Hua Zhen was stunned for a moment, then said with a grim expression.
"Your Excellency's foresight is truly remarkable. The Wu family sent letters to several major clans overnight, arranging to meet at Yan Gui Lou tomorrow to discuss important matters!"
Discussing important matters together?
What major event could it be?
The Grand Secretary couldn't help but sneer, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It seems they've finally lost their patience!"
Hua Zhen nodded. "If Marshal Lin were still in the north, they would never dare to harbor any ill intentions. Now that the sword is pointing south, and you, Your Excellency, are unwell, they are bound to have other ideas!"
"Heh, it's true that youth has the upper hand! Ten years ago, even without Lin Yu's sharp sword, they wouldn't have dared to act recklessly in front of me. Now, they're taking advantage of my old age!" The elder took a deep breath and slowly clenched his fist.
"Your Excellency, Marshal Lin is currently suppressing ancient martial arts in the south, and the battle between the two sides has reached a fever pitch. We must protect this rear area for him!" Hua Zhen said through gritted teeth.
The Grand Secretary nodded and said, "Of course! So, we absolutely cannot let them pull off this charade at Yan Gui Lou tomorrow. Once they succeed, Lin Yu will be at a disadvantage! Although I'm an old man, I don't want to hold him back!"
The Grand Secretary thought for a moment and then said, "Here's what we'll do: you take my token and rush to the Divine Machine Camp and the Northern Camp tonight. Use the Imperial Guards to relieve them and first strip the Nine Gates Commander of his military power. That way, the Chen family won't be a threat! As long as there are no problems in the capital, this matter won't escalate too much!"
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
"And another!" Immediately, the Grand Secretary issued a second order, "Write to the western border, ordering Yang Rencheng to conduct land military exercises in Zhu Yuehe for one month, and he shall not return to Jin without being summoned!"
"yes!"
"Furthermore! Issue a written order to Feidong: three days from now, the main force of Feidong will join forces with Zhu Yuehe in the western region for joint military exercises. They are not to return to Anhui without being summoned!"
"yes!"
"Furthermore! Lin Yuanlong, the secretary, is to garrison troops in Guanzhong and await further instructions. He is hereby granted the rank of General of Might and Valor! In the event of an emergency, he may lead his troops into the capital without being summoned by imperial decree!"
"Yes!" Hua Zhen couldn't help but laugh and said, "With your decree, Your Excellency, the rear area is as solid as a rock. No matter how much trouble these villains cause, they probably can't escape the palm of your Buddha!"
The Grand Secretary shook his head, still looking worried, and said, "Once the decree is issued, storms will rage. The foundations of the aristocratic families are still intact, but in times of crisis, they may not heed my orders! A storm is inevitable!"
Hua Zhen pondered, "With the Fengtian Army watching us from the Guanzhong Plain, they won't dare to leave us alone! Over the years, you've allowed Commander Lin to lead the army independently, and it's already showing results! With the current strength of the Fengtian Army, Yandu is safe. Even if something major happens, my Imperial Guard can protect you as you leave the pass at any time!"
"You're oversimplifying things!" The Grand Secretary shook his head.
"What do you mean by that, Your Excellency?" Hua Zhen asked, puzzled.
The Grand Secretary looked at him and said, "You only know military affairs, not politics. A Grand Secretary is only a Grand Secretary when he is in the cabinet. Do you think my words will still have any effect outside of Yandu? On the contrary, they will make Yuanlong a target of public criticism!"
Hua Zhen's expression changed, and he instantly understood what the Grand Secretary meant.
Once the Grand Secretary emerged from seclusion, it ironically gave all sides a reason to act. The chaos of the Three Kingdoms all stemmed from one phrase: "Holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords!"
"It was Hua Zhen who was foolish!" Hua Zhen pursed his lips and said with a firm look in his eyes, "Your Excellency, please rest assured, no matter what happens, Hua Zhen will protect Your Excellency with his life!"
The Grand Secretary nodded and patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction. "Good boy! Something big is about to happen. We are walking on thin ice, and there is no turning back!"
Go!
Hua Zhen nodded and turned to leave.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a dagger suddenly shot out from the window and embedded itself deeply in the table.
"Grand Secretary!"
Hua Zhen's expression changed drastically, and he quickly shielded the Grand Secretary behind him.
After a while, nothing further happened, and the two of them relaxed a little.
He stared intently at the dagger on the table, with a note stuck in it.
Hua Zhen's eyes flickered as he said, "Inside and outside these red walls, there are experts from my Imperial Guards, and there's also the Vermilion Bird Formation. Even a Martial Saint couldn't arrive without making a sound!"
The Grand Secretary frowned and reached for the note, but Hua Zhen stopped him.
"Your Excellency, please be careful, what if it's poisonous..."
The Grand Secretary waved his hand and said, "This person's cultivation is profound. If he really wanted to take my life, he would have brought that dagger straight at me just now. Now it seems that he has a deeper meaning. Let me see what he wrote first!"
As the Grand Secretary spoke, he picked up the slip of paper.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a divination symbol!
"Your Excellency, what does this mean?" Hua Zhen was completely bewildered, not understanding what was going on.
The Grand Secretary narrowed his eyes slightly. "You haven't read the I Ching, so naturally you won't understand. This hexagram is 'The dragon soars too high, but it will regret it!'"
"Will the dragon that soars too high regret it?"
"That's right! It seems the old immortal is giving me a hint!" The elder said, his eyes flashing as he realized something.
Hua Zhen's expression changed slightly. "You mean, the one at the south gate?"
There is said to be an old blind man at the south gate of the city.
For ten years, he has remained the same, setting up a fortune-telling stall, making accurate predictions, and earning a fortune for each divination!
Strangely enough, many important figures in the city had their fortunes told by him when they were young.
Of course, the Grand Secretary was no exception.
Some say he is a deity, but strangely, when you try to find him, you never see him.
Such a person is like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail; truly a divine being!
"Your Excellency, what does 'Old Immortal' mean?" Hua Zhen couldn't help but ask.
The Grand Secretary narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and suddenly understood something.
He burst into laughter.
"Fine, fine! Cancel all the orders I just gave!"
"Your Excellency, what is this...?" Hua Zhen looked puzzled.
The Grand Secretary said calmly, "This is not just a divination result; it actually consists of ten characters!"
Which ten characters?
The Grand Secretary's eyes flickered, and he slowly uttered the words.
"To destroy something, you must first drive it... mad!"
"Starting tomorrow, I will be unwell and will temporarily cancel the court assembly! I will not receive anyone without my decree. Pass on the order!"
Hua Zhen was even more bewildered. "Your Excellency, if you don't attend the court meetings for a day or two, that's fine, but if it goes on for longer, won't things get chaotic?"
The situation in the south is already tense, and Hua Zhen simply cannot understand the Grand Secretary's intentions.
The Grand Secretary laughed and said, "That's exactly what we want—to create chaos! The more chaotic, the better. When the tide goes out, we'll see who's been swimming naked!"
...
In the heart of Beijing, on the rooftop of a four-cornered pavilion with upturned eaves, an old man is drinking wine under the moonlight.
"Emperors fall, generals are thrown into chaos? Tsk tsk, I've been studying the stars and moon for thousands of years, and these celestial phenomena can change in an instant, can't they?"
The old man took a sip of wine and waved his sleeve.
The once dim Venus in the sky suddenly shone brightly and became dazzling, while the general star broke through the encirclement and shone with boundless light!
The old man looked up at the sky, his eyes sunken, making him appear strangely old.
"My disciple, I wonder when your brilliance will surpass that of the sun, so that your master will no longer have to guard this moon!"
He has almost forgotten how he lost his sight.
All I remember is that day, when he was young and impetuous, he stared straight at the sun, refusing to admit defeat, until... the eternal night descended.
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