"Yes, I obey your command," Meng Tan said hurriedly. After a slight hesitation, Meng Tan asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, His Majesty ordered the Royal Guards to bring Chi Chongyuan and Cheng Xiangyang back to the capital. What is the purpose of this? After all, these two people are seriously injured. It is really not suitable to move them. If His Majesty wants to reward these two people, it would be fine if he issued an imperial decree. Why must these two people go to the capital?"
"Of course it's not an ordinary reward, so they had to come to the capital in person," Zhong Zhiling said in a deep voice. "This time, Chi Chongyuan and Cheng Xiangyang were able to not go along with Xu Chengjin. It's rare. I heard that Xu Chengjin was so angry that he threw their entire families into jail. Even so, the two of them would rather die than surrender. It can be said that they are sincere to the court, which is really rare. This time in Beijing, they will surely rise to prominence and have a bright future."
Meng Tan looked worried: "But Your Majesty. Before the incident, Chi Chongyuan secretly passed the news to the Queen Mother. It was obvious that he was a servant of the Xu family. Even if he did not collude with Xu Chengjin later, he did not report the matter to the capital. In the end, it was to protect the Xu family. I think that the His Majesty may not reward them. The reason why he let them go to the capital this time may be to thoroughly investigate the Xu family, or to punish these two people."
"You still don't understand the emperor," Fang Zhiheng shook his head, took a sip of tea and looked at Meng Tan, "What do you think of the emperor's personality?"
"Suspicious." Meng Tan said without hesitation.
"Yes, it is the most difficult for people like him to trust others, but once they have trust, no matter how many mistakes that person makes, he is still loyal in his heart. Dai Jingfeng is an example. Over the years, hasn't he made many mistakes? But in the eyes of His Majesty, no matter how big the mistakes Dai Jingfeng made, he is still loyal to him. So His Majesty dotes on Dai Jingfeng and lets him become arrogant because of his doting," Zhong Zhiling said in a deep voice, and then changed the subject, "So when he knew that Chi Chongyuan delivered a letter to the Queen Mother, he must have been very upset. He was furious. On the one hand, he was angry that Chi Chongyuan was loyal to the Xu family and ignored him, the emperor. On the other hand, he felt sorry that Chi Chongyuan's loyalty was misplaced. But not long after, when the news that Chi Chongyuan would rather die than go along with Xu Chengjin reached His Majesty's ears again, how could His Majesty not be shocked and happy? Shocked that no matter how loyal Chi Chongyuan was to the Xu family, he still put loyalty to the emperor and patriotism first, and happy that if he showed Chi Chongyuan the emperor's favor in the future, Chi Chongyuan would surely be grateful and devoted to him for the rest of his life. "
"Your Highness, now that you've said that, I understand a little bit," Meng Tan nodded, taking a sip of tea, and suddenly as if he remembered something, he stared at Zhong Zhiling, "I heard that His Majesty is selecting a suitable general to replace Xu Chengjin. Could it be that... His Majesty has taken a fancy to Chi Chongyuan?"
"Eighty percent of them are," Zhong Zhiling nodded, and said lightly, "After finally overthrowing the Xu family, His Majesty naturally doesn't want another Zhang family or Wang family to appear in Southern Xinjiang. He obviously wants to promote a poor boy with no family background to the position so that he can hold Southern Xinjiang more firmly in his hands to avoid any turmoil in the future. Doesn't Chi Chongyuan meet his standards? He is loyal to the emperor and patriotic, has been on the battlefield for a long time, and is very familiar with Southern Xinjiang. If Chi Chongyuan is promoted, it will also help to appease the frightened Southern Xinjiang soldiers. There are so many benefits. If it were me, I would also promote Chi Chongyuan."
"But, Your Majesty, Chi Chongyuan..." Meng Tan said hesitantly, "After all, he is not one of ours."
"It's indeed not," Zhong Zhiling nodded, turned his head to look at the sun outside, and said slowly, "It's good that it's not."
…
Imperial study.
When Jiang Bairen hurried into the palace, he happened to meet Zhong Zhiheng who had just finished the morning court. When Zhong Zhiheng heard that it was him, he could not wait to have breakfast and hurried to the imperial study.
"What's the situation in southern Xinjiang?" Zhong Zhiheng asked as soon as he entered the imperial study.
"Your Majesty, everything is fine in Southern Xinjiang," Jiang Bairen bowed to Zhong Zhiheng after saluting, "All of Xu Chengjin's confidants have been captured and are now under the custody of the Northwest Army, awaiting Your Majesty's decision. Xu Chengjin and other important criminals have been brought back to the capital by my subordinates, and Your Majesty can summon them at any time."
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