Shengshichun

Chapter 381 Cause and Effect
Luo Zhao's expression was gloomy. Then he gritted his teeth and nodded: "If this news is true, then Luo has no other choice."

"General Luo really knows how to deal with current affairs." Lian Yang raised the corners of his lips with pride.

Luo Zhao said, "I can help Master Lian, but I don't understand one thing. What are you going to do after you return to Dayue from here? I'm curious, why don't you just stay in the dark and issue orders, wait for the 100,000 Wu troops to sweep across Dayue, and then take the throne? Wouldn't that be safer for you?"

Lian Yang asked: "Do you know why Wu Chengping and his men were able to mobilize an army of 100,000?"

Luo Zhao raised his eyes: "Why?"

Lian Yang smiled slightly and said casually: "They were able to mobilize the 100,000-man army because they had the half tiger talisman that the old King Dongzi left for Queen Mother Wu."

"Half a tiger talisman?"

"That's right. The tiger talisman is divided into two halves. Only when the two halves are combined can it be called a legitimate army and the king's army. Wu Chengjun has that half of the tiger talisman in his hand. They can just mobilize 100,000 troops with this half of the tiger talisman, but it can only be mobilized. Only when they get the other half of the tiger talisman can they return to Dongzi in the name of the king's army and drive Jin Xu off his horse."

Luo Zhao pondered: "So, if these two halves of the tiger's seal are put together, wouldn't it have the effect of passing down the imperial seal?"

"General Luo is smart." Lian Yang nodded. "Back then, the old King Dongzi favored Queen Mother Wu and her descendants, so he gave half of the tiger talisman to Queen Mother Wu. Later, Queen Mother Wu gave it to her family. This is also the reason why Jin Xu has been unable to do anything to the Wu family for so many years since he came to power.

"Of course, the reason why the Wu family has been unable to defeat Jin Xu for so many years is because they only have half of the tiger talisman."

Luo Zhao frowned: "No wonder Jin Xu is so worried about the Wu family. If this tiger talisman falls into the hands of an outsider, even if only half of it is left, it will definitely be a huge threat to Dongzi."

"Who says it's not true?" Lian Yang took a sip of tea and continued, "Anyone with some power who has this tiger talisman can use it to start a rebellion on the spot and recruit soldiers. How can Jin Xu be at ease?"

Luo Zhao couldn't help but wonder: "Where is the other half of the tiger talisman?"

When Lian Yang heard this, he looked at Lian Yi and they both laughed.

Luo Zhao was slightly startled, and blurted out: "Could it be that the half piece is in the hands of Master Lian?"

"You guessed it right." Lian Yi said, "In the early years, Jin Xu and his sister Princess Yilan were not very popular in the Dongzi Palace. Brother Luo has been in the northwest for many years. Have you heard about this?"

Luo Zhao held the teacup and said slowly, "I have indeed heard of these past events."

Lian Yi continued, "Then you must have heard that after Princess Yilan died, Jin Xu went to Dayue and searched for him?"

Luo Zhao glanced at Lian Yang: "It is said that it is because Jin Xu felt that Princess Yilan's death was not simple."

"Princess Yilan was killed by King Yi."

Luo Zhao raised his voice and asked, "Did he really kill her?"

"Princess Yi Wang and Jin Xu have fallen out of favor and been neglected since their mother passed away. Aren't you surprised that she was favored by the royal family of Dayue?"

After hearing this, Luo Zhao glanced at Lian Yang again and said, "I heard that it's not just that. Not only did King Yi want to marry Princess Yilan, but even the former King Dayue was also pursuing Princess Yilan. It was said at the time that Princess Yilan was the eldest legitimate princess of Dongzi, and the two cousins ​​wanted to get the help of the old King of Dongzi by marrying Princess Yilan."

The Dayue King he mentioned is Lian Yang's biological father Duan Ruo, and this has become a well-known secret.

But when Lian Yang heard this story, he was calm and composed, as if he was not affected by these anecdotes of his parents at all. He is indeed a man who can accomplish great things!

Lian Yi also responded fluently: "But in fact, there is another reason why Prince Yi is determined to marry Princess Yilan."

Luo Zhao lowered his head in silence for a moment, then said, "Could it be that the half tiger talisman is in her hand?!"

"That's right!" Lian Yi raised his eyebrows, "Brother Luo really is worthy of being the one who can guard the fortress!"

Luo Zhao stretched his body slightly, then looked at Lian Yang again: "I wonder how this half tiger talisman ended up in the hands of the unpopular Princess Yilan?"

"When Princess Yilan's biological mother was alive, although she didn't have a very good relationship with the old King Dongzi, the old King Dongzi was sometimes hard to understand. On the one hand, he ignored the Empress Yuan, and on the other hand, he gave birth to two children in three years after the marriage. It is said that people later discovered that there were a large number of rare jewels in the Empress Yuan's palace, all of which were collected by the old King Dongzi from various places.

“Although the old King Dongzi had some thoughts about giving the half tiger talisman to Queen Yuan, he did give it to her shortly after they got married. After Queen Yuan died, the tiger talisman was passed on to Yilan.”

Luo Zhao nodded as he listened: "I understand. After Princess Yilan died, this half of the tiger talisman naturally fell into the hands of King Yi."

At this point, he looked at them with a sudden inspiration: "King Yi died at the hands of King Dayue, so naturally this half of the tiger talisman fell into the hands of King Dayue. And since King Dayue had high hopes for Master Lian, this half of the tiger talisman was also passed on to Master Lian.

"So, this half tiger talisman is the reason why Master Lian is still so persistent in his attempt to restore the throne, right?"

Lian Yang's secret was finally revealed, and he couldn't help showing a hint of pride when he heard this.

Luo Zhao continued, "When the King of Dayue was alive, he had the Great Yue army under his control and had no need for this half tiger talisman. When he wanted to use it, it was too late. General Pingxi led his army straight into the imperial court, leaving him with nowhere to go, so he left this half tiger talisman to you. In this case, there is still room for discussion as to who killed Princess Yilan."

Lian Yang's eyes frosted over: "These past events have nothing to do with General Luo, so there's no need to delve into them, right?"

Luo Zhao raised his head and smiled, then he pondered: "When General Lian and I first made friends, I was still wondering, General Pei had almost turned Dayue upside down last winter. Although there were no troops stationed in Dayue, it was under control. Even if there were still people left for Master Lian, there must not be many. Where did Master Lian get the confidence to replay the situation?

“It is only now that I understand that since Master Lian has half of the tiger talisman in his hand, it is impossible for the Wu Chengping and other three families not to be tempted, so you used this tiger talisman as a bargaining chip to sign an alliance with them.

"They led 100,000 rebels to help you restore the throne, and then when you took control of Dayue's troops, you would help them take over Dongzi. This is a mutually beneficial move, and they will definitely agree. So the generals guarding the northwest border saw that you had reached an agreement at an unexpected speed, and Wu Chengping and his men led the rebels westward.

“Although Jin Xu is powerful, you two sides have more than 200,000 people combined, which is enough to defeat him.

"When both of you succeed, you can join forces to deal with the Great Zhou. The Great Zhou is facing the dilemma of having no successor. If this matter spreads, there will be chaos in the government and the country. You can take advantage of the situation and it is entirely possible to fulfill your father's wish to rule the Central Plains."

As soon as these words came out, Lian Yang's secrets were exposed. Lian Yang calmed down after hearing these words: "General Luo also hopes that the Great Zhou will be in chaos, right? Otherwise, why would you be so impatient to send people to the posthouse to spread the news that your third prince is a fake a few days ago? As a general of the Great Zhou, do you know how much trouble you will suffer if you spread the royal secrets and disrupt the court?"

Luo Zhao readily followed suit and responded loudly: "Doesn't this further prove that I, Luo, and Master Lian share the same wish?"

Lian Yang's eyes flickered as he asked, "So, General Luo has decided to join Dayue?"

Luo Zhao said solemnly, "To be honest with you, Master Lian, I was a little skeptical about your ability, but after hearing you explain the reason in detail, I no longer have any concerns. But I have one last request. If you agree, I will do it without hesitation."

"What's the matter? Tell me."

Luo Zhao leaned forward and said, "I wonder where this tiger talisman is. Could you please take it out and let me take a look?"

Lian Yang looked at Lian Yi again after hearing this, then raised his sleeves and motioned him to look at himself: "This item is extremely important, and it is inconvenient to carry it with you. I'm afraid this is difficult to do. You also know that we didn't have any luggage when we came here, and I didn't lie to you."

Luo Zhao hissed and touched his chin. "But if I can't see it, how can I prove that what you said is true? It's not easy for me, Luo, to give up my position as a general in the Central Plains and defect to Dayue. Whether the general can enter the pass and join the Wu army is entirely up to me. I hope the general will understand."

Lian Yi held the hilt of the knife in his right hand, staring at Lian Yang and waiting for his signal.

Lian Yang was silent for a moment, then he saw some writing brush and ink nearby, so he took them and said, "The tiger talisman is indeed not with me, but I can draw it for you to see. The tiger talisman is engraved with the totems of the Dongzi royal family, and it is not something I can make up at will. There are also many Dongzi merchants traveling on the post road at the foot of the mountain. You can take it and ask around, maybe you can find out the truth about it."

As he spoke, he picked up a pen and drew a half-moon shaped pattern on the paper. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a tiger talisman.

Luo Zhao took it in his hand, looked at it, folded it and said, "That's fine. But it will take some time, and you will have to stay for two more days."

Lian Yi's face darkened: "Liang Zhi's people have already been searched here, how can you delay for two more days? Are you doing this on purpose?"

Luo Zhao stood up and said, "General, if you don't believe me, why are you looking for me?"

Lian Yi's face suddenly changed, but he was held down by Lian Yang.

Lian Yang said calmly, "As long as General Luo can find a way to lure Liang Zhi away, it won't hurt for the two of us to stay for two more days."

"Young Master is still happy!"

Luo Zhao said, "Then please be patient and have some tea. I will go down and arrange the verification."

Lian Yi stood up straight until he could no longer see him. Then he retracted his sinister gaze and looked at Lian Yang: "This guy is too cunning. I don't know if something unexpected will happen."

Lian Yang raised his chin and said, "Why don't you send someone to keep an eye on him?"

Lian Yi nodded, took out a black jade cylinder from his arms, then picked up a silver tube with words engraved on it and inserted it. He walked to the window and blew hard, and the tiny round tube flew out like a needle and flew into the woods beyond the barracks in the distance.

Returning to the table, Lian Yi said, "Fortunately, the master did not bring the tiger talisman with him. Otherwise, if this Luo guy is really unreliable, wouldn't he be able to capture the master right here?"

"The tiger talisman is the most important key to our plan to restore our country, so we naturally cannot carry it with us. But your worry is also justified." Lian Yang looked deeply at the direction where Luo Zhao left. "Although Luo is under our control, and his past evidence has indeed proved that he is a greedy person. He can be used by us, but now is a critical moment. Until he opens the checkpoint for us, we cannot completely trust him."

As he spoke, he unscrewed the ring on his finger, sprinkled some powder into the boiling teapot in front of him, and held it up to him and said, "It's so cold in this cold weather. Take it to General Luo's room and warm it up so that he can warm himself when he comes back."

……

Liang Zhi and Cheng Chili were both brought here at Pei Zhan's request.

Pei Zhan had been discussing countermeasures with Gao Changyuan in the camp these past few days, but he didn't see them come up with a clear set of rules. After asking them several times, they just said to follow orders. Liang Zhi and the other two were a little confused.

Later, an order was finally given to them to search along the east and west lines. Isn't this a completely useless effort?
The entire territory of the camp has been searched. If it were possible to find it, shouldn't it have been successful long ago?
But military orders had to be obeyed.

After searching for several days, they bypassed two hills and arrived at Yangjiaoai, which was connected to the post road and had a post house nearby.

Liang Zhi thought for a moment, then waved his hand in the cold wind: "Divide into five groups, one group on each of the four directions, and the remaining group will go to the post road to have a look."

This area is mostly wasteland, and even if there are forests, they are just a few sparse trees, and it is impossible to hide people for a long time. However, there are many people coming and going on the post road, and many people stay in the post house, so there may be clues.

After sending the people away, he also dismounted and began to search. Before they had walked two miles, two of the people he had sent to the post road came back: "General! We found a sneaky man on the post road, holding a piece of paper with strange patterns on it, and specifically looking for merchants from Dongzi to inquire! The man has been brought back, and he's right behind us!"

Liang Zhi stood up and looked, and saw a soldier escorting a person towards him.

When the man came to the front, the soldiers pushed him to the ground and handed him the paper: "General, please take a look!"

There was a complicated half-moon pattern drawn on the paper. Liang Zhi looked at it carefully, and after a few glances, he frowned and said, "This is Dongzi's thing. Where did it come from?!"

The person lying on the ground stared at him secretly, refusing to make a sound.

Liang Zhi kicked him and then bent down and grabbed his hair.

The man's head was forced up, but even though he was frightened to the point of losing all blood, he still couldn't make a sound.

Liang Zhi got angry and pinched his mouth, but when he saw a broken tongue in his open mouth, he couldn't help but be stunned!
He asked the soldier next to him: "Where did you find it?"

"Inside the inn, he kept gesturing to the passing merchants, because everyone he approached was from Dongzi. I thought it was strange, so I brought him here."

Liang Zhi frowned even more tightly. He turned his head and glanced in the direction of Yangjiaoai Guard Station, then slowly looked at the ground. He then stuffed the map into his arms, stood up and said, "Take it back!"