Plan to cut off the nine states

(Thanks to readers "Flying Dutch Captain" and "Muzi Jen" for their red rewards. Please collect and recommend)

The emperor seemed to be in a good mood. He rode a horse for a circle without dancing with a spear. He went into the horse viewing hall and personally set questions. He ordered the attendants to debate and he would judge who was better.

There were three questions. One was when the Qinzhou rebellion could be quelled and whether the law enforcement should be lenient or strict after the war. The second was who could replace the King of Guangling to guard Jiangdong. The third was the timing and route of the northern expedition to He Rong.

This could show a person's true ability better than riding a horse or dancing with a spear, and could even directly affect the government. More than fifty attendants were eager to speak, all wanting to leave a deep impression on the emperor.

This was not the time for flattery. Lou Ying waited for the "flattering minister" to shut up and give the opportunity to others.

Lou Ying whispered to his seventeenth brother: "Seek stability, not surprises. Don't be stumped by questions."

The first attendant who spoke made this mistake. He said: "The rebellion in Qinzhou can be quelled within three months. In times of chaos, severe punishments are needed. After a year of strict governance, Qinzhou will no longer need the court to send troops. The people of Jiangdong are fierce and need to be suppressed by the elders of the royal family. In my humble opinion, your majesty's uncle, the King of Xiangdong, is the most suitable. The northern barbarians often take advantage of the grass to plunder the south when the horses are fat. The court can gather 300,000 troops in June and July next year and divide them to guard the three states of Ji, Bing, and Qin, waiting for the tired and chasing the defeated with victory."

The emperor asked: "What if there is another King of Guangling in Jiangdong?"

"It shouldn't happen. The King of Xiangdong is..." The attendant couldn't continue. The two kings are uncles. Since the King of Guangling has rebelled, who can guarantee that the King of Xiangdong will not have the same intention?

The emperor didn't want to suppress everyone's enthusiasm at the beginning, so he didn't ask any more questions.

More and more people spoke up, sometimes fighting for the right to speak. There were all kinds of opinions, and some even volunteered to ride alone to He Rong's tribe to persuade the northern barbarians to surrender. However, no one dared to recommend the kings to guard Jiangdong. Instead, they were optimistic about the model of the crown prince supervising the army, thinking that an old general and a young prince could please His Majesty.

The emperor usually did not comment, and occasionally whispered a few words to his close followers such as Shao Junqian, so that no one could hear.

Lou Ying urged his brother in a low voice from behind: "You can speak now."

Lou Chu was still waiting.

Everyone was about to run out of words, and Lou Ying could no longer wait, so he gently pushed his brother forward.

Lou Chu staggered and rushed forward four or five steps before he stabilized his body.

The emperor did not show any special expression to this assassin, and listened to Shao Junqian's whisper.

"The rebellion in Qinzhou will not be quelled soon, and the Western Expedition Army will most likely encounter an accident."

Although everyone had different opinions, they all thought that the Qinzhou rioters would be wiped out soon. Lou Chu's statement was unconventional. He was also the son of a great general, and his words surprised everyone present.

Lou Ying shook his head and regretted pushing his brother out.

Lou Chu only said this sentence, without further explanation, bowed and retreated, and the emperor did not ask any more questions.

Others came forward to express their opinions, and Lou Ying leaned close to his brother's ear and whispered: "I'll settle the score with you later."

The emperor yawned, and everyone knew that the discussion tonight was about to end, earlier than usual, indicating that the emperor was in a slightly good mood, not a very good mood.

The emperor stood up and left. Shao Junqian stayed behind. On behalf of the emperor, she praised several people and pointed out their shortcomings. Then she dismissed the attendants and went straight to the brothers of the Lou family. She said with a smile, "Can Ying Zhongjun let the Seventeenth Prince stay for a while?"

"Of course, he can stay as long as he wants." Lou Ying said immediately, and then leaned forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, are you not angry about my brother's nonsense?"

"Your Majesty wants to be told everything you know, how can you be angry? The decision to keep the Seventeenth Prince was made during the day, and there was no chance to inform Ying Zhongjun."

Lou Ying waved his hand, "Do you still need to inform? The whole Lou family is full of loyal ministers of Your Majesty, and they will come at your call. I'm not talking nonsense. If Your Majesty needs eunuchs, my two brothers will go home and castrate ourselves immediately."

"Haha, Ying Zhongjun is okay. How can the Seventeenth Prince do such a thing when he has just been married for a few days?"

"Don't worry, I will adopt my youngest son to him to ensure that the incense will continue."

Lou Ying said it seriously, but Shao Junqian didn't listen seriously. She made a few jokes and took Lou Chu away.

The target that Lou Chu wanted to persuade was Shao Junqian, but there were eunuchs in front and behind, so the two could only chat.

Lou Chu returned to the small courtyard where he lived before, and the eunuchs were waiting outside. Lou Chu finally had the opportunity to tell the truth.

"How long can Mr. Shao hide?"

"I don't understand what the Seventeenth Young Master is talking about." Shao Junqian said lightly, as if she had forgotten everything in the past.

"Once your majesty closes the net, no one will hide for Mr. Shao anymore."

Lou Ying and others thought that Shao Junqian's every word and action was assigned by the emperor, which was a test, so they never mentioned his suggestion to change the emperor. Once he entered the Tingwei prison, he would naturally say whatever he wanted.

Shao Junqian smiled and said, "Let's take it one step at a time. Isn't the Seventeenth Young Master the same?"

"My steps may be a little bigger."

"Haha, maybe I will follow behind the Seventeenth Young Master." Shao Junqian bowed and said goodbye.

Lou Chu was placed under house arrest again, and his treatment was better than before. There were two eunuchs serving him, tea and food were not lacking, and there were no restrictions except that he could not leave the courtyard.

He hid the dagger under the bed and waited for the opportunity.

The next afternoon, he saw the emperor again. To be precise, the emperor came to see him, but this was not a good opportunity to assassinate him because the emperor was followed by four guards with swords.

The emperor walked around, checked each room, turned around and said to Lou Chu who was following behind him: "Are you satisfied?"

"Very good, the other servants must be envious."

The attendants were on standby in Zishi Garden at night. After the work was done, the emperor returned to the inner palace to rest. However, they could not leave the city immediately. They had to wait until dawn. A group of noble disciples had to sleep together. If the emperor went to Zishi Garden continuously, they would be injured several times. I have to endure this kind of life every day.

Being able to be alone in a courtyard is a privilege that even a favorite can't get.

The emperor smiled and said: "Soon they will no longer be envious."

"It's good to be envied for just one day."

"Haha." The emperor returned to the courtyard, "Why did you say last night that something would happen to the Western Expedition Army?"

"After much thought, I feel that Your Majesty will never give up. Since there was no action before or during the expedition, he must have set a trap in Qinzhou."

"Alas, you think too much. Although I am the supreme king in the world, sometimes I have to make some concessions, such as to the Queen Mother -" the emperor gritted his teeth, "There is nothing we can do, there is really nothing we can do, the woman is short-sighted and has no ears." So soft, a few nice words can make her doubt her biological son."

"The Queen Mother is right in her suspicions."

The emperor's face darkened, "Even so, the Queen Mother should be on my side and help me get rid of the Lou family, but she values ​​the relationship between sisters more than the relationship between mother and son."

"How long has it been since your Majesty chatted and played with the Queen Mother?"

The emperor sneered, "I serve the Queen Mother with all my heart, but I can't be as deaf as two women for a few days? But you are right, things are often like this, the most sacrifices may not necessarily bring the most rewards. My biological mother's elbows are turned outward, and my uncle wants to To seize the throne, brothers and sisters each have their own selfish motives, the ministers want to rebel, and the people try to assassinate him - is there anyone in the world who is more difficult than the emperor? "

"Hungry people who can't eat enough, labor who can't finish their work, soldiers who can't kill all the enemies..."

"It's the same cliche again, Lou foundation, you should do better."

"It is precisely because all dynasties have had to talk about it that it has become a cliché."

"It's boring, I want to hear other people's opinions."

A guard went out and brought someone back soon.

Huanyan entered the hospital with an expressionless face, and saluted directly to the emperor without looking at the foundation of the building.

The emperor looked at the two of them and said with a smile: "Among the clan members, Princess Huanyan is considered to be a good eloquent person. Unfortunately, I can't keep you by my side forever. When you get to the Lou family, you will have the opportunity to discuss with Lou Chu more often."

Huanyan was not alone. The eldest princess of Luoyang followed and said with a smile: "It's just because we are at the Lou family that we can't meet the Seventeenth Young Master often. There are more rules outside than us."

The emperor pretended to be suddenly enlightened, "That's right, the general has a lot of rules. It is said that even his biological son is not allowed to enter the back house. If he wants to see his biological mother, he must notify his biological mother several days in advance and choose another room for the mother and son to meet. Is that so? Floor foundation.”

"Most noble families are like this. Not only the general, but also your majesty. The prince is not allowed to enter the harem at will, right?"

The emperor laughed and said to the eldest princess: "Look at the talents you have chosen."

The eldest princess said coldly: "I didn't choose him, he used me."

"In any case, Lou Qing is full of talents, but he just refuses to own this talent for me. Is it related to the imprisonment? If I exempt you from the imprisonment..."

"Your Majesty!" The eldest princess immediately dissuaded her, "Don't forget the oath made in the Ancestral Temple."

"I haven't forgotten, I'm just assuming. Even if I don't exempt myself from imprisonment, I can still put one commoner above ten thousand people."

Lou Chu cupped his hands and said: "Wei Chen does not doubt your Majesty's sincerity, but Wei Chen still decided to go one way to the end."

The eldest princess' expression became colder and colder, but the emperor laughed again, "Huanyan, don't you say a few words for me?"

Huanyan looked at the foundation of the building for the first time, "The road ahead is almost over, why bother to persist?"

"I don't want to be a person in name only. I would rather be more famous than real and be laughed at by the world."

"How can fireflies compete with the sun and the moon for their brightness? The Seventeenth Young Master is humble. No matter what path he takes, he is not known to the world. How can he be ridiculed?"

"The emperor alone is worthy of all the people in the world. He knows it, and I know it."

The emperor smiled even more happily, "Huanyan, you have met your match."

Huanyan saluted the emperor again, "I don't regard the Seventeenth Young Master as my rival."

"You are not opponents, you are joining forces." The smile disappeared from the emperor's face.

"It's not a joint effort. No matter what, I won't agree to assassination."

"But you are not willing to lay the foundation for me." The emperor did not forget Princess Huanyan's disloyalty.

"On the public side, your Majesty does not need me to talk to you, but on the private side, the Seventeenth Young Master and I cherish each other and cannot do anything frivolous or submissive."

The emperor sighed, "It's all my fault that I have spoiled you too much."

The eldest princess said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to blame yourself. Except for these two people, who among the clan members does not respect your Majesty?"

"I care about these two people the most." The emperor obviously thought of Zhang Shoutuan, and his expression was indifferent. No one dared to persuade him. After a while, he said to Lou Chu: "You are right, there will be an 'accident' in Qinzhou, listen. He said that as soon as the general arrived in Xijing, he would execute generals Sun and Hua under military law, but he guessed wrong, and the 'accident' did not happen to those two people."

The emperor stood up to leave. After a few steps, he turned around and said, "I said that I would let you see the collapse of the Lou family. I also promised you that I would definitely leave a man for the Lou family for Princess Huanyan to marry, but this man It won’t be you. Since you both care about each other, let’s talk more about it and guess the ‘accident’ I set up.”