Weiyang Palace.
Emperor Feng listened calmly to Wang Wu's report.
"Prince Ning has already set out on his eastern expedition."
"Almost all the supplies from the three counties of Linzi were transferred away."
"He withdrew almost all of his personal guards."
"Including the rebels we recruited in the past."
"It's a huge army, about 40,000 strong."
"Judging from the speed of the warships, they must have already reached Baeknyeong Island. According to the letter sent by Zhenguogong Feng Wuze, they plan to land at Hansan City. They will then attack the Goguryeo capital from both the north and the south. They have vowed to capture the capital and the rebel king this year!"
Emperor Feng wrote casually and raised his brow.
"What's the situation in the three counties of Linzi?"
"Production has resumed." Wang Wu, standing below the stage, whispered, "It's just that Zuo Ankang and other officials have been taken away by Prince Ning, seemingly intending to send them into exile."
Bang!
Emperor Feng slammed his palm on the wooden table.
His eyes were cold and full of murderous intent.
"Without a review by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Personnel, he actually dared to exile the officials I promoted. Does he, the Prince of Ning, still have any regard for me?"
"Prince Ning, relying on Your Majesty's favor, has become increasingly arrogant. After suppressing the rebellion, he became even more proud and complacent. He believes that all the credit belongs to him, but he doesn't realize that without Your Majesty, he would be nothing. Without Your Majesty's support, he wouldn't even be qualified to inherit the title of king."
Wang Wu bowed respectfully.
He stood firmly on the side of Emperor Feng.
They believed that there was a connection between heaven and man, and that the king's power was granted by God.
They advocated the principles of human ethics: ruler-ruler, minister-minister, father-father, son-son... The emperor was the Son of Heaven, so everything he did was right. All merit went to the emperor, and all mistakes were the ministers'. And if the ruler wanted his minister to die, the minister had to die.
Ning Que, relying on his status as a prince and his military achievements in suppressing rebellions, became increasingly arrogant, even disregarding Emperor Feng. The county officials appointed by Emperor Feng were deposed by Ning Que and sentenced to exile.
What qualifications does Ning Que have to interfere in government affairs?
“That’s enough!”
"Your Majesty, calm down!"
Emperor Feng's eyes were almost spitting fire.
He held the brush tightly in his hand.
But he still suppressed his anger.
"What are the movements of the disciples of Shenji Pavilion?"
"Forehead……"
"how?"
Wang Wu quickly raised his hand and said apologetically, "The Divine Machine Pavilion is so secretive that we don't even know how many disciples there are. Even among those we know, most of them are erratic. The few disciples I have close relationships with haven't made many moves. Leng Qian remains at the Jixia Academy, serving as its dean; Hai Zai Haigui is probably on Bailing Island, helping to defend the island. As for the remaining 13,000, he's basically never stayed, constantly traveling to various places..."
The Ghost Guards are already powerful enough.
But every disciple of Shenji Pavilion is a talent.
How easy is it to track them?
It is not difficult to monitor Ningque.
After all, Ning Que's status was such that he had many people around him, so it was easy to place spies there. However, the other disciples of the Divine Machine Pavilion were used to being alone and were usually elusive. It was simply a pipe dream to follow them without being discovered.
"Where is Yue Zhongmu?"
"He was once a famous general of the Shang Dynasty."
"He played an indispensable role in defending Linzi this time."
"It's a pity that I can't use it for my own benefit."
Emperor Feng narrowed his eyes.
The people in Shenji Pavilion are all stupid.
There is no such thing as neutrality in this world.
Anyone who cannot be used by him is his enemy!
All under heaven belongs to the king.
All under heaven are the king’s subjects!
"Yue Zhongmu's whereabouts are strange."
"The information we've received so far is that he's heading south. Some say he's heading to Lingnan, but it's also possible he's heading back to Dashang. If he passes through Dashang, it will be very difficult to continue tracking him."
"Forget it." Emperor Feng raised his hand coldly, "Just consider it as giving Ning Que some face. As long as everything goes on as usual and they don't interfere in these matters, I won't tear my face apart."
"Yes." Wang Wu agreed at first, then whispered, "However, the Shenji Pavilion is ultimately a hidden danger. They have so many disciples that no one knows their whereabouts. Bu Suanzi is even more famous, with students all over the world. With just one disciple, Leng Qian, he established the Jixia Academy, which is comparable to the Six Arts. The other disciples are also very capable. If they are not controlled, they will one day become a threat to Your Majesty. Not to mention that Prince Ning was once a disciple of the Shenji Pavilion and has a close relationship with them."
He was speaking the truth.
They also know the rules of Shenji Pavilion.
He never accepted kings, princes, generals or ministers as his disciples.
Even Mount Kunlun cannot be climbed.
When the Crown Prince of the Shang Dynasty came to visit him, Bu Suanzi had only one question for him: If he wanted to become a disciple of the Divine Machine Pavilion, he would have to give up his position as Crown Prince. Naturally, the Crown Prince of the Shang Dynasty disagreed, and ultimately had no choice but to give up.
What about Ning Que?
He is the son of Prince Ning!
But you can still become a disciple of Shenji Pavilion!
"Don't bother with them anymore."
"Just order the guards to observe secretly."
"Also..." Emperor Feng narrowed his eyes and whispered, "How's the news I asked you to find out?"
"Not yet." Wang Wu shook his head. "With the connections and reputation of Prince Ning's Mansion, it's difficult to find any information related to Ning Que."
"Keep investigating, and get to the bottom of it at all costs!"
Emperor Feng showed murderous intent on his face.
He knew that he was not the son of the previous emperor.
But I don’t know whose family I am from.
He has looked through all the genealogical records and household registers.
On the day of his birth, there were about fifty babies born in Chang'an City, most of whom were girls. The baby of the Gu family was a girl, so he could not be from the Gu family.
Considering the Empress Dowager's preference for Ning Que, and the fact that Ning Que was born on the same day, Emperor Feng thought of a possibility. Although he didn't know how Gu Shuang had done it, he still had to spend time to verify it.
He has read the royal family genealogy.
There are very few records about Ningque.
It also doesn't say that Ning Que is standing on seven stars.
But this kind of thing can be erased.
So he specially sent someone to investigate the matter.
Unexpectedly, there is still no news.
Even if there were, they all said that Ning Que's soles were very clean.
The more this happened, the more he felt something was wrong.
"I obey the decree!"
Wang Wu raised his hand respectfully.
"In fact, Your Majesty is still too kind."
"Whether this is true or not, it doesn't matter."
"Prince Ning is now in a position of great power, capable of threatening the imperial authority. Although he only has the small fiefdom of Jingyang, he is more troublesome than the Prince of Chu and the Prince of Jin. Feng Wuze, the Duke of Zhenguo in the military, is his uncle, and he has the support of the Shenji Pavilion behind him. The Grand Tutor, the Prime Minister, the Minister of War... all have close ties with the Prince Ning's Mansion. The Six Arts Academy, the Jixia Academy, and the Babao Commercial Company all have inextricable ties with him. Your Majesty, make a decisive decision!"
"Minister Wang, you are overstepping your authority!"
"I acknowledge my guilt!"
"There's no need to mention this matter again. I know what to do."
Emperor Feng stood up with a cold look in his eyes.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to attack Ning Que.
After all, Ning Que is his only friend...
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