn't it be possible to take down Lu Zuo and others in one fell swoop?"
