Tiantang

Chapter 120 Protecting the Crown Prince
Chapter 128 Protecting the Crown Prince
Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan said in a soft voice, "Return to Your Majesty, I secretly sent people to investigate the Rong Palace, but no trace of him was found... Now, I have strictly guarded all the servants and servants of the Rong Palace. Waiting for His Majesty to dispose."

Li Longji's face suddenly changed.

How could it be possible for Concubine Mei not to see anyone alive or dead?how can that be!Could it be that she escaped... Once she is allowed to escape and the matter is leaked, what will be the face of the royal family?What is the face of his Khan this day?
Zhang Xuan laughed secretly, what face can the royal family have?
"Your Majesty, I thought that King Rong killed his family and children with a sword, and Concubine Mei was probably among them. A palace in King Rong's mansion was burned to ashes. I suspect..." Zhang Xuan said softly.

He would not hand over Concubine Mei to the emperor anyway, because it was related to the huge wealth in the underground secret room of Prince Rong's mansion.

This wealth will be of great use to him, and he will never give it up.And once Concubine Mei who knows the inside story is handed over to the emperor, who knows if it will be leaked out.And if you want to silence Concubine Mei, to be honest, as a traveler from a modern civilized society, Zhang Xuan really can't do this to a pregnant woman.

So knowing that keeping Concubine Mei would cause future troubles, he still kept Concubine Mei in the secret room.

That being the case, let's make up a cover to make Concubine Mei completely disappear from the world.In fact, since Concubine Mei left the palace, the name Concubine Mei has disappeared.Even if Li Wan succeeds in forcing the palace, Concubine Mei will definitely give up the name of Concubine Mei if she appears by his side.

But he ignored the emperor's hatred for Li Wan's affair with Concubine Mei.

Li Longji raised his eyebrows, his face darkened.

After a long time, he waved his hand abruptly, and said coldly, "Zhang Xuan, pass on my order to kill King Rong's rebels and his party outside the city without leaving half alive!"

"Let the prince handle this matter."

Zhang Xuan took a deep breath.The old emperor was too vicious. There were more than a hundred servants who survived in the Rong Palace. With so many people, most of them were innocent, how could they all be killed indiscriminately?

"Your Majesty, please take back your order. Most of King Rong's servants are innocent and ignorant people. To kill them all like this will really hurt the harmony of heaven and damage your majesty's benevolence and reputation. I beg your majesty to show mercy!" Zhang Xuan immediately knelt down and bowed down. He can't neglect more than a hundred lives.

"If King Rong succeeds, I'm afraid I will die without a place to die today. And how many of these people around me can survive?" Li Longji said grimly, waving his arms, "From the thief's plan Rebellion, the crime is to kill the nine clans. If I don't punish severely, who will respect me and the Tang royal family in the future?"

"Old man, when you go out and tell the prince, you say that I let him handle the matter. If the matter is settled, I will let the past go. If not, I will never condone traitors!"

Gao Lishi generously agreed, and before going out, he secretly winked at Zhang Xuan, signaling him not to compete with the emperor for some rebellious people, which would cause a strong reaction from the emperor.

After Li Wan forced the palace, the emperor's temperament became more moody, suspicious and erratic, and he would get angry at every turn.Just talking about just now, the prince came to pay his respects, but he didn't say anything, but the emperor saw that he was very disliked, and suddenly got angry.Standing in the imperial study room and scolding the prince like a dog, Li Heng was so frightened that he quickly took Zhang Liangdi to kneel at the door to plead guilty.

"Zhang Xuan, do you want to disobey my will?!" Li Longji shouted sharply, standing up suddenly, with murderous intent and crazy indifference radiating from his eyes.

Zhang Xuan sneered secretly in his heart, but his mouth changed the direction of the wind, because he knew that there were things that could be done and things that could not be done, and since he couldn't control things, he wouldn't get himself involved.

In doing things and being a man, he always only asks for a clear conscience and peace of mind.Since the emperor wants to kill, let's kill it—is this political turmoil, so few people died?

Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and replied softly, "I dare not. I respect the holy edict."

Li Longji looked deeply at Zhang Xuan, took a deep breath, softened his expression, fell down on the couch tiredly and waved his hands, "Okay, as long as you are loyal to me, I will never betray you."

"Since I have dedicated myself to His Majesty and died." Zhang Xuan smiled slightly.

"I don't need you to die, I just need you to be loyal to me and clear the way for me. I am so relieved." Li Longji suddenly sighed, "Zizhan, if there is one of my sons like you, I will give you a lot of money." And why are you so worried about the inheritance of the Jijiang Mountain of the Tang Dynasty, can't sleep at night because you can't eat well?"

"Your Majesty has too much reputation, and I dare not be a minister."

"Zizhan, let me tell you in private, which one of my sons do you think can be cultivated? While I am still alive, I will also focus on cultivating it." Li Longji sighed and said.

Zhang Xuan frowned, Xin Dao's somewhat capable sons all died or died under your subordinates in disguise because of their "superiority", and the rest are basically mediocre, even incompetent.In comparison, Li Heng is still stronger.

For Zhang Xuan, keeping Prince Li Heng is the most beneficial result for him.If Li Heng is abolished and a prince is replaced, the situation will be even more difficult to control.

Therefore, Zhang Xuan must try his best to protect Li Heng.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking boldly." On key issues, Zhang Xuan has never been sloppy, no matter whether Li Longji is willing to listen or not, he will speak out and advise, "May I ask your majesty, which one is stronger and weaker between King Rong and the prince?" , who is more talented?"

"Obviously King Rong. But although King Rong is capable, he has no virtue. Over the years, he has secretly formed a party for personal gain, secretly amassing armored soldiers, colluding with soldiers to force the palace to rebel, and committing the heinous crime of having no father or king. But it will be stigmatized for thousands of years.”

"But the prince is not. Although his ability is mediocre, he is steady and down-to-earth, and he fears His Majesty."

Li Longji sneered, "He has the heart to rebel, and he doesn't have the guts, let alone the ability. That day, he actually wanted to abandon me... When I think about it today, I am so angry that I want to abolish him! "

Zhang Xuan sighed softly, "Your Majesty, the prince was just confused for a while during the crisis. People are not sages, so who can do nothing? The prince is your majesty's own son, and your majesty should give some advice from time to time... I think that there is an eternal foundation developed by your majesty." , it is enough for the prince to be a successful ruler."

Li Longji's eyes flickered, and he suddenly felt that what Zhang Xuan said made sense.Although Li Heng is incompetent, he is obedient and steady. Just as Zhang Xuan said, being a successful king is enough.but……

Li Longji immediately thought of the many hidden dangers hidden in the seemingly peaceful and prosperous Tang Dynasty... Not to mention anything else, how will Li Heng face the threat of An Lushan?In his heart, even ten Li Hengs bundled up are no match for one An Lushan.

Zhang Xuan saw the old emperor's hesitation, so he lowered his voice softly, "Therefore, I think that Your Majesty should try his best to calm down the hidden dangers in the world and give the prince a prosperous and peaceful country... But in fact, An Lushan and his like, Only His Majesty's great reputation can restrain him!"

Zhang Xuan flattered the old emperor indiscriminately.But the old emperor obviously took it very seriously and liked to listen very much.

He laughed, pointed at Zhang Xuan and said, "You are right. Speaking of which, this Anlu Mountain is only afraid of me in the world... That's why I am worried. After a hundred years, if An Lushan revolts, who will be able to suppress it?" hold him?"

"Your Majesty has clearly observed... As for Anlu Mountain, I believe that the strategy of boiling frogs in warm water can be implemented."

Li Longji was startled, and asked with a smile, "What is the strategy of boiling frogs in warm water?"

"Your Majesty, fill an iron pan with cold water, sit on the fire stove, and then put a frog in the iron pan. Heat the iron pan slowly. At first, the frog will swim freely without feeling the heat, and will lose its ability to respond. Some are vigilant; but when the water temperature rises slowly, when the frog feels something is wrong and wants to jump out of the iron pot, it is powerless and can only struggle to death in the iron pot." Zhang Xuan patiently instilled in the emperor the words from more than 1000 years later. "philosophical theory".

Fortunately, this theory is also easy to understand. Li Longji soon came to his senses, and the more he listened to it, the more he nodded secretly.

"Your Majesty, on the surface, you can continue to favor An Lushan undiminished to confuse him. But on the other hand, the court wants to gradually weaken An's power. By the time An Lushan wakes up, it will be too late .At that time, His Majesty issued an edict, where can he escape? And even if he took the risk, under the siege of the world's soldiers and horses, there will be no big waves."

"Okay! I will follow your strategy of boiling frogs in warm water." Li Longji slapped the table suddenly, "I will order three provinces and six ministries, start with multiple methods, and gradually advance... I will destroy the ungrateful Anlu Mountain in my lifetime. Huer!"

……

……

Zhang Xuan walked out of the imperial study slowly.

Outside the imperial study room, Li Heng had already got up with Zhang Liangdi, when the emperor's oral order came, he naturally didn't need to kneel anymore.It's just that Gao Lishi passed on the emperor's oral order, and he felt a lot of panic and resentment.

The emperor asked him to preside over the murder of King Rong to rebel against the party, no doubt he wanted the crown prince to bear the cruel notoriety and make him a scapegoat.

"Your Highness, General Zhang tried his best to remonstrate in front of His Majesty, which made His Majesty change his mind...Your Highness should keep it in mind." Li Jingzhong looked at Zhang Xuan's handsome figure walking slowly, and whispered in Li Heng's ear said a word.

Li Heng nodded silently, his face flushed slightly.

"Minister Zhang Xuan, pay homage to His Highness the Crown Prince." Zhang Xuan greeted Li Heng with a smile.

"Zizhan!" Li Heng hurriedly supported Zhang Xuan in a panic. After all, Zhang Xuan was no longer the assistant minister of the Eastern Palace who had no soldiers and no power at this moment.Zhang Xuan's support or not will directly determine his fate.

"I am ashamed..." Li Heng originally wanted to say a few words about himself to Zhang Xuan, but at the end he couldn't say a word, feeling very ashamed.

"Your Highness doesn't have to be like this. The world is unpredictable, but as long as Your Highness keeps his heart, he can cultivate virtue internally and cultivate merits externally... The world of the Tang Dynasty will eventually be handed over to His Highness." Zhang Xuan said very quickly. In one sentence, "A good minister does not serve two masters, and a minister is not a duplicity. Please be at ease on this point, Your Highness."

(End of this chapter)