Chapter 201: Reality and Falsehood
Ren Yao and Jiang Ling went to patrol the city walls as usual. Somehow, their comrades learned about their upcoming marriage, and when they saw them, they smiled and said, "Captain Ren, Mr. Jiang, congratulations."
Ren Yao was startled, and before he could react, Jiang Ling had already taken out the wedding cakes and stuffed them into the mouths of everyone with a smile: "Thank you very much, when we have the banquet, please come and show your support."
The wedding cakes were wrapped in red paper with auspicious words like "May you have a happy marriage forever" written on them. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into them. Ren Yao looked at Jiang Ling in surprise, not even knowing when he had prepared these.
The prizes were given out early in the morning. No matter if they were acquainted or not, they came to join in the fun. Jiang Ling accepted who came. As long as they said congratulations, he would happily give them wedding cakes. A package of wedding cakes everyone was quickly distributed. Ren Yao looked at his empty package and said, "I thought you put dry food in it, but it turned out to be this. If you give it all to others, what will you eat for lunch?"
They patrolled the Jianmen Pass, and it often took a whole day to walk, so Ren Yao and Jiang Ling had developed the habit of carrying dry food and water when they went out. This morning, Ren Yao saw Jiang Ling carrying a large bag, and thought it was food he had prepared, but it turned out to be wedding cakes.
Jiang Ling put away his bag and said as a matter of course, "Aren't you still here?"
Ren Yao raised his eyebrows and said coldly: "I only brought my own."
Jiang Ling came up with a playful smile: "I don't believe it. You must have brought mine."
To be on the safe side, Ren Yao always brought two people's worth of anything whenever he went out, but he never used it, and she never mentioned it. But Jiang Ling knew that there would always be a place for him by her side, so he dared to act recklessly.
Ren Yao rolled his eyes at him and walked forward with the package on his back. Jiang Ling ran after him with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, madam. I'll take it!"
"Go away, who is your wife?"
"I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Thank you for your hard work, sir. It's my turn to take it."
While the two were playing, Jiang Ling saw the general coming and waved: "General Zhou, we are getting married! Thank you for taking care of Ren Yao during this time. This is the wedding cake she specially left for you."
Ren Yao stared at Jiang Ling in shame and annoyance. How did he become her wedding cake? Jiang Ling motioned Ren Yao to stop talking and smiled as she stuffed the wedding cake into General Zhou's hands. After all, it was a happy event, so General Zhou did not refuse it. After taking it, his expression softened a little: "Are you going to hold a wedding banquet?"
Before Ren Yao could say anything, Jiang Ling said, "The date has not been decided yet. We would like to ask the general to officiate at our wedding, as we are grateful for your care in the past few months."
General Zhou also knew that these two people came from Chang'an. He didn't know what they had offended to be sent to such a place, otherwise, he was not qualified to be their leader. But Ren Yao and Jiang Ling had no complaints. They called him "General" and were very respectful to him. When he was patrolling and training, he did not show the arrogance of the children of the Chang'an nobles and did everything for them.
General Zhou originally thought that they wanted to be transferred as soon as possible, so they were deliberately showing it, but he watched coldly for a while and found that these two people were very serious about their duties. After their shift, they went home to cook and decorate their rooms. It seemed that they wanted to settle down here and there was no sign of them compromising.
Gradually, General Zhou also sincerely regarded them as his own people. Jiang Ling's feelings for Ren Yao were seen by everyone, and now the two were finally going to get married, General Zhou was happy for them. If they were in Chang'an, the one who was qualified to officiate at their wedding would probably be at least a duke, and now that they had invited him, it was clear that they truly regarded him as their superior.
In the past, General Zhou would have agreed, but now, General Zhou sighed and said, "I just received a letter from Chang'an that the emperor has abdicated the throne to Prince Xiang and restored the title to Prince Wen. The court is at a critical juncture, and Jianmen Pass is an important border pass, and nothing can go wrong. As the commander-in-chief, I must not neglect my duties. I'm afraid I won't be lucky enough to drink in your wedding wine."
Ren Yao and Jiang Ling looked at each other, both shocked. Jiang Ling immediately stopped smiling, and Ren Yao asked solemnly, "When did this happen?"
"The official newspaper said it was the first day of March, but the journey to Jianmen Pass was long and we were delayed for two months. It's only now that we've arrived."
Ren Yao asked hurriedly: "Prince Wen abdicated the throne to Prince Xiang, what about Queen Mother Wei?"
General Zhou waved his hands helplessly, "I don't know."
·
The time goes back to two months ago, the last day of February, Taiji Palace.
Xuanwu Gate was covered in blood red, and it was hard to tell whether it was the fire or the blood. The heads of the Wei family were hung on the horses. They were killed in their sleep, and their eyes were still wide open, as if they couldn't believe that the soldiers they looked down on dared to disrespect them.
An officer of the Ten Thousand Cavalry raised his arm and shouted, "Empress Wei poisoned the late emperor and endangered the country. Tonight, we must work together to eliminate the Wei family and their cronies, and support Prince Xiang as the emperor to stabilize the world. If anyone dares to help the rebels, his three clans will be punished."
The soldiers of the Yulin Camp responded one after another. They had long been dissatisfied with the group of powerful Wei family children. When their leader, with whom they had worked for more than ten years, gave the order, they were immediately mobilized and directed their attacks against the Wei family.
The left 10,000 cavalry attacked Xuande Gate, and the right 10,000 cavalry attacked Baishou Gate. They killed the soldiers guarding the gates, and after the two armies met at Lingyan Pavilion, they immediately beat drums. The Xuanwu Gate, which was used to resist foreign enemies, was opened from the inside, and Xie Jichuan rode his horse and walked into the Xuanwu Gate leisurely to the sound of the passionate and rapid drum beats.
Soldiers ran back and forth, their heavy footsteps seemed to shake the ground. Xie Jichuan stood in the darkness in a green robe, still so clean and cool, without a speck of dust, so quiet that he was out of tune with the surrounding scene. Xie Jichuan asked, "How is the Taiji Hall?"
"As agreed, the Nan Ya guards guarding the coffin of King Jungjong in the Taiji Palace all responded in full gear after hearing the drum beats."
"Okay." Xie Jichuan said, "After you capture Wei in Lizheng Palace, don't let her escape."
Xie Jichuan listened to the soldiers' reports of various situations and made arrangements calmly. A soldier came over and clasped his fists and said, "Xi Ma, there is something wrong with the prince. I asked my subordinate to go find you."
Xie Jichuan looked calm and asked, "What's wrong?"
The soldier whispered something, and Xie Jichuan raised his eyebrows and said, "Lead the way."
Xie Jichuan walked to the inner palace and saw from a distance a slender figure holding a lantern, stopping in front of the horse. Xie Jichuan pretended not to see it and stepped forward to salute Prince Linzi: "Prince."
When Prince Linzi saw Xie Jichuan, he dismounted and said respectfully, "Xie Xima, you are here."
Xie Jichuan followed the etiquette and then glanced at the woman in front of him and asked, "Prince, this is..."
Prince Linzi said with a sullen face, "I am arresting the remnants of Empress Wei. Shangguan Zhaorong led the palace ladies to stop the horses and said that what she did before was forced by Empress Wei. In the edict she drafted for Zhongzong, it was originally written that Prince Xiang would be the on government affairs and assist the new emperor. It was Empress Wei who deleted these. She has already drafted a new edict of succession and is willing to continue to serve Prince Xiang and Princess Taiping."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jichuan glanced at Shangguan Wan'er indifferently. Shangguan Wan'er held the imperial edict in front of her eyebrows and lowered her head slightly, revealing her slender and beautiful neck, full of respect.
Xie Jichuan looked indifferent, but he laughed sarcastically in his heart. Fate is really a cycle. Last time, in the same place and the same situation, Shangguan Wan'er said almost the same thing, but this time, the person who presented the imperial edict to Shangguan Wan'er was different, and the person Xie Jichuan wanted to assist was also different.
Fujira only relies on the strongest, and his reputation is well deserved.
Xie Jichuan signaled to Prince Linzi to talk somewhere else. Prince Linzi followed him to a place where Shangguan Wan'er could not hear him, and Prince Linzi asked, "Xie Xima, what do you think?"
Xie Jichuan held up his long sleeves and spoke calmly, "Emperor Zetian was kind to her, but when the Shenlong coup occurred, she immediately abandoned Emperor Zetian and surrendered to Emperor Zhongzong. Prince Yong was kind enough to spare her life; but when Prince Yong was suspected, she immediately defected to Empress Wei and became her lackey; now that the Prince of the County has staged a coup, she does not go to find out whether Empress Wei is dead or alive, but comes to intercept the horse and present the imperial edict first. Although the vine is weak, if it stays on the tree for a long time, it will compete with the host for nutrients, blocking the sunlight, until the originally healthy and long-lived tree is sucked into an empty shell. I hope Prince of the County will make a rational decision."
Prince Linzi paused for a moment and said, "But she and Aunt Taiping are very close. Today's event cannot be done without Aunt Taiping's help. If she is killed, how can I explain it to Aunt Taiping?"
"A female official, would His Highness Taiping be alienated from the Prince because of her?" Xie Jichuan said calmly, "Besides, who is the commander of today's operation, the Prince or Princess Taiping?"
Xie Jichuan's last words made Prince Linzi make up his mind. Shangguan Wan'er was a little anxious when she saw that Prince Linzi and Xie Jichuan had not returned for a long time. She could not help but call softly, "Prince?"
Prince Linzi looked back. He still remembered that many years ago, Empress Wu Zetian held a banquet in Shangyang Palace and ordered all the scholars to write poems. Shangguan Wan'er read the manuscripts and threw them at the same time. Soon, the manuscripts piled up like snow beside her skirt. She only read them once, but she could remember all the good sentences. She wrote for the princesses and princes, and each poem was different in style and had its own strengths. With such talent, present was Impressed by Shangguan Wan'er's reputation as a prime minister in red makeup.
But in the blink of an eye, the empress who seemed omnipotent and omniscient at the banquet died, the mature and steady cousin Chongrun was bloodied in Danfeng Gate, the cousin Yongtai who was forced to marry followed her husband, the trembling old prince was poisoned to death by his wife who had shared hardships with him, and Li Huazhang, who was fostered in a minister's home at the time, was restored to his status, but was exiled because of his great achievements.
As time goes by, everyone has changed, but the Xuanwu Gate, which has experienced the war, stands here, witnessing another round of fratricide.
Prince Linzi turned his head away reluctantly, but the words he spoke were very cold and clear: "Shangguan Zhaorong is a member of the Queen's party, kill her."
Shangguan Wan'er realized something was wrong and wanted to catch up and plead with Prince Linzi, but was stopped by the soldiers. When she raised her hand, blood splashed. Xie Jichuan looked at them coldly, turned around indifferently, and his voice remained calm: "Go find Princess Anle and Queen Wei. I want to see them alive or dead."
Xie Jichuan walked on the dim palace road, blood was flowing like a river on both sides, but his clothes were clean and out of place. Xie Jichuan subconsciously looked for the moon, but unfortunately it was the 30th of the month, there was no moon in the sky, the whole sky was pitch black, like a big mouth swallowing up the light.
It turns out there is no moon.
Xie Jichuan thought, if that person were here, what would he do? He would definitely not agree to kill Shangguan Wan'er. He would probably say it was an act of survival, so why blame her? He would deprive Shangguan Wan'er of all her power, but give her a sum of money, let her leave the palace, and let her live the rest of her life as an ordinary person.
Xie Jichuan curled his lips slightly, but there was no smile in his eyes. Unfortunately, he could not be as kind and innocent as Li Huazhang. When he thought about people, he always assumed the worst possible situation, and when he did things, he always guarded against the worst possible situation.
Li Huazhang and Ming Huashang are both optimistic idealists, but he is a pessimistic realist who only cares about practical interests. So they are destined to go in opposite directions. Li Huazhang can give up the throne for the sake of justice, but Xie Jichuan turns to Linzi Prince and plans another coup without hesitation for the glory of the Xie family.
Ren Yao had to do things for Wei Hou at the beginning, but he was completely sober and voluntary.
Xie Jichuan sighed inaudibly and stopped looking for the moon. Instead, he walked into the depths of the palace alone, with his back to the light.
The cleaning lasted for half the night, and Xie Jichuan calmly listened to the soldiers' report that they had found Princess Anle. Princess Anle was in her palace, and in her last moments she did not try to escape, but instead put on a gorgeous Hundred Birds skirt, painted her eyebrows and eyes in front of the mirror, dressed up, and waited beautifully and calmly for the soldiers to rush in and kill her.
The soldiers couldn't help but sigh that Princess Anle was really beautiful, worthy of the title of the most beautiful woman in the Tang Dynasty, but Xie Jichuan just laughed coldly and said sarcastically: "After the head of the most beautiful woman was chopped off, she was no more beautiful than others. She wanted to be a crown princess, but her first reaction when she encountered a coup was not to save herself, but to dress up. At least she knew to run to the city gate to lure the soldiers to defect, but she didn't even try and just waited to be killed. It was really stupid."
Although Queen Wei also failed. If Ren Yao was still there, Queen Wei might still be able to win over the Yulin Army, but she personally exiled Ren Yao, and after seeing what happened to Ren Yao, the Yulin Army would no longer risk their lives for Queen Wei.
Empress Wei had already lost half her battle by losing the morale of the Northern Ya Yulin Army. Although she had placed a large number of trusted men in charge of the military, how could those Wei family members, who were parachuted in as officers and scolded the soldiers at will, be able to command them?
Xie Jichuan noticed this loophole when he heard Ming Yuji talk about his experience of leaving the city in Shangzhou. Li Huazhang and Ming Huashang also noticed it at that time, but Li Huazhang did not come back. Since he gave up the opportunity, Xie Jichuan would not be polite.
Opportunities come silently and fairly. Who succeeds depends on who stands there at that time and who takes the initiative to seize it.
Princess Anle was very beautiful, but she was even more stupid, and she was not cut out for politics. Empress Wei had some political acumen, but that was all. She did not have military power, and after resisting for a while on the city wall, she was killed by a cavalry soldier.
Overnight, three powerful political figures, Empress Wei, Princess Anle, and Shangguan Wan'er, all died, and the relatives that Empress Wei had planted in the palace were also beheaded. As for those outside the palace, such as the relatives of the Wei family, the husbands of the married daughters, and the officials who served Empress Wei, Xie Jichuan immediately ordered people to close all the gates of the capital, and the rest were nothing more than turtles in a jar, unable to make a big wave.
Xie Jichuan looked up to the east. Dawn was about to break, blood was all over the ground, and the situation inside and outside the palace had been pacified. All that was left was to withdraw the troops - to get rid of the young and immature emperor on the dragon throne who had nothing good except good luck.
Xie Jichuan called the soldiers and said calmly: "Go and invite Prince Linzi. It's time to welcome Prince Xiang to the throne."
Prince Xiang got up as usual, and suddenly heard a commotion. His third son, with a crowd of people, knelt down in front of him without saying a word, kowtowed and said, "My son started a rebellion last night, but I was afraid that it would bring trouble to the family, so I didn't tell you. Please forgive me, father!"
After listening for a while, Prince Xiang finally understood that his third son and sister had launched a coup last night and killed the Queen Mother Wei and Princess Anle who were causing chaos in the government. Now they wanted him to take charge of the situation.
Prince Xiang was silent for a moment, and suddenly understood how Zhongzong felt when he was pushed to the throne by his nephew and sister many years ago. But he was luckier than his three brothers, at least it was his own son who supported him.
Prince Xiang sighed slightly and helped Prince Linzi up with his own hands: "The preservation of the Tang Dynasty's ancestral temple and the country is all due to your contribution. How can I bear to blame you?"
Prince Linzi led his army to welcome Prince Xiang to the palace to "assist" the young emperor. Princess Taiping received the news and went to the palace. She was very sorry to learn that Shangguan Wan'er was killed by the rebels. However, she was just sorry. After all, she had to seize power. It was impossible for her to ask Prince Linzi which rebel killed Shangguan Wan'er just for a dead person.
The young emperor Li Chongmao sat in the Taiji Hall, trembling. The soldiers lined up in front of the hall, but hesitated in front of the majestic Jinluan Hall. No one dared to do anything to the emperor. At the stalemate, Princess Taiping stepped forward, grabbed Li Chongmao's collar and pulled him down, saying, "This is not the seat you should sit in."
Soon, Emperor Shao Li Chongmao wrote a letter of abdication, feeling that he was not worthy of the throne, and abdicated to his uncle, Prince Xiang. Prince Xiang repeatedly declined, but finally could not resist the crowd and ascended the throne. After he was crowned, the first thing he did was to appoint Prince Linzi as the crown prince, and to give Princess Taiping a fief of 10,000 households, and all her sons were promoted to higher positions. Prince Xiang also personally instructed his subordinates that all important matters of state should be arranged by Sanlang and Princess Taiping.
Congratulations were endless in the Taiji Hall, especially from Princess Taiping. As the youngest princess, she participated in two coups and helped her two elder brothers become emperors. What a great feat! And Prince Xiang did not let his sister down, giving her unprecedented honor, which was the most powerful princess in history.
Xie Jichuan watched all this with cold eyes and left silently. After leaving the fame and fortune world, the early spring breeze blew and Xie Jichuan finally felt that he could breathe freely. He looked at the golden eaves of the Taiji Hall and thought of the situation at the border.
The nobles in Chang'an were busy dividing up the lucrative positions vacated by their family members, but they had no idea that the governor of Jiannan on the border had already started to rebel, and the situation in the southwest was in danger and ready to explode.
If the southwest falls into chaos and foreign enemies march straight in, what use will the so-called generals who are now appointed to maintain the country and ministers of state be of?
Xie Jichuan was watching intently when a eunuch from the Taiji Hall came out and saw Xie Jichuan. He hurried over and said, "Xie Xima, why are you here alone? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is looking for you everywhere."
When Xie Jichuan heard about the crown prince, he was stunned for a moment, then he realized that the crown prince had been replaced by many people, and the current crown prince was Prince Linzi. He clenched his palms, suppressed his emotions, and in an instant he returned to the handsome and humble appearance of a noble family: "I came out to take a breath, I'm sorry to have kept the crown prince waiting for a long time."
The eunuch knew that this was a great contributor to the coup, and that the Crown Prince relied on him very much, so it was no problem for him to rise to prominence in the future. The eunuch became closer to Xie Jichuan and said with a smile, "Xie Xima has been busy all night, and it must be hard. If Xima doesn't mind, I'll have someone make you a pot of refreshing tea?"
Xie Jichuan smiled and shook his head, thanking the eunuch for his kindness, and walked towards the Taiji Hall. He turned his back to the sun and stepped through the high threshold. The smile in his eyes faded away little by little like the tide.
In fact, Li Huazhang was right. The same thing happened over and over again. Fathers and sons were jealous of each other, brothers were cruel to each other, and husbands and wives were alienated. It was really boring. The merits were still being rewarded, but Xie Jichuan had already foreseen that this happy aunt and nephew would soon fall out. The emperor was weak and could not suppress the meritorious officials. Next, Chang'an would be caught up in the struggle between the crown prince and Princess Taiping, and he might not be able to take action to manage the Jiedushi.
At this time, he could only choose to trust Li Huazhang. He must stabilize the southwest, support the prince until he came to power, and support him until he entered the Secretariat.
·
The flames licked the corners of the paper, and the words "Prince Linzi and Princess Taiping launched a palace coup, killed Queen Wei, and supported Prince Xiang as emperor" could be vaguely seen. Jiannan Jiedushi Mu Yunping burned the secret letter and sighed. His subordinates saw it and tried to ask, "Jiedushi, what should we do now?"
Mu Yunping thought of the changes that had happened one after another during this period, frowning and not saying a word. Two years ago, when Prince Qiao was exiled to Junzhou, Mu Yunping had never thought of making peace. The royal family was fighting each other, and he was always the governor of Jiannan. What did it matter to him who sat on the throne? But Prince Qiao kept writing to him, eager to persuade him, and promised to make him the King of Jiannan after he ascended the throne.
Mu Yunping could not help but be tempted. Although he now had an army and was in charge of the military, politics, salt, and iron power of Jiannan Road, he was only an official. Whether he could continue to hold office depended on the orders of the court, which could deprive him of everything with a single imperial edict. But if he were the King of Jiannan, it would be different. He could raise his own guards and set up his own shogunate. After his death, his son would inherit his power, and their Mu family would rule Jiannan Road for generations.
The so-called loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, how can it be better than to be a king by breaking the law of the descendants? Mu Yunping was persuaded, and his correspondence with Prince Qiao became more frequent. However, he had been trained in the battlefield for so many years, and he did not believe everything others said. The confidants he sent to Junzhou showed signs of cooperation with Prince Qiao, but never officially promised anything, and the correspondence was all official words, leaving no handle.
If Prince Qiao had not foolishly given him false information, causing him to mistakenly transfer the 20,000 troops from Chuzhou, he would not have fallen into such a passive position. Now Mu Yunping could only think with a smile on his face. He had always been cautious and did not leave any evidence on paper. Even if Prince Qiao was captured, he could not be implicated in public.
But only on the surface. He and King Yong knew each other very well, but neither of them was sure of victory, so they pretended not to know and kept their troops in place.
Mu Yunping couldn't help but think back to what happened during this period of time. Where did it go wrong?
The spies he planted in Chang'an sent an urgent report saying that Zhongzong was suspected of death. Empress Wei kept the death a secret and planted her own cronies in the court. Princess Taiping agreed to make Prince Wen the crown prince and let Empress Wei take charge of the government, but the premise was that Prince Xiang would be allowed to advise on government affairs and the Wei family would share power with the royal family. Empress Wei disagreed and instead made Prince Xiang the crown prince's tutor, completely sidelining Prince Xiang and completely breaking off relations.
Mu Yunping knew at that time that Queen Wei would not live long. The most important thing about power is balance. Queen Wei did not abide by the rules of the game and even wanted to have the best of everything. She would definitely not die a good death.
Mu Yunping knew that the royal family would not sit idly by and watch the Wei family dominate, and that a change in Chang'an was inevitable, so he secretly prepared. He transferred the army to Chuzhou, intending to wait until Princess Taiping, Prince Xiang, and Queen Wei were both defeated, and then support Prince Qiao to raise an army, and march straight in under the pretext of thoroughly investigating the cause of Zhongzong's death and avenging his father.
It was not legitimate for the throne to be passed to the younger brother, but Prince Qiao was the son of Zhongzong, and it was natural for the son to succeed the father. Prince Qiao had the advantage of etiquette and law, while the Jiannan Army had the advantage of terrain. When they invaded Chang'an, wouldn't they have the final say on how Zhongzong died?
Mu Yunping and others fought against Queen Wei and Princess Taiping, but he suddenly received a message from Prince Qiao, asking him to transfer the Chuzhou army to Jinzhou to stop Gan You's troops in Hanyin.
Mu Yunping thought that Prince Qiao was simply crazy. He did not take the so-called Marquis of Pingnan seriously. In his opinion, what did a young girl know about fighting? She would definitely take a shortcut and go to Shangzhou to seek help from Prince Yong, whom she was familiar with. After the two of them joined forces, they would go along the Jun River to Junzhou.
How could the old, weak and sick Shangzhou soldiers, who had never been on the battlefield, and the few hundred Yulin soldiers, be a match for his Chuzhou soldiers? Mu Yunping did not take the letter from Prince Qiao seriously and still ordered Chuzhou to prepare for battle. But a few days later, Prince Qiao sent another urgent letter saying that he invited Prince Yong to be a guest. Prince Yong really only brought three or five guards. Prince Yong dared to come to Junzhou alone, which showed that he did not know Ren Yao's actions. It seemed that Ren Yao had really joined forces with Gan You Jiedushi!
Mu Yunping did not take the imperial guards and the Yulin Army seriously, but if it was the Ganyou Jiedushi who came, the situation would be different. Mu Yunping did not dare to be careless and quickly ordered 20,000 people from Chuzhou to march to Jinzhou.
Two days after he sent out the military order, the letters from Junzhou suddenly stopped. Mu Yunping didn't take it seriously at first, but gradually, the ominous signs became more and more. The scouts of Jinzhou went out of the city to investigate, but found no signs of troop deployment on the other side of the Han River. Finally, the soldiers guarding the city of Chuzhou heard the caravan complain that the gates of Junzhou had been closed for several days and their New Year's goods were late. The soldiers hurried to report it. Mu Yunping then knew that Prince Qiao was arrested for plotting rebellion, and all the officials of Junzhou had been caught in one fell swoop, even the spies he left in Junzhou were not spared, and they were all caught by the soldiers so coincidentally.
Mu Yunping quickly ordered 20,000 troops to return to Chuzhou, but the troops were on the way. Before leaving, he specifically ordered the people leading the troops to hide their whereabouts. Who knew where they were now? When the scouts found the large troops halfway, they did their best to make the generals believe that it was indeed Mu Yunping's order to return by the original route. It was already a month later that the 20,000 people turned around and returned to Chuzhou.
By that time, Ren Yao had already taken Prince Qiao to Chang'an, so it was too late for Chuzhou to support Junzhou. Mu Yunping had also sent people to assassinate Ren Yao and rescue Prince Qiao. Even if he failed to rescue him, killing Prince Qiao was better than letting him be captured by the court. But Ren Yao's team seemed to have evaporated. Every time Mu Yunping's assassins found traces of the march, they rushed up with great momentum, but found that there was no one there. The assassins he sent repeatedly missed and were hung in the mountains for a month. Mu Yunping finally realized that there was a master who was covering Ren Yao and deliberately creating false traces to clear the pursuers behind Ren Yao.
Ren Yao was able to escort Prince Qiao to Chang'an alive with only 500 men, and the man behind the scenes took great credit for this. The assassins Mu Yunping sent out gradually lost contact, and he knew that he had met his match this time.
If Mu Yunping still couldn't guess who was behind all this, then he had been the governor for so many years in vain. He transferred the Chuzhou army without any soldiers, captured Junzhou with lightning speed, and captured Prince Qiao alive without leaking any information. Such a powerful person could only be the chief contributor to the Shenlong coup - His Royal Highness Prince Yong.
They are able to plan and win battles thousands of miles away. Such tactics are indeed similar to those of Empress Wu Zetian when she was young. This family is truly better than their predecessors.
After that, Mu Yunping and Li Huazhang fell into a delicate balance. Mu Yunping knew that it was Li Huazhang who had tricked Prince Qiao. If Li Huazhang had not gone to Junzhou in person, Prince Qiao would not have believed that Ren Yao would send troops from Hanyin, and all the subsequent events would not have happened. Li Huazhang probably also knew that it was Mu Yunping who supported Prince Qiao, but Mu Yunping was very cautious. He sent his confidants to talk about important matters, and did not leave any handles in other letters. Prince Yong could not find clear evidence, so he could only pretend not to know and maintain superficial peace.
The two sides maintained a precarious balance, neither taking action, but actually closely looking for the other's flaws. However, Mu Yunping was a minister, and Li Huazhang was a member of the royal family. No matter how the royal family fought internally, they would definitely not side with the ministers when dealing with the outside world. If the situation continued to drag on, it would be very disadvantageous to Mu Yunping.
Mu Yunping must find an opportunity to strike first.
The subordinates were still waiting for Mu Yunping's instructions. Mu Yunping thought that if you don't venture into the tiger's den, you will get the tiger cub. He said cruelly: "The throne in Chang'an has changed. The princesses and princes are busy fighting among themselves and have no time to care about other states. This is a rare opportunity. We can just raise an army in the name of serving the king and issue a manifesto saying that the Prince of Xiang framed the Prince of Qiao for the throne and now wants to kill the Prince of Wen. Call on heroes from all over the world to fight against him."
The subordinates were worried: "But Prince Qiao and Prince Wen are both in Chang'an. If they kill them, what is the reason for us to start a rebellion?"
Mu Yunping disagreed: "When we reach Chang'an, it doesn't matter who lives or dies between Prince Qiao and Prince Wen. It would be better if they both died. We can just find a kid with the surname Li and make him the emperor. By then, we can control the princes and enjoy endless wealth."
The subordinate suddenly realized: "The governor is wise."
Mu Yunping was also very pleased. Chang'an had been caught up in internal strife for many years, with policies changing every day, and the Yulin Army mutinied at every turn. Soldiers did not know their generals, and generals did not know their soldiers. How could they fight against the experienced Jiannan Army? Those princesses and princes were used to a peaceful life in Chang'an and had forgotten that in the face of real military strength, even the most powerful schemes were just paper and would break with a poke.
But there is still an obstacle to this plan, that is the Prince of Yong. Mu Yunping sighed, the pampered royal family members such as the Prince of Xiang and Princess Taiping are not a threat, but he dare not take the Prince of Yong lightly. After the Junzhou Incident, the high-ranking officials of the Governor's Office were wiped out, and now the Prince of Yong is in charge. Shang and Junzhou fell into the hands of the Prince of Yong. The military strength of these two states is not a concern, but Mu Yunping is worried about the Prince of Yong.
This feeling is hard to describe. The couple seemed to be traveling around without competing with each other, but their luck was surprisingly good at the critical moment. It seemed that no matter what they did, they were helped by God. It was very strange.
Mu Yunping remembered the lesson from last time and instructed, "Send the order to Chuzhou to be on guard and keep an eye on Shangzhou's movements. Report to me immediately if they make any move."
The subordinate crossed his hands and said loudly, "Yes."
Not long after Mu Yunping gave his instructions, Shangzhou actually took action. Another corpse floated down the river to Chuzhou, carrying a letter. The soldiers of Chuzhou did not dare to be careless, and hurriedly passed the things to Mu Yunping. Mu Yunping opened the so-called family letter, which said that Prince Yong wanted to unite with the Right Jiedushi of Gan, and Chen Bing and Han Yin were involved. Mu Yunping threw the letter into the wastebasket before he finished reading it, sneering: "They used this trick to fool Prince Qiao last time, and now, they want to fool me again? The same trick was used twice, has Prince Yong run out of tricks?"
Mu Yunping threw the letter away, not taking it seriously at all. Although Mu Yunping wanted to try his luck at getting rich, this was no small matter after all. If he was not careful, his entire clan would be implicated. His confidants had different opinions, and even Mu Yunping himself had not made up his mind. The uprising dragged on and on, and there was no final conclusion. Suddenly one day, an urgent report came from the front line, saying that the right army of Lang crossed the Han River at night and occupied Tongzhou in a lightning speed.
Tongzhou is the corridor between the southwest and Guanzhong. The loss of Tongzhou means that the Jiannan prefectures and Chuzhou are cut in half, and the 20,000 troops of Chuzhou are isolated and helpless, becoming an isolated island!
When the news of Tongzhou's fall came, the army was in an uproar, and even Mu Yunping was shocked. He suddenly remembered the letter he had thrown away a few days ago. It turned out that when he mocked the poor skills of King Yong, Qianlu, he had unknowingly stepped into the trap set by King Yong.
Li Huazhang deliberately used the same trick again, using the corpse to pass on information, and Jiannan was not surprised to see through it at once. Mu Yunping sneered and mocked Li Huazhang for using the same trick, but this was exactly where Li Huazhang was smart. He took advantage of Mu Yunping's arrogance and played a trick on Chen Cang. This time the information on the corpse was real. Li Huazhang really contacted Gan You Jiedushi and wanted to send troops from Hanyin.
If Mu Yunping did not believe the intelligence, then this would be the best case scenario. They could cross the Han River without anyone noticing, and Chuzhou would still be unaware. The 20,000 troops would stay where they were, keeping a close eye on Junzhou and Shangzhou, which had long become empty cities. Only when the allied forces captured Tongzhou and Chuzhou's supply route was cut off did they realize what was happening, but it was too late.
If Mu Yunping believed the intelligence, I'm afraid Li Huazhang had also prepared a backup plan. The marching routes in the letter were probably some true and some false. What they wanted was a mixture of truth and falsehood, so that they could not judge and were lured into the trap silently.
Mu Yunping was truly impressed at this time. Prince Yong was indeed a rare talent. Why didn't such a genius go to Chang'an to fight for the throne? Why did he stay in another state and make wedding clothes for others?
Of course, if Li Huazhang really went to Chang'an, the situation in Jiannan would definitely not be what it is now, and Mu Yunping would have raised an army long ago.
But the situation did not leave Mu Yunping much time to think about this matter. He was busy all day long, writing and receiving letters, calling people to meetings, and discussing how to recapture Tongzhou and support Chuzhou. He had not slept well for several days, and coupled with the unfavorable military situation, his temper became more and more irritable, and he could not help but insult and curse his subordinates when discussing matters. at night and thought about what he said during the day, he actually felt a little regretful. He was thinking about whether to appease the confidants tomorrow, when a group of people suddenly rushed out from the side, without saying a word, and raised their knives to chop.
Mu Yunping was greatly shocked. As a military governor, he paid great attention to his own safety. However, this group of people were very familiar with the guards around him. They rushed straight towards him in the crowd as if they were alone.
When Mu Yunping fell, his eyes were filled with unwillingness. The people who knew him so well were naturally his close confidants, but why?
What good would it do them to kill him?
Of course there are benefits, but not for the officers under Mu Yunping, but for Li Huazhang.
Ming Huashang received the secret letter from Xuan Xiaowei and immediately put it on the candle to burn it after reading it. She walked outside with the candlestick and saw Li Huazhang still studying the sand table. She said, "Take a break. You have been looking at it for the whole afternoon."
Li Huazhang pinched his brows, took the candlestick from her hand, and said, "I'm fine. How's Jiannan doing?"
Ming Huashang's eyes were bright and her face was as beautiful as pearls. She said concisely: "The operation was successful. We can proceed to the next step."
Mu Yunping colluded with Prince Qiao, and the court would definitely not tolerate him. He had no choice but to rebel, but his generals were not without options. Ming Huashang seized this difference. She contacted Han Jie after a long absence and asked him to use his old subordinates to spread around Mu Yunping's men to collect intelligence, all kinds of information. After the intelligence was transmitted back, Ming Huashang used her talent to draw a portrait and quickly selected the mission target.
Mu Yunping's subordinates already had complaints against him, so it became much easier to sow discord. Ming Huashang had someone whisper in the ears of the target person that following Mu Yunping was a rebellion, a road of no return. If he succeeded, the credit might not be his, but if he failed, his family would be in trouble. It would be better to kill Mu Yunping now so that he could claim the credit from the court. By then, there would be no one to lead Jiannan Road, and the position of Jiedushi would be his.
A huge sum of money will always attract a brave man, not to mention that the incitement was carefully designed by Ming Huashang according to the character of the target person. The rebellion soon took effect. After being insulted by Mu Yunping, the confidant could no longer bear it and sent someone to kill Mu Yunping.
The situation that Ming Huachang wanted to see most was finally realized.
Li Huazhang was also somewhat surprised to hear that Ming Huachang's plan had actually succeeded: "Did he really do it?"
"When people are impulsive, they can easily do things that they regret after they sober up. Aren't most murders committed in this way?" Ming Huashang sat down and stretched his back, drooping his limbs, still looking lazy and harmless. "I've been reading intelligence for several days in a row, and my back and waist are sore. Fortunately, Mu Yunping died quickly, otherwise, my shoulders would not be able to bear it."
Li Huazhang heard this, walked behind her, massaged her shoulders, and asked, "What are you going to do next?"
Ming Huashang closed her eyes, leaned back without even looking, and fell on Li Huazhang. She was too lazy to move, and said, "What can I do? I must tell them the truth. I have already written to the Xuanxiao Guards in Yizhou, asking them to pass on the news that Mu Yunping was assassinated by their own people to other military officers, but it must be half true and half false, so that they know about this matter, but they can't get evidence, and they will doubt each other. When Mu Yunping was alive, they were colleagues. After Mu Yunping died, those people did not share the spoils equally, and they fought each other, and soon they became a pile of scattered sand. After that, it's your business. It shouldn't be difficult to divide and conquer, just like a whale swallowing a silkworm?"
In Ming Huachang's words, fighting was as easy as playing house. Li Huazhang didn't care and continued to press her acupuncture points with his fingers: "It's not difficult. You have worked hard during this period. It seems that I was right. It is my great honor to marry you."
Ming Huashang was used to bully Li Huazhang, but he didn't bother with her and praised her so seriously, which made Ming Huashang feel guilty. She suddenly turned around, stretched out her arms to hug Li Huazhang's slender waist, leaned her face against his abdomen, and gently rubbed it: "We are an old married couple, why are you still talking about this."
Li Huazhang raised his eyebrows and pointed his finger across Ming Huashang's neck in an ambiguous manner: "Old couple? It seems that I have been slacking off recently. I actually made Shangshang feel bored?"
His fingers lingered on her neck but didn't touch her neck, like a feather, tickling her. Ming Huashang giggled and dodged his hand, her almond eyes widened and she glared at him: "Stop it."
Unfortunately, this look had no intimidating power. Ming Huachang could not avoid it, so she simply fought back and tickled Li Huazhang's itch. The closest people often know where the other person's itch is the most. In the end, the two of them fell together, their hair was disheveled, their clothes were loose, and they had no image at all.
Li Huazhang's hand naturally rested on Ming Huashang's lower back, the implication was obvious. Ming Huashang panted and glanced at the sand table not far away, hesitating, "You don't care about these?"
Li Huazhang leaned on the couch, looking at Ming Huashang calmly, and said, "Madam has solved a major problem for me. Those tactics have to be re-planned. It's useless to deduce them again. It's better to do something serious."
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