Those who can serve as errands in the East Palace are naturally of extraordinary status, but compared with the person in front of me, those statuses and connections are nothing! Her Majesty the Queen's nephew borrowed hundreds of people to go there, and then died inexplicably. Her Majesty the Queen was so angry that the Prince of the East Palace actually fished him out with a sword. What's going on? Tomorrow morning, will this person lead everyone to send the prince to the Daming Palace to enthrone him as emperor? When they thought of this, everyone's hearts became excited.
"Okay, all of you, please step back!" Wang Wenzuo waved his hand and motioned for everyone to step back.
After all the generals retreated, Wang Wenzuo let out a long breath of exhaustion, and his tense body relaxed. He really knows the group of guys in front of him very well. These geography ghosts who have been in Chang'an for a long time have all got a pair of ears and good noses. They can't be better at listening to wind and smelling smells. If I don't hold on, they may think that I have lost power, and no one will listen to what I say.
"Sanlang, Sanlang!" Cui Hongdu hurriedly came in from the door: "You are just in time, I just got some important news!"
"What's the news?" Wang Wenzuo perked up. Cui Hongdu was elusive during this period, wandering around Chang'an City. He didn't see him for three to five days, and he didn't know what he was doing.
"Did you know? The Crown Princess has been chosen, and she is the daughter of General Zuo Jinwu, Pei Judao!"
"Oh!" Wang Wenzuo nodded disapprovingly: "Is this the case? The prince was originally chosen from the daughters of Pei Judao and Yang Sijian. Now that something like this happened to the Yang family, it was natural to use Pei Judao's daughter to replace him. !”
"Hehe!" Cui Hongdu laughed twice: "Sanlang, the show is behind you! The prince is getting married, so of course he will be granted amnesty. The first one on the list of amnesty is Wu Sansi, the queen's nephew!"
"There is such a thing!" When Wang Wenzuo heard the name, his nerves immediately became tense: "Where did you find out about it?"
"I met an official from the Ministry of Punishment at the banquet table a few days ago!" Cui Hongdu said with a smile: "Every time there is a general amnesty, the pardon letter must be written on silk, and then it is promulgated to each state. Only the Ministry of Punishment has the list of prisoners, and it is copied. It’s all done by his own hands, it’s absolutely unmistakable!”
"Well, you did a good job!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "In two days, you will send thirty pieces of silk cloth to that Lingshi!"
"Understood!" Cui Hongdu saw Wang Wenzuo's look and knew that he had done the right thing this time: "Sanlang, the queen has a profound intention in bringing her nephew back at this juncture!"
"After all, I am a woman. Some things are not as convenient as men. My nephew died, so naturally I have to replace him with a nephew!" Wang Wenzuo smiled. In various history books and storytelling novels of later generations, Wu Sansi always appeared as a buffoon. of. Of course, this may be because he ended up on the side of the loser, and the winner would naturally not say anything good about him. But there are degrees of vilification. For example, Shangguan Wan'er, Princess Taiping, and Wu Zetian, although they failed in the end, their literary talents and abilities were still recognized in the history books, and their good governance during their time in office was recognized, while Wu Sansi was It's different. The basic evaluation of him is that he is an ambitious man with no lower limit and no integrity. He also lacks the talent and foresight required for political affairs. He cannot see the general trend clearly. As a result, he escaped the great purge after the Shenlong coup, and was finally led by Li Chongjun. The Yulin army killed the whole family.
"Then how should we respond?" Cui Hongdu asked.
"The soldiers will block it, the water will cover it with the soil! What else can we do?" Wang Wenzuo smiled: "As long as the prince is still in office, we will serve the prince and help the East Palace Emperor ascend the throne as the emperor!"
"I understand!" Cui Hongdu nodded. Seeing that Wang Wenzuo looked tired, he left after saying a few words. After leaving the door, he suddenly realized that Wang Wenzuo had only said half of what he said - he only said that the crown prince was in office. What to do, what if the prince is no longer in office? But he didn't say it. Thinking of this, Cui Hongdu couldn't help but shudder, hesitated and left.
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British government.
"Brother Li, did you know? The court is about to issue a pardon!" King Luo Bin said cautiously: "The list includes Wu Sansi, the queen's nephew!"
"The one who was exiled to Longzhou?" Li Jingye asked.
"That's right, that's the one! Wu Yuanqing's son!" King Luo Bin lowered his voice subconsciously: "In addition, there is Wu Chengsi, the son of the queen's other brother who also returned to Chang'an, but this one was innocent at first. body, so there is no need to forgive, just recall!"
"It looks like there will be big noise next!" Li Jingye said with a smile: "Okay, the bigger the noise, the better. Let the Queen and Wang Wenzuo fight to the death, and we can just watch the excitement!"
"Then which side does Brother Li think has a better chance of winning?"
"It depends on how the emperor's body is!" Li Jingye said with a smile: "If the emperor's body is healthy, then Wang Wenzuo will probably lose; if the emperor's body is unhealthy! Haha -" At this point, Li Jingye couldn't help but Speak.
"If you look at it below, even if the emperor is in good health, Wang Wenzuo may not lose!" King Luo Bin said.
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"At the time of the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Emperor Gaozu's health was not bad!"
Li Jingye was shocked when he heard this. One of the big reasons why he thought the outcome depended on the emperor's health just now was because he felt that if the emperor's health was good, the probability of the prince ascending to the throne early would be reduced.
"That's quite different! The late emperor went through hundreds of battles, wore armor and wielded a sword to conquer the world. He has been focused on the world for a long time! Although the prince is virtuous, he has not made great contributions to the world. How can he do this?"
"The prince has indeed never seen combat, but Wang Wenzuo has experienced hundreds of battles. If he loses to the queen this time, he will be in danger of annihilating the family. This person is familiar with the art of war and is accustomed to deceit. How can he be willing to sit back and wait for death?"
Li Jingye stroked his beard and realized that if he were in Wang Wenzuo's position, he would really choose to raise an army. He thought for a moment and then said: "The prince is benevolent, even if Wang Wenzuo wants to go to war, it won't happen if the prince doesn't agree!"
"Brother Li, do you really think the prince will disagree?" King Luo Bin sneered: "Yes, the prince's position is still very stable so far, but that is because the younger brothers below are still young. King Pei is the fifth year of Yonghui (655) Shengren is already sixteen this year. Even if he is not interested in the throne, those around him will not accept their fate!"
The room fell into silence. Brotherly dispute was an eternal topic in the Imperial House. So far, Li Zhi and Li Hong, father and son, are kind and filial, and can be regarded as a model of an imperial family. However, the problem is that Li Hong's brothers are still young and not enough to threaten Li Hong's crown prince position; and as Li Xiannian As the years went by, the threat to the throne from the prince Li Hong became more and more serious. The possibility that Li Zhi would elevate the status of Li Xian and other children to check and balance the prince Li Hong became more and more likely. If this happens, no matter how benevolent and filial Li Hong is, he will do something unimaginable in the past, even if it is to protect himself.
"If that's what you say, then it seems that there will be another bloody storm in Chang'an City next!" Xu Jingye sighed, but his eyes were full of excitement.
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Fang Xiangsi
The sky in Chang'an was gloomy and depressing. Li Bo stood at the door of Fang Xiangsi. He could feel the humidity in the air, and it seemed that it was going to rain soon. If it really rained, he would be very happy, so that if someone was following him behind his back, He found it easily.
Nearly six years have passed since he last left Chang'an. Li Bo is sometimes surprised that time flies by so fast. The beard on his chin has become one with his temples, and the muscles in his shoulders and arms have become stronger and stronger, enough to control the pair of heavy iron halberds, and he has also changed from a bad boy on the streets of Chang'an to the deputy lieutenant of Zhaowu. Cao participated in the military, the prince's right guard led the troops, and was a dignified military attaché in the Tang Dynasty, not to mention the two manors in Wa and Baekje. And there were still bustling crowds around him, and Fang Xiangsi in front of him was still so shabby, as if nothing had changed, everything that happened to him was just a dream, and when he woke up, he was still the same poor and evil boy in Chang'an.
"Brother Li, please come here!" As soon as Li Bo entered the door, An Wuniang greeted him. Compared to a few years ago, she was much older, and her face with only one eye was already full of wrinkles. , her hair was more white than black, but she was in good spirits. She welcomed Li Bo into the room attentively, and poured a glass of water and wine: "You came early, and the guy will arrive later!"
"It doesn't matter, just invite him in when he arrives!" Li Bo sat down, and the familiar noise and air made his nerves relax: "I have been away from Chang'an for so many years, and I still miss your sheep blood sausage and chowder balls. , if there are any, bring some first!”
"Yes, yes! I didn't expect that you are now a big shot, and you still remember the things of the villain!" An Wuniang's face showed an excited look.
"What a big shot!" Li Bo smiled: "They are all warriors working for their lord. They have traveled to the southeast, northwest, and still miss the food in Chang'an!"
"That's it, that's it!" An Wuniang laughed proudly: "This is the imperial capital otherwise! Wait a moment and I'll serve it to you right away!" After that, she turned her round body and went Outside.
"An Wuniang is still the same, just a little older and fatter!" Li Bo took a sip of wine and said to himself. After being sent by Wang Wenzuo, he immediately found Fang Xiangsi. He knew this wine shop. It's a mixed bag of people, and there are all kinds of people there. If you want to get information, it's the most convenient place. Moreover, An Wuniang had benefited from Wang Wenzuo during the Chang'an Rebellion, and she would be more dedicated in handling matters. Sure enough, after Li Bo confessed, he responded within two days, saying only that they would meet here.
Li Bo was thinking about the past when the door curtain was opened and An Wuniang came in, followed by a short and stocky man with a red nose. An Wuniang sang to Li Bo: "This is Chen Qi. I haven't met Li Bo yet." brothers!"
"Chen Qi?" Li Bo felt that the man in front of him looked familiar, and after thinking for a moment, he remembered: "Didn't you look at the graves before? Why did you go to Wannian County Government?"
"Brother Li has a good memory!" Chen Qi smiled and gave a thumbs up: "I did look at graves before, but I had an uncle who worked as a servant in Wannian County Government. He had no heirs, so he took me in as a servant. Youzi, when I got older a few years ago, I asked the villain to take over the errand! The villain has been working as an errand in Wannian County Government for three years!"
"I see, this is a good thing. At least it's better than visiting graves!" Li Bo smiled and said, "Fifth lady, we haven't even served the food and wine yet. Come on, seventh brother, sit down and talk!"
"I don't dare to take it, I don't dare to take it!" Chen Qi said a few words of humility, and just sat down opposite Li Bo. At this time, An Wuniang had already brought the food and drinks. Li Bo picked up his chopsticks and paused: "I went out for a big trip today. For a long time, I haven’t eaten even a little bit of food, so I’m already hungry. We are acquaintances, so you’re welcome. Let’s eat first before we talk!”
"Okay, okay!" Chen Qi responded, but didn't dare to put down his chopsticks. Seeing that Li Bo really ate and drank as much as he said, he started eating. An Wuniang brought in seven or eight plates of what she had chosen outside. Although Chen Qi worked as a servant in the county government, there was no way he could eat such food on weekdays. The more he ate, the more excited he became, and his chopsticks rained down like rain. A three-pointer faster than Li Bo.
"Comfortable, comfortable!" Li Bo put down his chopsticks, patted his bulging belly, and said with a smile: "After traveling all over the southeast and northwest, the food in Chang'an is still delicious. Can Brother Qi still eat well?"
"Okay, okay!" Chen Qi quickly put down the bowl and chopsticks, wiped the oil stains on his mouth, and said with a smile: "I heard that Brother Li had something to do, so I came here in a hurry, but I didn't know what it was, so I asked for instructions. Down!"
"Let's not talk about this for now!" Li Bo waved his hand: "Brother Qi, I remember that you and An Wuniang got along well back then. Now you are half an official, why don't we live together!"
Chen Qi didn't expect Li Bo to ask this, and his face suddenly showed bitterness: "Brother Li doesn't know. It is true that An Wuniang and I have some interest, but although I went to the county government, my salary was meager. It's not easy for her to make a living, and she doesn't have any real estate or shops. No matter what, An Wuniang owns a wine shop and makes money every day. If you don't have any money, how can you do anything good? "
"That's true!" Li Bo nodded, but did not ask any more questions. He just smiled and said, "Zhou Xing, the magistrate of Wannian County, how much do you know about this person?"
Before Chen Qi came, he had heard some rumors from An Wuniang, and with some mental preparation, he carefully answered: "This person is originally from Chang'an. Although his family background is good, his family background is average. He has been studying hard since he was a child. , is very proficient in the law. After becoming an official, his reputation in Heyang County was not very good. He was dismissed from the official position, and finally became the Wannian County Magistrate again!"
"Wannian County is a big county, and it is at the foot of the Emperor. Going from Heyang County to Wannian County is considered a promotion, right?" Li Bo asked, "How could he become an official so easily after he was dismissed?"
"Brother Li, you don't know!" Chen Qi said with a smile: "On the surface, this is a promotion, but it has always been difficult to be an official below the capital, so even though the magistrate of Wannian County and Chang'an County is a big County, but none of the officials to be elected are willing to come. Zhou Xing has been the county magistrate for ten thousand years. In fact, it can only be regarded as a promotion, not a promotion!" (End of Chapter)
