Lanting prelude

Chapter 50
Xiao Junmo stared at Wei Zheng, and suddenly opened his mouth and said: "It not only hurts the clairvoyance, but also shocks the soul. Don't be afraid of hardships and dangers, and deeply cherish the kindness of the country. Ji Bu has no two promises, and Hou Yingzhong has a word. Life is emotional, and fame will be restored. Argument."

Wei Zheng closed his eyes and lay motionless on the couch, as if he had fallen into a long sleep.

Li Anyan stood quietly aside, her eyes were red and her expression was solemn.

Just now when Wei Zheng's eldest son Wei Shuyu led him in, he wanted to wake up his father, but he stopped him: "No need, let the grand master rest, I just came to see him, and I will leave after a quick look."

But this "one glance", Li Anyan watched it for more than half an hour.Just now Wei Shuyu came in a few times, and wanted to invite him to sit in the study, but he refused.

He just wants to accompany the grand master like this now, and he doesn't want to leave for a moment, it seems that only in this way can he feel at ease.

Yesterday, when he learned that Wei Zheng fainted in the East Palace and almost failed to be rescued, he suddenly felt blood rushing up, wishing he could rush into the East Palace and kill Li Chengqian!
Of course, he knew he couldn't do this, so he could only curse Li Chengqian in his heart, and at the same time complained for the grand master—how much effort he had put in to protect the prince, but in the end he almost threw his old life in the East Palace!
According to Wei Shuyu, the Grand Master has been in a coma since he was carried back by the East Palace people yesterday.After the Holy Majesty heard the news, he sent Zhao Dequan and a group of imperial physicians to visit and treat him. Finally, the imperial physician came to his senses. However, the imperial physicians were not very optimistic about the condition. Make him sad and angry, otherwise the consequences will be unpredictable.

At this moment, Li Anyan's heart was full of contradictions and anxiety - he didn't want to disturb the grand master, but right now he had to report to the grand master who was "Mr. Linchuan", so he was extremely hesitant and didn't know what to do.

The urgent matter he wanted to report was about Doris.

Thinking of this Doris, Li Anyan felt quite a headache.Last summer, Wang Hongyi sent Su Jinse to find out the whereabouts of Xu Wanniang, but he fell into a trap designed by the grand master.At first, things went smoothly. They only got the information about Wang Hongyi and his stronghold in Chang'an at the small price of sacrificing Yelanxuan's old bustard, Xiugu. The plan was to transfer safely, but Doris' impulsiveness disrupted the whole plan, causing Su Jinse to be robbed, Sorens killed, and even Doris herself almost drowned in the water.

That day, the Grand Master first ordered Suo Luns to escort Su Jinse over, but later he felt uneasy, so he ordered Li Anyan to pick him up.Just when Li Anyan was walking to the stone bridge south of Fuxingfang, he witnessed the scene where Solons was killed and Dai Lisi was thrown into the water. Liz got to the shore and saved her life.

Afterwards, the grand master ordered him to place Dai Lisi in the Zhilan Building in Huaizhenfang, let her live with Xu Wanniang, and ordered Lao Fang and others to closely guard her.I thought she would live in peace from now on, but unexpectedly, last night, she got into trouble again...

"Anyan, you're here..."

Wei Zheng didn't know when he opened his eyes.Li Anyan came back to her senses, and immediately knelt down on the edge of the bed, and said in surprise and joy: "Sir, you...you finally woke up!"

Wei Zheng stared at him with cloudy eyes for a moment, then suddenly grinned: "The old man hasn't explained his funeral yet, how can he just die like this?"

Afterwards, Wei Zheng ignored the dissuasion of Wei Shuyu and his family, and forcibly stayed on the bed. With the support of Li Anyan, he went to the study room, and then pushed everyone away.

"Tell me, what happened?"

As soon as he sat down, Wei Zheng saw through his thoughts.

Li Anyan was still hesitating whether to report it or not, but she couldn't help laughing at herself when she heard the words: "Nothing can be hidden from sir."

Just after the morning drum sounded this morning, Li Anyan received two urgent reports from Linchuan Ruo's subordinates: one was reported by the subordinates in charge of monitoring Qinglongfang Wang's residence, saying that there was a lot of movement in the Wang's residence last night, and there were other people lurking. Ah Yong, the hidden stake inside, subsequently lost contact, and the specific situation is still unknown at present; the other was reported by the old Fang of Zhilanlou, saying that Doris sneaked out last night when she was not prepared, and returned injured in the middle of the night, and brought her back a strange woman.

Li Anyan was deeply aware of the seriousness of the situation, and immediately rushed to Zhilan Tower to ask Dai Lisi about the whole incident.

At this moment, after hearing Li Anyan's report, Wei Zheng smiled wryly: "This Doris, after all, still does not forget revenge!"

"Sir, it's all because of my subordinate's dereliction of duty that caused Doris to get into trouble..."

Wei Zheng waved his hand: "Unless you tie her up, she will be impossible to guard against."

Li Anyan sighed deeply: "This subordinate never expected that Ayong would join forces with Dai Lisi to assassinate Wang Hongyi behind our backs..."

"This shows that Ah Yong and Wang Hongyi must have enmity."

"That's right, as Dai Lisi said, Ayong has an older brother who is Xuanjiawei, who died in the Gantang Station last year."

"I was negligent about this matter." Wei Zheng smiled wryly, "Ah Yong was appointed by me personally, but I forgot about it."

After learning about the location of Wang Hongyi's stronghold, Wei Zheng and Li Anyan had a discussion.Li Anyan believed that Wang Hongyi was extremely dangerous, so he simply presented the information to the emperor in secret, and asked the court to put Wang Hongyi and Ming Zangduo together in order to prevent future troubles.However, Wei Zheng thought for a long time, but did not agree with this plan.One reason is that the members of Mingzang Tuo are all brothers of the Tianxing League after all, and he couldn’t bear to betray them to the court; It will be extremely difficult to track down his whereabouts.

Therefore, after thinking about it, Wei Zheng still decided to send a spy to break into the palace, and at the same time send people to monitor the outside to keep abreast of Wang Hongyi's movements, and then make plans according to the development of the situation.

However, now that Doris made such a fuss, the plan was obviously disrupted again.

"If my prediction is correct, Wang Hongyi will be transferred today at the latest. Have you made any arrangements?" Wei Zheng asked.

"Don't worry, sir, the subordinates have explained everything, and the brothers on the periphery will stare at him to death."

"Brothers, be careful. Now that we have been alerted, Wang Hongyi must be very vigilant, so we would rather lose people than take risks."

"Yes, this subordinate will send the order later."

"You just said that Dai Lisi brought a woman back to Zhilan Tower last night, who is that woman?"

"This person's name is Yu Sang'er. Dai Lisi was injured in a failed assassination attempt last night. It was this Yu Sang'er who saved her."

"Yu Sang'er..." Wei Zheng pondered, and suddenly remembered that Biancai's daughter was also called Sang'er, but then thought, maybe it was just a coincidence, "Did she save Doris in the palace? Why did she happen to be at that time?" appear there?"

"According to Doris, this Yu Sang'er's father also died at the hands of Wang Hongyi. He also went to assassinate him last night. Seeing that Doris was injured, he rescued her and sent her back to Zhilan Tower at a risk."

"If this statement is true, this Yu Sang'er is also a chivalrous woman."

"Yes, but the subordinates always feel that this matter is too coincidental, which inevitably makes people suspicious."

"It makes sense, so we must guard against it." Wei Zheng took it seriously, "You tell Lao Fang to be prepared, and if anything happens, immediately transfer Xu Wanniang and Dai Lisi."

"Don't worry, sir, this subordinate has already made arrangements."

Wei Zheng nodded in satisfaction, then looked at him deeply: "An Yan, how many years have you followed me?"

"It's been 30 years!" Li Anyan thought of Ruyan's past, and couldn't help feeling quite emotional.

His father was also a member of the Linchuan Rudder, and died in an operation in the last years of the Sui Dynasty.At that time, he was only ten years old, and he was taken by Wei Zheng to be a book boy. After that, he followed Wei Zheng to travel all over the world, to Wagang, to Li Tang, to the East Palace, and to help him today... For 30 years of ups and downs, he was not only Wei Zheng in Chaozhong's confidant, the thigh, is also the right arm of his Linchuan rudder.After so many years of life and death, the relationship between the two has long been like that of father and son.

"The ancients said that 30 years is one life. It seems that the old man should also pass over." As he spoke, Wei Zheng stood up tremblingly. Li Anyan wanted to come over to help him, but he waved his hand to stop him.

With his waist bent, Wei Zheng slowly walked behind the screen, and after a while, he came out holding a copper box.

Seeing Wei Zheng sit down again, Li Anyan took out an exquisite key from his pocket and opened the copper box, then respectfully took out a brocade-wrapped item from the box, put it on the case, and finally looked at him and said, "Open it. "

"Sir..." Li Anyan had already sensed something, and suddenly felt a little nervous.

"Open it."

Brocade has several layers.Li Anyan suppressed the excitement in his heart, and stretched out his hand trembling slightly.

As the last layer of brocade was lifted, a bronze pixiu on the left half came into Li Anyan's eyes.

Xiao Junmo left Yanxing Gate early in the morning, and went to Bailuyuan alone to worship his adoptive father.Kneeling in front of the grave, he told his adoptive father what he had experienced in the past six months, and at the same time expressed his guilt for not fulfilling his filial piety, during which time he choked up and burst into tears.Finally, Xiao Junmo kowtowed a few times, and said softly: "Father, my son is back. My son will definitely bring retribution to those who harmed you, and let you rest in peace under the Nine Springs!"

After returning to the city, Xiao Junmo went straight to Wei Zheng's mansion in Yongxingfang.

As soon as he returned to court yesterday, he heard that Wei Zheng was ill, and very seriously ill, so he had to come to visit both public and private.Of course, apart from visiting the sick, Xiao Junmo also had two important purposes for this trip. One was to persuade Wei Zheng to give up the crown prince, and the other was to thoroughly understand the mystery of his own life experience.

Out of some necessary considerations, Xiao Junmo did not go through the main entrance, but came to the small east gate of Wei Mansion from an alley.

The alley is quiet and there are few pedestrians.He looked around keenly.Suddenly, on a small two-story building diagonally across, a window was opened a crack, but then it slammed shut.

Xiao Jun remained silent, and knocked the copper ring on the door.

The servant opened the door, asked about his identity, and immediately went in to report. Then Wei Shuyu came out to greet him, and took him directly outside Wei Zheng's study.Xiao Junmo waited on the corridor for a while, and Wei Shuyu led him in.

Seeing Wei Zheng's haggard and withered face, Xiao Junmo couldn't help feeling sore.

After less than half a year, this originally tough old man seemed to have entered his dying years.

Wei Shuyu ordered his servants to serve green tea, and then quietly withdrew.After the ceremony, the host and guest sat opposite each other across a desk.Wei Zheng looked at him for a while, then said, "Nephew, do you still remember what the old man told you when you came to say goodbye last year?"

"Of course I remember. You said that Chang'an is my home. No matter how far I go or what I do, I must come back in the end."

"Yes, it seems that you have not disappointed the old man."

"Grand Master, I heard that you have visited my father many times during the days when this junior is not here. This junior is very grateful!" Xiao Junmo clasped his fists.

"He Nian is my brother who has been with me for many years, so I naturally want to see him." Wei Zheng smiled lightly, "You don't have to worry about it."

"Hearing that the grand master is ill, the younger generation is very disturbed, and hopes that the grand master will recover soon and Kangtai will be as usual."

"One life, one autumn, I am afraid that this time the old man has come to his end and doomed." Wei Zheng smiled bitterly, "However, the old man is not afraid of death, but there are some things that have not been done, and there are some things that I can't let go of. "

"The thing that Grand Master can't let go of most must be the East Palace, right?"

If Xiao Junmo wants to assist King Wu Li Ke to seize the throne, he will inevitably go to war with the East Palace and King Wei, so before that, he must try his best to persuade Wei Zheng to give up the prince.If not, the entire Linchuan sub-helm will become his enemy.Xiao Junmo must not let this happen.

Hearing this, Wei Zheng smiled, and instead of answering, asked, "Which prince is your nephew going to help this time when he returns to court?"

"Who does the grand master think the junior should help?"

"If you are willing to listen to me, I will definitely persuade you not to help anyone."

"To this day, the Grand Master still thinks that the crown prince is the most qualified to succeed the Great Unification?"

"No, the old man never thinks so. To be honest, the old man doesn't even like him very much."

"Then why does the grand master still want to protect him?"

"You are wrong. It is not him that this old man is defending, but the heirloom inheritance system handed down by our ancestors."

"Even if you know that the eldest son is not worthy, you still want to maintain this system?"

Wei Zheng smiled lightly: "According to my nephew, do you think that the crown prince should be housed by a capable person?"

"Isn't it right for the younger generation to think so?"

"It's right in theory, but it's a pity that if it's done in practice, it will cause endless harm."

Xiao Junmo frowned slightly: "Why?"

"If the crown prince is not based on the eldest son, but on the meritorious, how should the word 'virtuous' be judged? What is the criterion?"

"Naturally, it is based on both ability and political integrity."

"Okay, even if this is the criterion, then if the dragon has nine sons, if they all have the name of virtuous, which one should be established? How do you know which one is true and which one is false? And how to judge which one is virtuous? The number one virtuous?"

Xiao Junmo was startled when he heard the words.

As expected of being the number one minister in the court, his eloquence is really amazing!
Of course, Xiao Junmo will not be refuted so easily.He thought for a while, then met Wei Zheng's gaze and said: "Confucius said: 'Look at the reason, the reason, and the security, how can a person be thin?" Zeng Zi also said: "Ten eyes see, ten hands see It means, it’s so strict!’ If a person’s words and deeds are under the watchful eyes of the public, there will be a public opinion on whether he is virtuous or not. From the emperor’s prime minister to hundreds of officials and people, isn’t it enough to examine and judge whether a person is truly virtuous or not? Is it wise?"

"Nephew's words are certainly not unreasonable, but the premise of what you said is that the inspections and judgments made by the prime minister of the emperor and hundreds of officials and people must be based on pure and selfless public hearts, but is this possible in fact? I am also a person who has read the history. You should know that since ancient times, in the past dynasties, when it comes to major matters involving the establishment of the reserve, the hearts of the ruling and the wild will only revolve around their own interests. How many people have truly upheld the public heart? Take what you love, each has something to attach to, each is good at one end, and each insists on his own words, how should the nephew judge?"

Xiao Jun was speechless.

"Furthermore, among the people in the world, who doesn't think he is virtuous? Who is willing to admit that others are more virtuous than himself?" Wei Zheng continued, "That's why, in order to compete for the so-called true virtuous or number one virtuous, the princes will use Isn’t it the root of disasters to seek power and seize it by force? The ancients saw this and had to establish the system of heir succession, so as to put an end to the idea that the position of the crown prince can be obtained through management. The purpose is to prevent the tragedies of human relations between brothers fighting against each other and fratricide between brothers and sisters from happening again! Nephew, isn’t the system of first-line elders created by the ancients not a lesson learned from countless blood and tears?! Even if it is not the best system, But it is also the least bad system of the lesser of two evils."

After hearing these words, Xiao Junmo couldn't help but fell into deep thought.

All along, he has never thought so deeply about the source and rationality of the system of direct elders, but subconsciously believes that "establishing the virtuous" is the most reasonable system.Today, however, he really took a blow in the head.It was not until today that he truly realized that the reason why Wei Zheng painstakingly maintained the system of first-line elders was not out of ancient and pedantic ideas, but out of prudent thinking and compassion for others.He had to admit that the belief held by Wei Zheng was almost impossible to be disintegrated by others.Therefore, from this perspective, it may be difficult for him to persuade Wei Zheng to give up Li Chengqian.

However, if you don't persuade from this angle, what angle can you use?

Xiao Junmo came prepared today. Apart from persuading him, of course he has other ways.However, unless it was absolutely necessary, he still didn't want to use his trump card against this venerable old man.

"Grand Master, listening to your words is better than reading ten years of books. The juniors have shallow knowledge and are so generous that they laugh at you in vain. I am really ashamed!"

"Nephew, you don't have to be too modest. At your age, it's not easy to have the knowledge you have now."

"Grand Master, although the younger generation is convinced by what you said, but still disagrees with the choice you made. Among the three princes today, the prince, the king of Wei and the king of Wu, it is true that only the king of Wu is the most virtuous! This is obvious to all. , even the Son of Heaven is well aware of this. Doesn’t the Grand Master think so?”

Wei Zheng smiled: "My nephew really chose King Wu."

"Does the grand master think the junior's choice is wrong?"

Wei Zheng shook his head: "This is not a simple question of right and wrong."

"What's the problem?" Xiao Junmo didn't understand. "Wu Wang has both ability and political integrity, and has both literary and military skills. If he is appointed as the crown prince, wouldn't it be more conducive to the long-term stability of our Tang Dynasty, and would it be more able to maintain and promote the foundation of the great sage?"

"The foundation of a thousand years?" Wei Zheng smiled wryly, "On the contrary, it is more likely that the king of Wu will destroy the foundation of a thousand years."

"Why is this?" Xiao Junmo was very surprised.

"The reason is very simple, because the king of Wu is a concubine. If the concubine came to the throne on the grounds of virtue and ability, and set a precedent for 'abolishing the concubine and establishing the concubine' in the first dynasty of the emperor, then the descendants of the emperor will follow suit. Everyone thinks that The position of the crown prince can be obtained through management. If this is the case, how can my Tang Dynasty maintain long-term stability? I am afraid that there will be no peace in the country by then, so why talk about a long-term foundation?"

"Grand Master, even if you successfully defended the crown prince of the current dynasty, how can you ensure that every dynasty in the future will have a Wei Taishi who will fully protect the system of heirs? If you are still like Li Chengqian, there must be a more sage prince trying to replace him. If so, even if the heir apparent system is preserved as you wish, isn't there still all kinds of troubles and risks in the future foundation of the Holy One?"

Wei Zheng couldn't help laughing out loud when he heard this.

Xiao Junmo suddenly discovered that Wei Zheng's eyes suddenly showed the old look, as if most of his illness had been healed in an instant.This discovery made Xiao Junmo quite relieved.But suddenly, a thought broke into his mind again, making his mood heavy again.

Back to the light!

He faintly sensed that Wei Zheng's performance at this moment was probably just a flashback before the deadline was approaching.

"Nephew is quick-witted and sharp-tongued, I almost can't beat you." Wei Zheng laughed loudly, "What you said just now has actually explained the dilemma of imperial power succession throughout the ages! To put it bluntly, there are two words: dilemma. No matter whether it is to establish a descendant or establish a virtuous person, each has its own advantages and disadvantages, which is helpless. Because of this, the old man just said: the system of the eldest son is not the best system, but the least bad of the two evils As for whether we can invent a better system in the future, it depends on you young talents. What I can do now is to stick to my choice from the beginning to the end. In other words, as long as I, Wei Zheng, live, I will not support it Abolish the elders and establish the young, abolish the sons and establish the concubines."

"Grand Master," Xiao Junmo changed the subject, "I heard that you suddenly fainted yesterday when you entered the East Palace. Presumably, it must be because of some outrageous words and deeds of the Crown Prince that provoked your anger?"

Wei Zheng's face darkened slightly, but he said without hesitation: "You guessed wrong. What happened yesterday was all caused by the old man's long illness and weakness, and has nothing to do with the prince."

Xiao Junmo sighed in his heart.

Now, he has no choice but to show his cards to Wei Zheng.

"Grand Master, this junior has been in exile this time. Although he escaped death, he has also seen a lot of things in the world. It is especially fortunate that he met the new leader of the Heavenly Punishment League. Grand Master, do you want to know who he is?" Xiao Junmo observed his face expression.

"A new alliance leader?" Wei Zheng was startled, and couldn't help squinting his eyes. "This alliance has not established a new alliance leader since the death of leader Zhiyong. I don't know why my nephew made such a statement?"

"It is precisely because the alliance has not established a new leader for so many years, and the dragons have no leader, that ambitious people like Mingzang took advantage of the vacancy and plotted against the law several times. In view of this, Zuo Shibian judged the situation and divided the helm with Yuan Gongwang and Donggu Wuyu. Sub-duo Xiyan, Langyou sub-duo Hua Ling'er and others jointly elected a new leader, so the younger generation also took advantage of the prosperity and witnessed the birth of the new leader of the alliance! The grand master is the leader of the alliance Linchuan , such a big event, this junior should let you know."

Hearing him say "Benmeng", Wei Zheng couldn't help being surprised and delighted: "Listen to my nephew, are you also a member of the League now?"

Xiao Junmo nodded with a smile.

"Very good, very good..." Wei Zheng murmured, his face flushed slightly with excitement, "The left envoy's move is wise! If it weren't for this, the Heavenly Punishment Alliance would be in disarray, and I'm afraid it would be impossible to stop Mingzang from wreaking havoc on the world My nephew, hurry up and tell me, who is this new leader and where is he now?"

"Grand Master, the Zuo Envoy once told the younger generation a rule of the alliance: if you see the seal of the alliance 'Heavenly Punishment Cup', it is like seeing the leader himself. Presumably the grand master knows it too?" Xiao Junmo asked without answering.

"Of course." Wei Zheng didn't understand why he suddenly mentioned this.

"Will the Grand Master abide by this rule?"

"It goes without saying!" Wei Zheng became more and more puzzled.

Xiao Junmo looked at Wei Zheng for a moment, then smiled faintly, took out something wrapped in silk from his sleeve, put it on the case, then gently lifted off a layer of silk, and then a layer of tulle, and a head horn The majestic, head-high and chest-high bronze Pixiu is displayed in front of Wei Zheng. The left side of the Pixiu's body is engraved with the word "Heavenly Punishment", and the right side is engraved with the word "Zhizhang".

The beginning of punishment? !
The light in Wei Zheng's eyes suddenly appeared, and he unconsciously held his breath.

In the past 40 years in the Tianxingmeng, Wei Zheng has only seen this supreme object three times.The last time was in the spring of the ninth year of Wude, when the struggle between Prince Yin and the King of Qin was intensifying, the leader Zhiyong came to Chang'an personally and gave him the order to "strike first and get rid of the King of Qin".Zhiyong knew him well, so he didn't need to show the alliance seal, but he showed it to him in accordance with the rules of the Tianxing League. At the same time, he also showed the Yin seal of "Linchuan Zhishang", which was buckled in line with the Yang seal in Wei Zheng's hand. Strictly fulfilled the corresponding procedures for ordering and sub-ruling.

Since then, Wei Zheng has never seen the leader of the alliance again, and naturally he has never seen the Cup of Heaven's Punishment again.

This farewell is a full 17 years!
For Wei Zheng, who knows that time is running out, it is undoubtedly a great relief to be able to take a last look at the alliance seal at this moment.

Wei Zheng held the alliance seal in his hand, rubbed it tremblingly, tears glistened in his eyes.

Seeing this, Xiao Junmo couldn't help being a little moved.

After a long time, Wei Zheng put the alliance seal back to its original place, wiped his eyes, and said with a smile: "The old man lost his composure. Dare I ask my nephew, where is the new leader now? Has he arrived in Chang'an? The old man is running out of time." , I also hope that my nephew will bring the old man to visit as soon as possible."

Xiao Junmo smiled wryly.

He can understand Wei Zheng, knowing that Wei Zheng must regard himself as someone close to the new leader, and he would never expect that he is the new leader of the Tianxing League.

In fact, until today, Xiao Junmo himself has not fully adapted to this role.The things that have happened to me in the past six months are a bit unbelievable, especially the fact that he finally became the leader of the alliance is even more incredible. Xiao Junmo still feels unreal, so it is no wonder that it is difficult for others to contact him with the "leader" together.

"Teacher, have you forgotten what I just asked you?"

"Just now?" Wei Zheng seemed to realize something, with an unbelievable expression in his eyes, "Nephew means..."

"Yes, that's what you're thinking now." Xiao Junmo smiled with emotion, "Although this matter is so unbelievable, even this junior himself can't believe it's true."

Wei Zheng couldn't help but widen his eyes, looked at him fixedly, and murmured, "If you see the Cup of Heaven's Punishment, it's like seeing the leader in person... Nephew, you really are... the new leader?!"

"It's a fake one." Xiao Junmo met his gaze with a calm and calm smile on his face.

Wei Zheng stood up, so fast that Xiao Junmo had no time to react, then knelt down on one leg, bowed his head and cupped his fists: "My subordinate Linchuan Wei Zheng, I have seen the leader!"

"Teacher please get up quickly!" Xiao Junmo hastily helped him up, "Don't do such a great gift, the younger generation will never be able to bear it."

"The leader is above, how dare the subordinates rely on the old and sell the old?" Wei Zheng couldn't help crying with joy, two lines of clear tears flowed down from the corners of his eyes, "Speak from the bottom of my heart, although this matter surprised my subordinates, but after careful consideration, there is really no one who is more virtuous Nephew is more suitable to be the leader of the alliance, it seems that Zuoshi, Wuyu, and Donggu brothers really have vision!"

"The Grand Master is too famous." Xiao Junmo helped Wei Zheng to sit down, "It is really difficult for the younger generation to take up this position, and I often feel uneasy in my heart, for fear that my ability is not good enough, and I have to bear the great trust of the left envoy and the brothers of this alliance."

"By the way, leader, Zuo Shi and his daughter don't seem to have come back with you, where are they now?"

Xiao Junmo was not used to hearing Wei Zheng's official address as "Leader", but he didn't have time to be polite at the moment, so he acquiesced.Speaking of Biancai and Chu Lisang whose whereabouts were unknown, Xiao Junmo's expression darkened, and he roughly talked about his experiences and encounters in the past half a year, including going to the Qinling Mountains, going down to Jiangling, taking the three cups, obtaining the authentic works, encountering ambush in Tianmu Mountain, and Biancai Disappearance, Qizhou suppressed the rebellion, Chu Lisang was taken away by Mingzang, etc.

Wei Zheng sighed unceasingly when he heard this, and finally heaved a long sigh, and said: "The Zuo Envoy has devoted himself to fulfilling the last order of the leader Zhiyong! The leader has gone through all kinds of difficulties and dangers to protect the Zuo Envoy and the sacred objects of the alliance, and he has almost died. Thank you!"

Xiao Junmo waved his hand and smiled wryly: "That's what juniors should do, it's nothing to worry about. But in Chang'an right now, the government and the opposition are turbulent, the forces of all parties are about to move, and the situation is already very critical. From the juniors' point of view, the current crisis is undoubtedly It is more terrifying than any previous hardships and dangers, and it is also more difficult to deal with! Since this junior is the leader of the alliance and has the responsibility of protecting the world, he must not stand idly by. Therefore, this junior implores the grand master to lend a helping hand and help!"

Hearing that he was hinting at the East Palace again, Wei Zheng coughed and said perfunctorily, "The current situation is really complicated, so we need to think long-term, don't be impatient..."

"Impatient?" Xiao Junmo smiled wryly, "The grand master actually knows best that the current battle for the heir apparent is imminent, and those people in Mingzang are only afraid that the world will not be chaotic! The catastrophe of Chang'an is just around the corner. Sit back and watch?!"

Wei Zheng was shocked all over, and couldn't help frowning.

"Nowadays, there are forces from the Heavenly Punishment Alliance behind the several princes who seized the throne. When will they attack and who will they attack? Can the Grand Master know?" Xiao Junmo's eyes were like lightning, and he approached Wei Zheng, "Also, Among the important ministers of today's court, apart from you, Grand Master, there are also two rudder leaders of the Tianxing League lurking. Who are they? They have been lurking in the court for so many years, and what their intentions are, can the Grand Master know? If they are better than Ming With even bigger ambitions and more terrifying plots than him, where will the safety of the Holy One, the safety of the country, and the safety of the entire Tang Dynasty be placed?!"

After hearing these words, Wei Zheng's forehead was covered with cold sweat, his eyes lost all light, and became gray and cloudy again.

Xiao Junmo couldn't bear it in his heart, but it was about the safety of his family and the survival of the country, so he had to do it again.

After a while, Wei Zheng raised his sad eyes: "You said just now that there are two Heavenly Punishment League helmsmen lurking in the court. I know one, which is Xuanquan, and who is the other?"

"Subo."

Wei Zheng was thoughtful: "Xu Fengzhi's descendants?"

"Exactly."

"Then can the lord tell the old man, who are this Xuanquan and Subo?"

"These two people are of high authority, and they are deeply trusted by the Holy One. If there is something wrong with their hearts, the consequences will be disastrous." Xiao Junmo said, "However, as to who they are, please forgive me for not being able to comment for the time being, unless...unless the Grand Master is willing to give up Prince, stand with this junior."

Wei Zheng smiled wryly: "Now this old man is your subordinate, if you give an order as the lord, I won't dare to disobey."

"Of course I can do this. But the younger generation never likes to be forced, nor does it like to force others. Therefore, I hope that the grand master can recognize the situation and change course, so as to save the younger generation from making this exception."

Wei Zheng smiled helplessly, and then fell silent.

In fact, yesterday in the East Palace, after arguing with the crown prince to no avail, he knew that the crown prince could no longer hold back and decided to take the risk.If he hadn't fainted yesterday, he might have gone to the palace in a fit of anger and reported everything to the emperor.However, after waking up from the coma just now, he thought about it calmly, but he had to give up this idea.

Because, as the prince and grand teacher, he is responsible to Li Chengqian after all, and he still has some feelings.Once he informs the emperor, the prince will be doomed forever, and he can't bear it.

However, if this matter is kept silent, it will be disloyal to the emperor and the court. Once the prince really takes action, the tragedy of human relations in the ninth year of Wude will repeat itself, no matter who wins or loses in the end, or who gives birth Death is something that Wei Zheng absolutely does not want to see.Over the years, the reason why he tried his best to maintain the system of heirs is not to avoid this scene from happening?
When he was talking to Li Anyan just now, he was actually struggling with this matter in his heart, but after thinking about it, there was still no result.

After Xiao Junmo arrived, he just defended the patriarchal system based on his long-standing position, but it didn't mean that he was defending Li Chengqian, especially now that it was known that Li Chengqian might rebel at any time, he couldn't let the situation continue to deteriorate.

So at this moment, after Wei Zheng thought about all these things again, he reluctantly came to a conclusion: Facing this dilemma, handing Li Chengqian to Xiao Junmo's disposal may be the only feasible and safe way There is a way.

Thinking about this, Wei Zheng finally raised his head, and showed Xiao Junmo a vicissitudes of life and tired smile: "For the prince, the old man is benevolent to the utmost! Anyway, the next thing will be handed over to the leader."

Xiao Junmo breathed a long sigh of relief in his heart: "Then can the grand master tell me what happened in the East Palace yesterday? The prince...is he planning to do something?"

Wei Zheng was silent for a while, then nodded.

Xiao Junmo smiled wryly.This was actually in his expectation - if the prince hadn't attempted a coup d'etat, a calm and prudent person like Wei Zheng would definitely not have had a heated argument with the prince, let alone faint from anger.

"The matter has come to this point, the old man has only one request." Wei Zheng sighed deeply, "I hope that the leader will try his best to prevent the prince from rebelling, and if it is impossible to stop, I also hope that the leader will try his best to protect him."

Xiao Junmo immediately clasped his fists together: "Don't worry, Grand Master, this junior will definitely do his best, and will neither let the crown prince endanger the country, nor let others harm the crown prince for no reason."

Wei Zheng also arched his hands, and then looked at him: "Now, the leader can reveal the true identities of Xuanquan and Subo to the old man, right?"

Xiao Junmo smiled, approached him, and whispered two names.

Wei Zheng was horrified immediately, and murmured: "Unexpectedly, I really never expected..."

"Yeah, when this junior learned about it, he was also deeply shocked."

At this point, Wei Zhengcai finally understood why Xiao Junmo was so worried—the current situation is indeed extremely dangerous, even more dangerous than the situation before the outbreak of the Xuanwumen Incident!

It is a pity that I have run out of fuel, and I will never have the opportunity to work side by side with this young man to save the country from danger.

Xiao Junmo observed his expression, thinking that he was worried about the crown prince again, so he comforted him: "Teacher, you don't have to worry too much about the East Palace, maybe the crown prince just spoke too impulsively, and he may not necessarily put it into action... "

Wei Zheng smiled wryly and flicked his sleeves, as if he didn't want to talk about it anymore, then he stared fixedly at a certain place, his eyes suddenly became far away: "This old man has worked hard all his life, day and night, only for the sake of his family and country. Only for the common people! This heart can be expressed by the sun and the moon, and the world can learn from it! No matter what happens in the future, and no matter what the future generations think, this old man can rest in peace with a clear conscience."

"Taishi Mo said so, as long as you rest in peace, this disease will be cured..."

Wei Zheng raised his hand to stop him.

Xiao Junmo looked at Wei Zheng's gray temple hair and ravine face, feeling sad again.

"The Central Plains is still fighting for the throne, and the pen is for Rongxuan. The plan is not enough, and the generosity is still there..."

Reminiscing about the past, looking back at his life, Wei Zheng couldn't help singing, but he choked with mixed feelings.

This is a five-character poem he wrote many years ago. He describes his life ambitions. Although the diction is clumsy, it has a majestic and upright pride.

Xiao Junmo stared at Wei Zheng, and suddenly opened his mouth and said: "It not only hurts the clairvoyance, but also shocks the soul. Don't be afraid of hardships and dangers, and deeply cherish the kindness of the country. Ji Bu has no two promises, and Hou Yingzhong has a word. Life is emotional, and fame will be restored. Argument."

"Jun Mo can also recite the old man's poems?" Wei Zheng was a little surprised, but more pleased.

Hearing him call his own name instead of "Leader", Xiao Junmo felt a sudden warmth in his heart.

"When the juniors read the works of the grand master when they were teenagers, they couldn't understand the meaning of the situation. It was not until this time that they died and went through hardships and dangers that they finally understood the grand master's mind."

"Oh?" Wei Zheng looked at him happily, "What did you read?"

"The younger generation read the weight of the word 'national scholar', so I decided to follow the example of the grand master and encourage myself by the national scholar."

"What kind of self-encouragement?"

"In the face of the family, the country, the society and the common people in the world, although the juniors have no virtue of the country, they dare not not have the ambition of the country; Floating cloud ears, what's the point of talking about it!"

"It's enough to have a confidant in life!" Wei Zheng laughed loudly, "There should be wine here!"

Xiao Junmo smiled, and picked up the tea bowl on the table: "The junior uses tea instead of wine, and respects the Grand Master!"

"Do it!" The two tea bowls touched each other and drank it down in one gulp.

"Wei Zheng may already know that we are going to do it soon."

In the study of Xie Shaozong's house in Yongjiafang, when Li Chengqian said this sentence to Li Yuanchang, Hou Junji, and Xie Shaozong, Li Yuanchang was stunned, while Hou Junji and Xie Shaozong's expressions were calm, as if they had never heard of it.

"How did he know?" Li Yuanchang was puzzled.

"Yesterday he persuaded me to bear it again. When I got angry for a while, I was in a hurry, so I slipped the tongue." Li Chengqian looked annoyed.

"The old guy is dying of illness, you can just perfunctory him, why are you serious with him?"

"Of course I understand the truth." Li Chengqian said unhappily, "It's just that I was in a hurry and couldn't hold it back."

"But isn't it true that if you can't bear it, you will make a big conspiracy?!"

"My lord, the matter has come to this point, there is no point in talking about it anymore." Xie Shaozong said, "The most urgent thing is to think of a countermeasure."

"What Lao Xie said is true." Hou Junji cast a sideways glance at Li Yuanchang, "My lord is so anxious, could it be that he is afraid and wants to retreat?"

"Even if this king wants to retire, is there any one left now?" Li Yuanchang stared, "If that old guy submits a memorial to the emperor, we will all have to move our heads! I don't believe that you, Shangshu Hou, are not afraid of death!"

"That's right, of course I'm afraid of death, but when it's time to fight for my life, I, Hou Junji, will never be a coward!"

"Who are you scolding? Who is a coward?" Li Yuanchang became angry, "Hou Junji, if you don't speak clearly today, this king will never end with you!"

"Then what does the prince want?" Hou Junji raised his eyebrows without showing any weakness.

"Hou, don't be ashamed..." Li Yuanchang jumped up as soon as he slapped the desk.

"Shut up!" Li Chengqian couldn't bear it anymore, and shouted in a deep voice, "The prince is not dead yet, it won't be too late for you to fight among yourself after I die!"

Li Yuanchang was full of anger and had nowhere to vent his anger. He kicked the desk and wanted to leave. Xie Shaozong hurriedly stood up to stop him, and said with an apologetic smile, "Please calm down, the matter is not that bad. Let's sit down and discuss it slowly. Hou Shangshu is quick to speak. , if you offend the prince, he will pay you in the next generation, and your lord has a lot, so don't bother with him."

Li Yuanchang got down this step, so he glared at Hou Junji, and sat back resentfully: "Mr. Xie, we don't even have an action plan yet, and the news has already leaked. How bad do you think things can get?" ?”

"Don't worry, my lord. Let me explain to you slowly." Xie Shaozong smiled, "What we are most worried about right now is that Wei Zheng will inform the Holy One, but in my opinion, Wei Zheng may not do that."

"how to say?"

"Think about it, my lord. Wei Zheng is the prince's grand teacher appointed by the sage, and his duty is to assist the prince, and he has always paid attention to the festival of honor. Even if he believes that the prince wants to rebel, would he dare to inform the sage? As for the matter, wouldn’t he lose his reputation at the end of the day and ruin his fame? Besides, the crown prince just said a few harsh words in a hurry, so why should he think that he wants to rebel? If His Majesty asks such a question, Wei Zheng will take it Can you provide evidence? Therefore, in my judgment, a scheming person like Wei Zheng will definitely not do such a thing that humiliates himself and blames himself."

When the three people heard the words, they all felt that it made sense, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mr. is still brilliant. When things happen, he is calm and calm, not flustered, and has the demeanor of a general!" Li Chengqian looked admiring, and then glanced at Li Yuanchang, "It's not like some people who messed up before the battle gone."

Hou Junji snickered.

Li Yuanchang was very dissatisfied: "Hey, I said Your Highness, why are you coming after me?"

"Your Highness is absurd." Xie Shaozong quickly smoothed things over again, "If you care about it, you will be chaotic. The prince is also out of loyalty to His Highness, so he is in a hurry to get angry."

When Li Yuanchang heard this, his expression eased.

"Old Xie, what you said just now is certainly reasonable, but even if Wei Zheng doesn't go to tell the truth, he will definitely not hide it for His Highness, right?" Hou Junji said.

"Yes, Hou Shangshu asked a good question, and I was also thinking about it." Li Chengqian said.

Xie Shaozong twitched his short beard, and smiled slightly: "Yes, I have thought about this too. If I were Wei Zheng, and I encountered such a difficult matter when I was dying of illness, I am afraid there is only one way left. .”

"What way?" Li Chengqian and Hou Junji asked in unison.

"I will find a reliable and capable person, entrust this matter to him, and ask him to closely monitor the Eastern Palace. Once he finds any changes, he will immediately report to the Holy Majesty; but if everything remains the same, he has the right to ignore it. In this way, both Considering the teacher-student friendship with His Royal Highness, and also taking into account the way of monarch and ministers with the Holy Majesty, it can be said to be a good strategy to turn the dilemma into two, and change the passive to the active."

Both Li Chengqian and Hou Junji suddenly realized, and Li Yuanchang couldn't help showing a look of admiration.

"Then according to Mr. Wei Zheng, who will Wei Zheng find to do this?" Li Chengqian asked.

"Wei Zheng has been an official for many years, and his disciples and old officials are all over the court. If we sit here and guess, I'm afraid we will never be able to guess."

"Then what should we do?" Li Yuanchang became nervous again.

"My lord, don't worry." Xie Shaozong said calmly, "Since Wei Zheng was brought home yesterday, I have sent people to keep an eye on his mansion. No matter who comes in or out these few days, they cannot escape our eyes."

"Sir, you are brilliant!" Li Chengqian was overjoyed, and couldn't help but slapped the desk, "I said a long time ago that Mr. has the talent of crouching dragon and phoenix, and it really is true! I can see it at this critical moment!"

"Your Highness, I'm sorry to say that." Xie Shaozong hurriedly bowed, "I'm just helping His Highness pick up what's left and make up for it. I really can't deserve such praise."

"Sir, you don't have to be too modest." Li Chengqian said in a loud voice, "If I ascend the throne in the future, I will definitely worship you as my prime minister! At that time, sir, you can inherit the legacy of your ancestors, make the lintel of the Xie family great, and do something like 'Ke Shao Ji Qiu , follow the great cause of "continuing martial arts"!"

Hearing this, Xie Shaozong couldn't help but shuddered in his heart.

For so many years, the only thing he has been thinking about and never forgetting is, like Xie An, entering the cabinet to pay homage to the prime minister, governing the country and making the country safe, and accomplishing a feat that is world-renowned and famous throughout the ages!Now that all this seems to be happening now, how can it not make him extremely excited?
Xie Shaozong immediately knelt down and clasped his fists together: "Scholars who are confidantes will die! Shaozong swears here today that if he cannot assist His Highness to ascend the throne and join the Datong, he will kill himself as a thank you, and he will never live in the world!"

"Sir, please get up." Li Chengqian hurriedly left his seat, leaning on a cane in one hand, and helped him up with the other, "We two know each other well enough, why bother to make such a heavy oath?"

"Mr. Xie," Li Yuanchang seemed to be still suspicious, "You said just now that there are many former officials of Wei Zheng's disciples, so if they all go to his house to visit him, how can we target them?"

Xie Shaozong smiled lightly: "Let His Highness explain this point."

"Seventh Uncle, that's why you are ignorant." Li Chengqian smiled, "Ever since Wei Zheng fell ill, Emperor Father has greeted all civil and military officials, saying that in order to let him recover from his illness, no one should disturb him. Therefore, If there are still people who dare to enter Wei Zheng's mansion at this time, then nine out of ten they will be our target."

When Li Yuanchang heard this, he showed a relieved expression.

Hou Junji glanced at him contemptuously, and said to Li Chengqian: "Your Highness, since Wei Zheng is nothing to worry about, can we discuss the action plan?"

"Okay!" Li Chengqian was full of ambition, "Hou Shangshu, you have personally experienced the Nine Years of Wude, and you are the most experienced in this area. Please tell me first, we are all ears."

Hou Junji clasped his fists together: "Being obedient is worse than being respectful."

"Teacher, this junior has one more request."

Xiao Junmo put down the tea bowl and started the second topic of the day in due course.

Wei Zheng saw that his eyes were strange, and knew that the next topic was not trivial, but he couldn't figure out what he wanted to say for a while, so he said, "If you have any orders from the leader, just say it bluntly."

Xiao Junmo suddenly laughed at himself: "Grand Master, if you can really use the power of the lord to give you the next order in this matter, this junior would really like to do so, even if it is a little disrespectful to you."

Wei Zheng was very suspicious, and after a quick thought in his mind, he finally guessed something, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Why is the grand master laughing?"

"The old man is laughing at himself. He has been a member of the Heavenly Punishment Alliance all his life. He has never disobeyed the leader's order, but unexpectedly, when he is dying, he may really have to resist his life once."

This is a conversation between intelligent people, in which nothing seems to be said, but everything has been said.Xiao Junmo smiled wryly: "I didn't expect that the grand master still keeps this secret to this day. Can this junior ask why?"

"I promised my old man that I would keep my mouth shut no matter what. If I told you the truth, and you let me go to the Nine Springs, how could I have the face to meet my old man?"

Although Wei Zheng knew very well that Xiao Junmo was tortured by this mystery of his life experience, he couldn't bear it, but he knew better that once the secret was revealed, Xiao Junmo would suffer ten times, a hundred times more pain than today, and at the same time, he would face the disaster of killing himself!Therefore, Wei Zheng could only make up his mind to keep silent.

"In your opinion, is it that the old people under the nine springs are more important than the living people in front of you?"

Xiao Junmo said this very bluntly, but he really couldn't help it.

Wei Zheng was taken aback, but actually nodded his head: "If the leader wants to think so, it's fine."

This time it was Xiao Junmo's turn to burst out laughing.He couldn't figure out what a terrible secret was hidden in his own life experience, so that Wei Zheng was so secretive and tight-lipped that he would rather disobey orders than reveal a word!

"Forget it, since the grand master is so committed and trustworthy, the junior can't trap you in injustice." Xiao Junmo stood up, not trying to hide his disappointment at all, "The grand master is sick, I hope you can rest in peace, and I look forward to an early date." Rehabilitation. The younger generation bids farewell."

After finishing speaking, Xiao Junmo turned around and wanted to leave.

"Leader, please stay." Wei Zheng stood up slowly, and suddenly looked at the screen behind him, "Come out, come and meet the new leader."

Li Anyan strode out from behind the screen, came straight to Xiao Junmo, knelt on one leg, clasped fists in both hands: "My subordinate Li Anyan in Linchuan, pay homage to the lord."

Xiao Junmo was startled for a moment, and immediately understood: Wei Zheng knew that time was running out, so he had already handed over the Linchuan helm to Li Anyan.

(End of this chapter)