Taiping Lie 357. Cheating without asking for money

Tan Jizhi was very efficient in his work. In just a few days, he secretly made friends with many dignitaries in Changqing City. Ye Li couldn't help but sigh when she read the news sent by the spies of Prince Ding's Mansion in Changqing City every day. No wonder Tan Jizhi was able to fool Mo Jingli, Mo Jingqi and the Saint of Southern Xinjiang, Shu Manlin, all these years. His skills and means were indeed great. Unfortunately, time was not waiting for him. Shu Manlin and Mo Jingqi died one after another. He was suspected by Mo Jingli and became a discarded pawn. All his plans and calculations could only fail.

Although he knew Ye Li's ability, Mo Xiuyao was always very worried about Ye Li's safety. So when he left, he not only left behind Qin Feng, Zhuo Jing and Lin Han who usually followed Ye Li, but also transferred He Su who was originally guarding Chujing. Ye Li was not wrong that year. Compared with Zhuo Jing, Lin Han and Wei Rui, He Su was more suitable for leading troops to fight. In just ten years, He Su relied on his own ability to gain a place among the generals of Da Chu. At that time, he took advantage of the opportunity of Mo Jingli's relocation of the capital to the south to expand wantonly, so when Chujing was besieged, He Su was able to bring 200,000 troops to rescue. In the past ten years, He Su can be said to have reached his current position entirely through his own abilities. I believe that in another ten years, he will definitely be another Zhang Qilan or Lu Jinxian.

With these four people around, no matter their martial arts or strategies, they are all extremely powerful, and Mo Xiuyao is more assured of Ye Li's safety.

"Princess." In the study, He Su stood in front of the desk, respectfully waiting for Ye Li's order. Ye Li looked at him for a long time before smiling and saying, "He Su, you have already been a general commanding thousands of troops. What do you think of following me now?" He Su bowed respectfully to Ye Li and said seriously, "I am able to achieve these achievements today thanks to the princess. However, I was originally a guard of the princess, but I have never served the princess like my second, third and fourth brothers. I am really derelict in my duty. Now I can follow the princess again, and I can also reunite with my three brothers. It is my blessing."

Although He Su's achievements in recent years can be said to be amazing, after all, he jumped from an ordinary person to a military commander in ten years. But these changes are indeed not worth mentioning compared to the amazing changes in Prince Ding's Mansion in recent years. He Su naturally wouldn't have any bad thoughts when he was transferred to Ye Li by Mo Xiuyao. After all, compared to others, they, who used to be the secret guards of Princess Ding, understand the Princess's abilities and her position in the Prince's heart better. Being able to follow the Princess is indeed a blessing that others can't ask for.

Ye Li smiled faintly and said, "That's good. The reason why the prince transferred you back to my side is because I really need someone to lead the troops to fight, not because I want to reduce your military power. I actually let you go to the army at the beginning, which proves that I think you are really suitable for the army, and you have not let me down over the years. After this incident, you will still go back to lead the troops. I hope you understand."

Ye Li did not think that everyone in this world should be unconditionally loyal to him without regrets. As the saying goes, a good bird chooses the right tree to inhabit. It is a waste of talent to transfer a good general to be a guard. It is really too self-righteous to expect him to have no complaints. Even if He Su himself did not feel wronged, Ye Li felt that he should still make it clear to him to avoid any misunderstandings that would make everyone unhappy.

"I obey your orders. Thank you, Princess." He Su was really grateful to Ye Li from the bottom of his heart. He was originally a secret guard of Prince Ding's mansion. If it weren't for Ye Li, he would not have been able to become a general even if he was a guard trusted by his master. And he also found that the princess's original opinion was indeed correct. He liked fighting on the battlefield more than being a guard.

Ye Li nodded and said, "Take my token and go to Queen Helan. She will try to arrange you into the Northern Army. Then you will know what to do." He Su only paused for a moment and understood Ye Li's idea. He frowned slightly and said, "Does the princess want to instigate the Central Plains troops in the Northern Army to rebel?"

Ye Li nodded with a smile and said, "Not bad, and we only have one and a half months at most, so your mission is indeed a bit difficult. Is there any problem?"

He Su pondered for a while before saying, "The Northern Border Army has occupied these places in Da Chu for only two years, but they have recruited a large number of soldiers and the people are living in misery. I think these middle and lower-level generals in the Central Plains army will not be loyal to the Northern Border. If we add the reputation of Prince Ding's Mansion, it should not be difficult to convince them."

Seeing him say so, Ye Li nodded in satisfaction. She picked up a file from the side and said, "This is the list of the Northern Border generals who did not go with Ren Qining, as well as their backgrounds. Take it and decide for yourself. There are a few people among them who really have some real skills. You can tell them that as long as they submit to the Ding Palace, I will not care about their following Ren Qining to attack Chujing, and their military titles will remain unchanged. If they have made contributions, the Ding Palace will not be reluctant to reward them."

He Su was also happy. It would be a joke for these Central Plains soldiers to say that they were loyal to Ren Qining. But their biggest worry was that they followed Ren Qining to attack Da Chu, and they were afraid that the Mohist Army would settle accounts with them later. Now that they have the personal promise of Princess Ding, they naturally have nothing to worry about. After all, compared to Ren Qining, anyone would think that choosing the Ding Palace is more reliable.

Putting away the file, He Su said respectfully: "I understand, I will take my leave."

"Go ahead. I will send Lin Han and Qilin to assist you secretly. We can use extraordinary measures when necessary. After all... we are in a hurry."

"yes."

On the surface, Changqing City seems to be no different from the past, but in many places secretly, there are already surging undercurrents. However, no one knows that all these changes are caused by the graceful and quiet woman in this seemingly ordinary little courtyard in the city.

In the Prime Minister's Mansion, the current Prime Minister of the Northern Territory looked at the people in front of him with some doubt, and finally set his eyes on the woman in white next to Tan Jizhi, his eyes changing, "Master Tan, who is this girl?"

Before Tan Jizhi could speak, the woman in white said calmly, "Mr. Yun, my surname is Dongfang."

"East? Cangmang Mountain? This is impossible?!" The prime minister stood up in shock and stared at the woman in white. Tan Jizhi beside him twitched his lips unrecognizable, but the prime minister looked serious and said, "How can it be impossible?"

The Prime Minister said, "Master Tan is so good at fooling me. Cangmang Mountain has already sided with King Li. How could this girl be the descendant of Cangmang Mountain? Master Tan, do you think that I know nothing about the remote northern border?"

Tan Jizhi shrugged and looked at the woman sitting opposite him. The woman in white sneered and said indifferently: "Who said that Cangmang Mountain can only have one successor? What's more... Dongfang You's reputation in Licheng has been ruined, how can he be the successor of Cangmang Mountain?"

"This..." Although he had been staying in Changqing City, the Prime Minister still knew what he should know, and naturally knew what Ye Li meant by "the reputation is ruined". He frowned and thought for a while and said, "Could it be that... Cangmang Mountain is planning to build a plank road in the open and secretly cross Chencang?"

Looking at the old man in front of him with a frown and a serious face, Tan Jizhi shook his head secretly. Fortunately, he did not intend to really cooperate with this old man, otherwise... Can a person who can make up such a cheerful mind for a random sentence really be trusted?

The Prime Minister was silent for a while before he looked at the two and asked, "Young lady, what makes me believe that you are the descendant of Cangmang Mountain?" The woman in white asked calmly, "The descendants of Cangmang Mountain never use the so-called seal as proof. How do you want me to prove it?"

"I heard that the descendants of Cangmang Mountain are proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, singing and dancing, astrology, medicine and herbal medicine. I wonder if the young lady can cure Xiaoer?" When Tan Jizhi sent the young master back to the Prime Minister's Mansion, he was already unconscious. The Prime Minister invited famous doctors in the city to treat him, but they were ineffective. It's not that he didn't suspect Tan Jizhi, but later he sent people to investigate and found that his son was indeed killed by those barbarians in the northern border. It is said that the poison in his son is also a secret medicine that is almost lost in the northern border.

The woman in white said calmly, "I already know what poison your son has been poisoned with. To be honest, I really can't cure it now, but... there is a thousand-year-old blood ganoderma treasured in Cangmang Mountain, which can cure this poison. After Master Tan told me, I sent someone back to get it."

The prime minister was not someone who was easily fooled. He was the typical person who would not speak until he saw the rabbit. "I have indeed heard that there is a treasured thousand-year-old blood ganoderma in Cangmang Mountain. In this case, I will wait for the lady's good medicine." The implication was that he should believe her identity and wait until he saw the thousand-year-old blood ganoderma before making any comments.

The woman in white didn't care and nodded, "That's fine. It will take at most one and a half months to go to Cangmang Mountain and back. I also hope that Yun Xiang can keep his word. Otherwise... the price of teasing my Cangmang Mountain..." With a click, the teacup in the jade-like slender hand had become a piece of cake. The woman in white stood up and said to Tan Jizhi, "Master Tan, since Yun Xiang doesn't want to talk now, you and I will go back first. It won't be too late to talk after the thousand-year-old blood ganoderma arrives. Master has been waiting for so many years, so you don't mind waiting a few more days."

Tan Jizhi smiled and said, "Miss, you are right. Please go in."

The prime minister saw the hint of respect and caution in Tan Jizhi's smile, and he had more confidence in the identity of the woman in white. Thinking about it again, there was no need for Tan Jizhi to lie to him. Before this oriental girl came out, he had already planned to cooperate with Tan Jizhi, so the presence or absence of Cangmang Mountain was not the most important thing. Thinking of this, the prime minister hurriedly said: "Mr. Tan, the oriental girl, please stay. We still need to talk properly."

The two turned around and looked at the old man in front of them without any surprise.

The prime minister sighed and said, "Mr. Tan, Miss Dongfang, please take a seat. Let's have a good talk." It's not that he didn't want to whet Tan Jizhi's appetite a little more so as to make better offers. But they really couldn't wait. Ren Qining was indecisive and reluctant to take action against the northerners to restore the orthodoxy of the Central Plains, while the northerners pressed them hard. They, the old ministers who had diligently assisted the Lin family for generations, naturally didn't want to share the hard-earned results with those barbarians. And Ren Qining gradually began to feel dissatisfied with their constraints. It was for this reason that the prime minister was moved when Tan Jizhi appeared.

Tan Jizhi is different from Ren Qining. Ren Qining was taught by them since he was young and has already mastered most of the power of the Lin family. But Tan Jizhi is a complete outsider. Even if he is promoted to the position, he will definitely not be able to master power in a short period of time. At that time, he will still need the assistance of these old ministers. More importantly, Tan Jizhi has no relationship with the people of the Northern Border, and no so-called favors, so naturally he will not hesitate to take action against the people of the Northern Border.

The two sat down again. Ye Li smiled calmly and said, "Since the Prime Minister wants to talk, we will naturally accompany him. I wonder what the Prime Minister wants to say?"

The prime minister frowned slightly, looked at the two men and said, "If we agree to support Master Tan to ascend the throne, what can Master Tan promise to us old ministers? You know, now even if we do nothing, we can still enjoy glory and wealth."

"Wealth and splendor?" The woman in white smiled coldly, her beautiful face showing a trace of disdain. "In the areas under the jurisdiction of the Northern Territory, people are living in dire straits wherever we go. This so-called Northern Territory King's City is not even one-third as prosperous as the capital of Chu, which has just experienced war. Such wealth and splendor... do you think it's good, Prime Minister? It seems that the previous dynasty has been gone for too long, so that the nobles of the previous dynasty have long forgotten the glory of the past. They just want to occupy a small place and live in peace. If so, Mr. Tan and I are afraid that we have come to the wrong place."

"Eastern girl!" Prime Minister Yun was not happy to be mocked by the woman in white. But he had to admit that what she said was true. Changqing City was not as good as some of the larger cities in the Central Plains, not to mention the Xiling Imperial City in Chujing and Licheng.

The woman in white looked at Prime Minister Yun and said with a little pride: "As long as Prime Minister Yun fulfills his promise, Cangmangshan will naturally do its best to help the northern border restore people's livelihood and economy. In addition, Cangmangshan can also secretly persuade Mo Jingli and King Zhennan to work together to deal with Prince Ding's Mansion. By then... Prince Ding's Mansion will naturally not be a difficult task. It will be just around the corner to capture Chujing."

Hearing this, the Prime Minister couldn't help but be moved. He looked deeply at the woman in white, then looked at Tan Jizhi and said, "As far as I know, the descendants of Cangmang Mountain in all generations would marry someone to assist them. If so, in the future..."

Tan Jizhi's expression changed slightly, and he said quickly: "Don't worry, Prime Minister. If this really comes true, the future queen will definitely be from the Yun family."

"Oh?" The prime minister obviously didn't believe it. After all, they were all familiar with Cangmang Mountain's reputation and customs. The woman in white smiled and said, "Prime Minister, don't doubt it. In fact... Cangmang Mountain didn't intend to intervene in these matters this time. It's really... Ding Wangfu humiliated Cangmang Mountain too much in Licheng. If we can't return the favor, the world will look down on Cangmang Mountain. Once the mission is accomplished, this lady will return to the mountain and not care about worldly affairs."

"So that's how it is." The Prime Minister relaxed slightly and smiled.

The woman in white nodded and smiled, "Since both you and I are satisfied with our respective conditions, please take care of it, Prime Minister Yun. Of course, Cangmangshan and Master Tan will also help secretly. I believe that the day when Prime Minister Yun becomes the legitimate father-in-law of the emperor is just around the corner."

These words hit the heart of the prime minister, who said with a smile: "Thank you for your kind words, young lady. Seeing you act like this, I now believe that you are truly the descendant of Cangmang Mountain. You are such a beautiful woman, I am afraid that only the Princess of Dingguo can rival you in this world."

The woman in white smiled faintly and then stood up and said goodbye to Tan Jizhi.

After leaving the Prime Minister's Mansion, Tan Jizhi's face suddenly turned ugly, "Princess, isn't your pretense too big?"

The woman in white had a beautiful and elegant face, with smiling eyes and eyebrows. Was she Ye Li after the disguise? The Prime Minister had just compared her with the Dingwang Mansion, but how could he have thought that the Dingwang Consort he mentioned was right in front of him?

Ye Li smiled and said, "What's wrong with making up stories? It's enough as long as someone believes them. It doesn't cost money to make up stories, so the more the better." What about the thousand-year-old blood ganoderma, what about Cangmang Mountain helping to restore people's livelihood, what about joining forces with Great Chu and Xiling to deal with Ding Wangfu, and the illusory position of queen? Ye Li really made up stories to no end. But the important thing is that someone is willing to believe them.

Tan Jizhi said: "Where can we find Cangmangshan for help? I'm afraid Cangmangshan wants to tear you and Prince Ding apart by now, right?"

Ye Li smiled and said, "Master Tan, do you think they can wait for more than a month? By then... how can they have time to think about these things?" By then, those so-called former ministers will only think about how to save their lives. Ye Li did not really intend to help Tan Jizhi to the throne. No matter how many days he was on the throne, it would be different. The North was still built by Ren Qining and destroyed by Ren Qining.

Tan Jizhi was silent for a long time, and finally sighed and said, "The princess is very cunning. I guess by now, the people from Prince Ding's Mansion have already infiltrated the Northern Border Army, right? Otherwise, the princess would not have come forward to meet the Northern Border Prime Minister."

Ye Li smiled and said, "You are too kind, sir. I can't do anything about it. We have to disintegrate Ren Qining's power as soon as possible, otherwise there will be trouble." Even if the North is weak, it is still a country, and they only have so many people here. If they can't give it a fatal blow as soon as possible, they will be in trouble when Ren Qining reacts.

Elsewhere, in the camp not far from Changqing City, He Su, dressed as a general from the northern border, was pouring wine for several generals with a smile on his face. After three rounds of wine, the atmosphere in the big tent gradually became heated.

One of them grabbed He Su's arm and whispered, "Brother, was what you said last time true?" Hearing this, not only He Su, but the others also stopped and looked at He Su intently. It was obvious that they had the same idea as the person who spoke.

He Sulang smiled and said, "Although I am a newcomer, I am grateful for the care of you elder brothers. Could I possibly harm you?"

"That being said, we are now in the Northern Border Army... but we are always being driven to fight our own people. It was okay before, Mo Jingqi was not a good guy either. If he hadn't driven Prince Ding away, how could we have fallen into the hands of these barbarians? But now we have to fight the Mohist Army, how can we not be afraid..." When the Mohist Army was mentioned, the others couldn't help but frown. They all followed the attack on Chujing last year. If it weren't for the Mohist Army's assistance, I'm afraid Chujing would have been a Ren by now.

He Su smiled and said, "Isn't it? I'm afraid you don't know it yet. At that time, the Mohist Army fought all the way from Feihong Pass to Chujing to rescue Chujing. They killed many soldiers and generals of the Northern Rong along the way, but they were still powerful when they arrived in Chujing. Now... the Mohist Army is waiting at Zijing Pass. It's good enough that they don't fight back, but Your Majesty wants to provoke them. Isn't that courting death and sending these innocent soldiers to their deaths?"

The others also agreed. He Su took in everyone's expressions and said, "I will not hide it from you, brothers. I have decided to abandon the dark and join the light and join the Dingwang Mansion. After all, we are all from the Central Plains. Why should we serve the people of the Northern Border? Besides, the Dingwang Mansion is known for its benevolence and justice. They will definitely understand our difficulties and will not make things difficult for us."

The others looked at each other and said with some embarrassment: "That's true, but we don't have any other options. The Mohist army is far away in Zijing Pass. If we want to join them, we will probably be destroyed by the army in Zijing Pass first."

He Su smiled softly, took out a token from his pocket and said, "Brothers, what is this?"

Everyone looked closely and saw a black jade talisman with the word "Ding" engraved on it, and they were all shocked. He Su smiled proudly and said, "This is a token from Princess Ding. The princess has promised that as long as I give up the dark and join the light, I will definitely be promoted in the future and have a bright future." The people present couldn't help but feel jealous and envious. Being able to get the jade talisman and promise from Princess Ding, He Su was really blessed.

"Brother, let's..." The others looked at He Su steadily, seeming to be hesitant to speak.

He Su smiled generously and said, "Don't worry, brothers. I will not let you drink soup when I have meat to eat. We brothers should share happiness and hardships together."

"Brother He is right." Everyone praised in unison, and their eyes towards He Su became more friendly and cordial.

He Su had been in the Northern Border Army for less than a month, so it shouldn't have been so smooth. However, he had the protection of Queen Helan and other Northern dignitaries and former officials headed by Prime Minister Yun, who were either voluntarily or unknowingly protecting him. His identity was naturally impeccable, and he was able to thrive in the army. In addition, Ye Li gave him a lot of information, and Qin Feng, Lin Han and others helped him secretly at any time. He himself had been in the army for many years, so he naturally got along well with these middle-level generals. It didn't take long for him to circle out those who could be befriended, persuaded, or rebelled. After several intentional or unintentional tests, someone really couldn't help but take the initiative to find him for a drink, so he took the opportunity to talk about this matter, and it was really smooth.

In the night, a black figure sneaked out of the military camp. When he looked back at the quiet military camp in the night and breathed a sigh of relief, a deep and smiling voice came from behind, "Brother Huang, where are you really going?"

The man in black turned his head suddenly, and his pupils shrank. A person slowly walked out from the shadow under the tree. It was He Yan, who had been drinking and conspiring with him not long ago. Seeing that there was nowhere to hide, the man in black pulled down the black scarf on his face and smiled: "He Yan, why haven't you rested yet at this late hour?"

He Su laughed and said, "Brother Huang hasn't rested yet, how dare I? I'm afraid I'll be beheaded for treason the next morning."

The black-clothed man's face changed, and he said in a stern voice: "In this case, you still dare to collude with others to commit treason? If you stop now, I can let you go for the sake of our friendship."

He Su looked up at the sky and smiled faintly: "Brother Huang, now... it should be me who lets you go, right? Also, my name is not He Yan, I am the general under Princess Ding's command - He Su."

The man in black looked even uglier, and he glanced to the side, then flew away in another direction. But how could he be a match for He Su, who was a former secret guard of Prince Ding's mansion? He Su's figure rose and fell several times, and a bloody light rose under the moonlight. The man in black had already fallen to the ground and died, "You..."

"You and I each serve our own masters, and I have no regrets even if I die..." He Su sighed softly.