The rise of the prince

Chapter 564 Wangfu Hero List + Cheng Meng's Means

After the decision is made, the affairs of the school are still handed over to Shiyu, and the Privy Council still has a lot of things to do.

Regarding the abnormal scheduling of Chengdu Fulu, Li Xingzhou has not reported it for the time being, and nothing can be seen at the moment.

Others may not understand, but Li Xingzhou understands what will happen if the northern war is lost. The later Northern Song Dynasty is a living example. People are devastated, the capital falls, and half of the country is lost.Under the overturned nest, how can there be any eggs, and the palace will not be able to be alone at that time.

Therefore, he attached great importance to this Northern Expedition, and did not dare to be negligent in matters concerning the Privy Council.

On March [-]th, Li Xingzhou got up early to exercise as usual, relying on iron mountains, making big money, and long-distance running. He also practiced Bajiquan a few times, and he became more proficient. He regained the feeling of his previous life. Psychological self-confidence and physical self-confidence are often related Yes, now Li Xingzhou feels that he is in good condition, and it is no longer a problem for ordinary people to fight two or three times.

Of course, Wei Li, the No. [-] expert in the capital as rumored, the emperor's personal guard commander, had fought with him, but he had never seen his skills, so he didn't know how powerful he would be.

The most powerful person he has ever met so far is Ji Chunsheng. The two often fight against each other. Li Xingzhou is not his opponent. They have fought about ten times, and Li Xingzhou can win two or three times.

Next is Di Zhi. Unlike Ji Chunsheng, Di Zhi is not tall and powerful, but he is full of strength. Di Zhi's strength is reflected in his skills. He is very calm, and he is the same when it comes to fighting. He knows how to save energy and kills with one move .

There is still some gap between Li Xingzhou and Di Zhi, about four or six.

As for Yan Shen, he is basically on the same level as Li Xingzhou.

But all this is because he is only sixteen years old, seventeen years old, and his body is still developing. He is incomparable to Ji Chunsheng, Di Zhi, and Yan Shen who are all strong and strong.

As for Wei Yubai, she is not Li Xingzhou's opponent when she dismounts and fights, because women are not as strong as men, but flexibility and body coordination are often more advantageous, so once on the horse, the speed of the horse complements her shortcoming in strength, and she will be fierce immediately land a sum.

Immediately, no one is her opponent except Ji Chunsheng.

Ji Chunsheng, Di Zhi, Wei Yubai, Yan Shen and him are basically the most capable people in the palace, but now there is another one, that is Liu Ji.

Jiao Shan and the others left the next day, for fear of attracting attention, Li Xingzhou asked him to bring a lot of things to his sister-in-law Princess Qing'an before leaving.

Jiao Shan also told him that my sister-in-law's son-in-law might not be able to do it anymore. She was already in vain before, and she fell seriously ill this winter. She needed someone to serve her on the bed when she ate and drank. After the spring, she got better, but basically she couldn't walk alone. .

Li Xingzhou just nodded without saying anything.

But Liu Ji chose to be left in the palace by him, arranged a secret hut for him in the backyard, and arranged for him to be a nursing home, but also asked him to only move around in the backyard, and someone would bring him meals and a change of clothes every day and other necessities of life.

The reason for this is that once Liu Ji is recognized, Li Xingzhou will not be able to protect him. Because of the matter of King Wu, the emperor hates the rebels very much, even if Liu Ji was deceived by Ding Yi, even if he was indeed bullied by the Xiang army. If you can't get along so you rebel, as long as the emperor finds out, there is no room for intercession, and you will undoubtedly die.

And Li Xingzhou valued Liu Ji's talent more.

Liu Ji did not expect that he would be treated like this, and he is very grateful to him. Liu Ji was born as an Orion and has a strong body, but he is a wild man. He did not have the same rigorous training as Ji Chunsheng and Di Zhi. He said that fighting depends on his body shape It's enough to deal with ordinary people, but it's not enough to meet people like Ji Chunsheng and Di Zhi.

But his archery skills are not comparable to others. Born in Orion, he can say that he can shoot through Yang with a hundred steps, which is unmatched by anyone. Probably Ding Yi was promoted step by step because of his ability.

In any case, Liu Ji is exactly the person he wants, and he will be kept in the palace to protect him, and he can be used again after the turmoil is over or after he ascends the throne.

At today's court meeting, Li Xingzhou was still standing in the front row, the small court, and the officials were lined up, basically talking about the Guanbei War.

Li Xingzhou can feel that the emperor's energy is not as good as before. Generally speaking, the emperor does not go to court every day, only the emperor who is particularly diligent will do this. There are not many such emperors in history, and he can count them casually.

The emperor of this dynasty is one of them. He used to be so diligent that there must be a small court every day. This situation has lasted for more than ten years, but since the end of the year, the small court has been changed to once every three days.

Smart people understand the signal that the emperor is old and can't handle it.

Li Xingzhou listened to the reports about the war from various places, and of course Xue Fang's Duzhi Division spoke the most.

The hall was full of questions from the emperor, Xue Fang answered, Li Xingzhou was watching, thinking about the Privy Council, but for some reason, he always felt that someone was watching him, and it was not just one person.

In the main hall, Cheng Jin leaned forward slightly, and whispered to Meng Zhiye: "Meng Gong, you are ready."

Meng Zhiye nodded: "Naturally."

"That's good, but when the time comes... I don't know how King Pingnan will react. If he reacts violently, how should we respond?" Cheng Jin was still a little worried.

Meng Zhiye smiled instead: "It's fine if he doesn't fight, but if he does, then the old man can still make him one more unfilial."

"This is not good." Cheng Jin was still afraid, because King Pingnan was in full swing, saying that he was not filial was an untenable statement, and he was arguing with him on this kind of matter.
You must know that in the current dynasty, Zhongyu Cheng'an was played to death by King Pingnan, and Zhong Daoyu was dismissed. After that, the biggest remaining ministers in power are Tong Zhongshumen Xia Pingzhangshi Wang Yue, and Kaiyuan Mansion Yin He Zhao, and these two people are related to him. King Pingnan is in-law again!

Wang Yue's granddaughter is Princess Pingnan, and He Zhao's daughter was married to the palace by the Queen Mother. In this way, anyone with a discerning eye will know that no one would dare to make trouble with him
With such apprehension, he could only wait quietly.

At this time, Meng Zhiye, who was pleading, sneered, leaned back slightly, and said in a low voice: "You are not afraid of Wang Yue and He Zhao's help."

Cheng Jin nodded and said in a low voice, "The two are the most powerful people in the court today."

"Hmph, short-sighted." Meng Zhiye smiled, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said in a low voice: "Who do you think will speak up for him at this time? No one! The army is out, and the stability of the court is the most important thing. Usually, I say welcome the prince. Some people may object, but not at this time, because this is a dispute for the crown prince, and the debate will cause chaos!
This is a trap. He is arguing with me at this time, but he doesn't know the general situation and ignores the overall situation!Everyone will see it, Wang Yue, He Zhao, and the emperor too! "

Cheng Jin was stunned for a moment, then his heart trembled, this old guy has good tricks, King Pingnan is young and has a strong temper, if he fights at a time like this, he will be fooled!

"Meng Gong is good at tricks and tricks." Cheng Jin covered it with his sleeves and quietly gave a thumbs up. Meng Zhiye just smiled and said no more.

Over there, after the emperor and Xue Fang had finished speaking, the emperor glanced at the people below, and then asked as usual: "Do you have anything else to play?"

Meng Zhiye coughed lightly, he hurried out of the line, holding the jade wat in his hand, saluted respectfully: "Your Majesty, I have something to play."

"Cheng Aiqing has something to say."

Cheng Jin saluted again, and then said: "Your Majesty, many students in the Guozijian are grateful for the great kindness of the Emperor, and they are always worried about the country. Recently, many students jointly signed a letter and called it to the hands of the minister. I hope that the minister will help convey it to the emperor."

Hearing this, the emperor also laughed. After all, the students of Guozijian are the future of the country, and most of them are top talents from various states. They care about state affairs, so the emperor is naturally happy, and asked: "What do the students of Guozijian care about? Come and listen .”

Cheng Jin cupped his hands: "The students of Guozijian feel that there is a war in the country, and the army is outside. The court should focus on stability and serve the perfection of martial arts."

The emperor nodded with satisfaction: "All the students have this kind of heart. I am relieved. Although I am a literati, I am worried about military affairs. That's right! Confucius once said, 'Every literary matter must be armed, and every military matter must be prepared.' Wen People know martial arts, and the world will prosper!"

"The emperor is wise."

"Good regards, Your Majesty."

"."

The crowd complimented.

"What else is there to say about Guozijiansheng?" The emperor was very interested.

Cheng Jin cupped his hands: "The Imperial Supervisors still feel that at this critical moment, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is actually out of town instead of sitting in the capital, which is not conducive to peace of mind. We should welcome the Crown Prince back to stabilize the world."

As soon as the voice fell, the lively hall fell silent in an instant.

The atmosphere was like a 180-degree turn, and the emperor's face darkened, but he didn't speak.

At this moment, Meng Zhiye, the official of the Ministry of Rites, also walked out of the crowd, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the old minister has something to say."

Cheng Jin stared at King Pingnan in the front row, wanting to see how he would react, but because of the relationship behind him, he could only look at half of his face.

"What's the matter with you?" the emperor said.

"Your Majesty, the Ching Ming Festival is approaching. According to the ancestral system, the Emperor needs to bring the Queen, many concubines, and princes and grandchildren to worship the ancestors of the heavenly family and make it known to the world." Meng Zhiye paused. My etiquette department made arrangements, everything was prepared, and I also found someone to calculate the auspicious time, but when arranging the order of personnel, I found that there were inappropriate omissions."

The emperor frowned, "What's missing?"

Meng Zhiye said respectfully: "According to the ancestral ceremony, the emperor leads the concubines in the harem, brothers of the same generation worship first, then the prince leads brothers and sisters of the same generation, and the prince and grandson worship next, but what should the prince do now that he is in Jiangzhou? "

Cheng Jin clearly saw the corner of the emperor's mouth twitch.

Meng Zhiye's move is really too high!
If the emperor dies and does not invite the prince to come back and let other people take the lead, such as King Pingnan, then he will directly tell the world that he is going to be Yi Chu on such an important occasion that attracts everyone's attention!
This will lead to panic among the people and turmoil in the government. It is fine at ordinary times, but now that the army is out and the big battle is imminent, such chaos cannot be tolerated.

If you don't want to do this, you can only agree to recall the prince and worship the ancestors according to the ancestral system.

The emperor was still hesitating.

Cheng Jin looked at the young King Pingnan in front of him, and said to himself, "Quickly oppose, come out and oppose! As soon as the crown prince comes back, your power must be weak. If you don't oppose now, when will you wait!"

Cheng Jin and Meng Zhiye stood side by side, watching Pingnan King's actions without any trace.

Nervous, the emperor above hesitated, and King Pingnan directly below took a step, Cheng Jin was overjoyed!

It's done!It's done!
The young King Pingnan took a step under his gaze, bowed first, and then prepared to speak.

Cheng Jin heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Meng Zhiye who was next to him. The other party also smiled, his eyes were full of clarity, and everything was unspoken. The two cooperated, and with just a few witty words, the young King Pingnan fell into the trap. The trap, if it is passed down to later generations, it must be a good story for a wise man, and he will inevitably be complacent.
"I think Master Meng is right. It is beneficial for the court to welcome the prince back. The state affairs are of great importance. I hope the emperor will not hesitate." King Pingnan's voice rang in their ears.

Cheng Jin was taken aback for a moment, and clearly saw Meng Zhiye's smile froze on his face.

Unbelievably, the tall and straight young man looked forward, opened his mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say, and froze for a while
Cheng Jin stared blankly at the emperor and asked King Pingnan: "Are you sure?"

King Pingnan nodded.

The emperor emphasized his tone: "Do you know what this means, what are they thinking? You just agree indiscriminately."

Unexpectedly, at such a young age, the frivolous and irritable King Pingnan said indifferently: "I know, but real gold is not afraid of fire. Your Majesty, at such a critical juncture, the overall situation is the most important thing. If the war is not good, it is not that you can invite the crown prince to come back." make up."

The emperor stared at him for a while, and then said loudly: "I will make my own decision on this matter."

"Your Majesty, the Ching Ming Festival is approaching, so make a decision that morning." Meng Zhiye did not give up.

The emperor ignored him at all.

"Your Majesty!" He wanted to say something else.

The emperor said directly: "Retire!"

In an instant, many officials knelt down and bowed, and the emperor retreated into the back hall.

For some reason, looking at the tall young man in front of him, Cheng Jin suddenly felt a chill on his back, and his heart began to tremble. Could it be that he was really wrong?

After retiring from the court, Li Xingzhou was stopped by the lame little eunuch, saying that the emperor wanted to see him.

After so many days, his leg injury has basically recovered. If you don't look carefully, you can't tell that there is any abnormality in walking.

After a while, he was taken to the imperial garden, where the emperor was already waiting.

Seeing him, the emperor's face was not very good: "You should know the intentions of Cheng Jin, Meng Zhiye and others today, why you still agree! It's useless for me to cultivate them like this!"

Li Xingzhou had long thought that the emperor asked him to come here to ask this question. In fact, the reason why he agreed was because he felt that this might be a trap set by Cheng Jin, Meng Zhiye and others. He had seen a lot of bloodless tactics in politics.

Secondly, he understands better than anyone else what kind of situation Jingguo will face if the war in the north is completely defeated.

The famous sentence written by Yue Fei back then, "The shame of Jingkang is still unresolved. The hatred of the courtiers, when will it be destroyed." It still reminds him all the time, so in Li Xingzhou's heart, the war in the north is above all else, and he will come back when the prince comes back. As long as the situation is stable and the Northern Expeditionary Army is not hindered, it will be fine.

"Your Majesty, state affairs are the most important thing. Let the prince come back. You must stabilize the court and not drag down the Northern Expeditionary Army. This is more important than anything else." Li Xingzhou said earnestly.

"Hmph, it's more important than your future!" the emperor asked.

"My future depends on my strength, these little tricks can't stop me." He is very confident.

The emperor fixedly looked at him after listening, there seemed to be something more in his old and muddy eyes, and after a long time, he waved his hand and said in a low voice: "The wings are hardened, go back."

Li Xingzhou bowed his hands and said goodbye.

The next day, the emperor issued an edict to recall the prince who had been thinking about it in Jiangzhou and return to the East Palace.

(End of this chapter)