Jiuxi

Chapter 363 Chapter 361 [Counterattack]

On the wide and smooth Royal Street, two powerful military figures faced each other on horseback.

Lu Chen leaned slightly on his horse, cupped his hands and said, "I have met the Privy Council."

Guo Congyi smiled slightly and said warmly: "Marquis Lu is on his way to his post today. As a privy envoy, I should accompany him. However, there happened to be a few important military affairs that needed to be reported to His Majesty in the palace, so a lot of time was wasted."

His attitude was particularly warm, making people feel like they were taking a refreshing breath of fresh air. He was completely different from the one who took the lead in opposing Lu Chen's move to Nanya during the court meeting.

Lu Chen felt funny in his heart.

He knew very well that the reason why Guo Congyi entered the palace at such a coincidence was that he did not want to accompany him to Nanya for the first time, so as to avoid being taken advantage of by him. Now that he has come back at the right time, he is obviously worried that Le Minghong and others will lose their composure and cause a commotion out of control when they first meet.

Today, Lu Chen has a clearer understanding of the difference between the capital and the frontier.

Even if there are conspiracies and plots when fighting foreign enemies on the border, due to the natural hostility of both sides, many twists and turns are not needed. However, it is completely different in the capital.

Everyone's position here is very vague. Maybe they are close friends at one moment and strangers at the next moment. It is not possible to simply distinguish a person by good or bad.

Lu Chen sat alone by the window, looking at the green scenery in the courtyard outside the window, his thoughts becoming more and more distant.

As the saying goes, wealth is gained through danger, Lu Chen doesn't care about taking risky actions occasionally, just like what he said to Lin Xi that night in Guangling City.

Guo Congyi said with a smile: "Okay, Marquis Lu is happy. Tonight at 2:00 PM, I and Marquis Nan'an are waiting for you in Moyuan!"

After this point in time, when the struggle between the emperor and the Jiangnan clan comes to an end, he will inevitably become a marginalized person. The best result is to return to Dingzhou and continue to command the border army.

When he came to the study room in the back house, his expression was slightly serious. Qin Zilong and Chen Shu stood cautiously beside him, not daring to express their anger.

Lu Chen no longer hesitated and bowed his hands.

To be fair, Lu Chen didn't like this state, and was even a little bored, but he warned himself many times that this was an experience that he had to endure.

This time the emperor wanted to use his merits and reputation to split Nanya's military power. He knew that he had entered a dangerous situation, but he could not miss this opportunity, because this was his best opportunity to intervene in the power of the Beijing army.

The two of them bowed and left immediately.

Guo Congyi smiled and said: "It's nothing serious. I just want to celebrate the new official of Marquis Lu. I will set up a table in Moyuan to celebrate. Apart from you and me, only the Marquis of Nan'an is present. From now on, we will take care of Nan'an together." Yamen should cooperate sincerely and exchange information, I wonder if Marquis Lu is free?"

Lu Chen glanced at the two of them and said, "You all go down, I want to be quiet."

"Your Excellency is so kind, but I am so disrespectful."

The two said goodbye, and Lu Chen rode back to the Shanyang Marquis Mansion surrounded by his soldiers.

How can you climb high without entering the center?

These thoughts flashed through Lu Chen's mind, and he calmly said to Guo Congyi, "I wonder what your Lord Privy has learned here?"

"Yes."

Lu Chen said: "I will come when I arrive!"

Guo Congyi understood this and said calmly: "I reported this matter to His Majesty before I left the palace, and received His Majesty's permission."

Lu Chen did not answer directly, but looked at the opposite side with some hesitation.

The three generals of Nanya, Lu Chen and Hou Yu, all have the seal of general. Guo Congyi is only in charge of the four armies. I believe it won't take long for someone to replace him.

If Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun always stay rooted in the border areas, they can avoid these entanglements and worries, but they will also lose the opportunity to enter the center.

But now, after all, he was in charge of part of Nanya's military power, and he was also the Privy Councilor with great power. It was up to him to initiate this small-scale gathering and let it take its course.

But unlike the previous two years, this time Lu Chen did not have the support of Lu Tong, Xiao Wangzhi, Li Tianrun, Lin Jie, Lin Xi, Li Bingxue and the border troops.

In this frightening capital city, all he could rely on were two thousand cavalry and the trust of the emperor, and what he faced was a situation that was too complicated to measure.

Lu Chen slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

He spread out a few pieces of white paper on the table, then grinded the ink and picked up the pen, and wrote on the paper in a leisurely manner.

The Emperor, Queen Xu, and the three princes are a group.

Two prime ministers and a group of ministers dressed in purple, this is another group.

Guo Congyi, Wang Yan, Liu Shouguang, Hou Yu and the eighteen commanders of the Beijing Army were the third group.

The Jinlin Li family, the Qingyuan Xue family, the Changle Ning family, the Ningtan Ding family, the Boyue Chen family, etc., these aristocratic families with profound foundations in Jiangnan are the fourth group.

With a calm look on his face, Lu Chen sketched various logos and symbols on the paper. It seemed chaotic, but in fact it was a complete set of clear and logical maps.

In the past two years, he has been responsible for the preliminary planning of several large-scale battles. Although there was no smoke this time, it was particularly difficult because almost everyone in it had a relationship that was difficult to judge.

It's not that easy to find a way out of the situation.

Looking at the diagonal lines on the paper, Lu Chen suddenly felt a chill in his heart, and whispered to himself: "There is no smoke... I'm afraid it may not be possible." His expression gradually became serious.

While Lu Chen was deep in thought, a travel-worn guest came to the door of the Hou Mansion.

Menzi was a smart person who was taught by Lu Tong himself. He did not treat the other party coldly because of his seemingly ordinary dress. He stepped forward and asked politely: "May I ask your distinguished guest's name?"

The middle-aged man had a calm demeanor, and his slender white palms were particularly eye-catching. He looked at the plaque on the gatehouse in front of him and said with a smile: "Please go and tell your Marquis that your old friend Yuchi is coming back for a visit."

……

At the same moment, in that inconspicuous house in Beicheng, two middle-aged men sat across from each other in a dark room.

Ding Hui, Minister of the Ministry of War, was stroking the celadon tea cup with his right hand and said with a half-smile, "I never thought that Shanyang Marquis could really keep his composure and be fine even after a trip to Nanya."

Li Shizhi, who was sitting opposite, took a sip of tea and said calmly: "If you treat him as a brave and foolhardy man, you will definitely suffer losses at his hands in the future. Looking at what he did today, he is fully worthy of a plan. Then he made this comment. He first showed a candid attitude, which was to dispel the wariness of Le Minghong and others, and secondly, he used reason to move his emotions. This was to try his best to win the approval of these commanders. The last pamphlet even directly won people's hearts."

Ding Hui chuckled and said leisurely: "In the end, Le Minghong told Brother Shi the truth, indicating that Lu Chen's actions had no effect."

"That's not necessarily the case."

Li Shizhi remained calm and continued: "Le Minghong is still firm. Zuo Yushan and Yan Bing will inevitably hesitate. You must know that the so-called Nine Families and even the Jiangnan Clan are not monolithic."

Ding Hui did not continue to pretend to be stupid, and sighed softly: "Who says it is not the case? This time, His Majesty used the reputation accumulated by Duke Jing for half a lifetime to open a gap, and relied on Lu Chen's merit and reputation to take away part of Nanya's military power. There will definitely be divisions in the future. Pull them in and expand this hole little by little."

Li Shizhi responded and asked, "What do you think we should do next?"

Ding Hui pondered for a moment and said softly: "It is best to maintain the status quo. In my opinion, Lu Chen will not stay in the Beijing army for a long time. He will return to the border army sooner or later. As long as he is prevented from making a big move against the three armies of Nanya during this period, There won't be much trouble in the future. Or we can drag Lu Chen into the water and let the Guangling Lu family become one of us."

"I have already discussed this matter with Privy Councilor Guo. He is hosting a banquet for Lu Chen in Moyuan tonight. During the banquet, he will test his thoughts."

Li Shizhi brought up this topic and then said in a deep voice: "But you have to understand that the root cause of these problems in Beijing is not Lu Chen."

Although the tone of this sentence was soft, it was like thunder in Ding Hui's ears.

What is the root of the problem?

Naturally, it was the emperor in the palace.

If the emperor follows the tacit understanding he has made with the Jiangnan clan over the past fourteen years, even if he wants to continue to strengthen the frontier army, this is not something that cannot be discussed. However, he is so eager to split up the power of the Beijing army, causing the situation in the court to gradually deteriorate. Towards an unpredictable abyss.

Ding Hui swallowed his saliva subconsciously and murmured: "Brother, if..."

After all, he didn't dare to say the next words.

"Regicide?"

Li Shizhi narrowed his eyes slightly and pointed out Ding Hui's unfinished words simply and directly, and then said with a smile: "That's not the case."

It's not that I don't dare to do it, but I don't dare to do it.

Ding Hui forced a smile. He and the middle-aged man opposite him had been in the same boat for a long time, and they didn't even have the chance to jump off the boat.

Li Shizhi did not have the leisure and elegance to comfort him, and continued: "There is no need to take risks now, but His Majesty's temper is getting more and more impatient, and his methods are getting tougher. We have given in too much, and we cannot continue to retreat, otherwise something will happen. Big problem. Your Ding family has been able to sit still recently, but many people from other families have been looking for me secretly."

Ding Hui nodded slightly. On the surface, Li Shizhi was unassuming, but starting about seven or eight years ago, Li Daoyan gradually let Li Shizhi take care of the contacts between the family members due to old age and lack of energy.

This is a very common thing. After all, Li Shizhi is the next generation head of the family that Li Daoyan has worked hard to train. The Jiangnan family also recognizes this personable and elegant Li eldest son.

To this day, I am afraid that even Li Daoyan does not know what kind of influence Li Shizhi has among the major sects.

Ding Hui said cautiously: "Brother, some people have been treating the old prime minister recently..."

"No need to say more about this matter."

Li Shizhi knew very well why those people were dissatisfied with his father, but he did not want to talk too much about this issue, and then said: "For us, there are two most important things right now."

Ding Hui quickly said seriously: "Brother Shi, please give me your instructions."

"The first is for His Majesty. We must promote the establishment of the crown prince as soon as possible and give His Majesty a headache for this matter. The second is for Lu Chen and let him plunge into the quagmire of the Beijing Army, lest he still have the energy to stir up trouble. .”

In the peaceful candlelight, Li Shizhi talked about the detailed plan in a leisurely manner.

Ding Hui listened carefully, a look of admiration gradually appearing on his face.

After a long time, Li Shizhi asked solemnly: "Did you remember everything?"

Ding Hui stood up and said: "Brother, don't worry, brother Yu, we will definitely get it done!"

Li Shizhi motioned him to sit down and said quietly: "This is a very difficult struggle. I hope your majesty can understand our difficulties. If he refuses to take a step back and insists on forcing the people below again and again in this situation, by then I'm afraid it will cause huge waves, and no one in this capital will be spared."

He looked at the steady candlelight on the table, his eyes like a thick fog that could not be seen clearly.

(End of this chapter)