Taiping Inn

Before the middle of the year, the news that Mr. Qingping stayed in the Qizhou Guild Hall spread throughout the imperial capital. However, from the time of Zi to Yin, and from the time of Yin to Chen, no one visited the Qizhou Guild Hall. There were only many figures around the Qizhou Guild Hall, and they watched from afar and dared not approach.

Most of these people do not have a high level of cultivation, and their identities are not difficult to guess. Most of them are children from families in the major powerhouses in the imperial capital, and have been slaves and servants for generations. They are the most reliable and loyal, and share the same kindness with the master's family. .

These people came to watch the movements under the orders of the master. But what can you watch through the high wall of the Qizhou Guild Hall? It’s just to wait and see who will visit the Qizhou Guild Hall. Now the residents of the Qizhou Guild Hall have been "invited" out, leaving only servants who maintain the operation of the Guild Hall. These servants are all from major peripheral bookstores under the leadership of the Confucian Party and will not disclose them. What news.

It was a coincidence that the person in charge of the Qizhou Guild Hall today was the Yanxia Bookstore, and Liu Jinyi was also among them. The Yanxia Bookstore was established shortly after, and Liu Jinyi, as the old man who joined him from Longmen Mansion, got the Confucianism. The enough trust of the door was also arranged in the Qizhou Guild Hall.

But Liu Jinyi did not act rashly, but just did his own job with peace of mind.

After a deep conversation with Lu Yanbing, Li Xuandu did not fall asleep, but practiced qi silently until dawn, Zhang Baizhou came to the main hall to greet Li Xuandu.

This is also the rule of major families. I have to greet my parents and elders early in the morning every day. Although from Zhang Baiyue, Li Xuan can only be considered Zhang Baizhou's elder brother, but in a sense, Li Xuan is actually It's more like Zhang Baizhou's teacher. Zhang Baizhou is a little rebellious and extreme, but he is still a young man who values ​​rules at heart. After experiencing so many things, he has gradually understood Li Xuandu's painstaking efforts, so he gradually took it back. He gradually returned to his past and began to respect Li Xuandu and called him "Mr.".

He first asked the servants in the guild that he wanted to go to Li Xuandu's living room or study, but he didn't expect that Li Xuandu had been staying in the main hall, so he turned to the main hall.

After Zhang Baizhou met Li Xuandu, Li Xuan did not mention what happened yesterday, but instead gave him a task, followed Shangguan Wan to leave the Qizhou Guild Hall, and took the initiative to visit some Qingliu officials.

After the inn entered the Imperial Capital, it has been committed to collecting intelligence. This list of Qingliu officials was written by the inn. They are all from the Imperial Party, and they have more or less related to the four ministers. Although the Empress Dowager began to reason with the old party of the Four Ministers after he eradicated the Four Ministers, the Four Ministers were in power and controlled the six ministries and the cabinet. More than half of the officials in the court were promoted to have more or less related to the Four Ministers, and they could not all of these people. After cleaning it out, the court will be paralyzed, so many officials are still spared. The inn gradually figured out these people through Murong Hua's relationship, and then sorted them into a list and handed them to Li Xuandu.

After Li Xuandu read it, he had no objection, so he wanted Zhang Baizhou, a descendant of the Zhang family, to come forward to visit him.

As early as Jianxiu Mountain, Li Xuandu mentioned this to Zhang Baizhou. Zhang Baizhou was mentally prepared and was not surprised, so he received this list. This list is very detailed, not only with names and official positions, but also with address, preferences, hometown, temperament, etc., which makes Zhang Baizhou clear at a glance.

As the former nine-ming official of the Yin-Yang Sect, Shangguan Guan often does this kind of secret private matter. He is familiar with his family and is better at it than Li Rushi. Li Rushi is better at coordinating and scheduling chores, so Li Xuandu asked him to return to Jianxiu Mountain.

Li Xuandu waited for Zhang Baizhou to read the list before slowly saying, "The situation in the imperial capital is very complicated. Our strength is not enough to control the situation. We can only say that it is so we have to use some means. Can you understand?"

Zhang Baizhou did not answer directly like Lu Yanbing, but thought for a while before saying: "We must distinguish between the main enemy and the secondary enemy, and win over friends who remain neutral, compete with the enemy for the general trend and the hearts of the people. Take this list. Although these people are of low rank, they are numerous. I remember that Mr. once told me that power comes from below rather than above, which means that these people alone are nothing, but if they can gather together, It is enough to affect the situation. If the people's hearts are on our side and the general trend is on our side, then the imperial capital is ours. Will it be too long-winded to say this?"

"You speak very well, you can speak everything, and you can say everything." Li Xuandu showed a complimentary look, and his tone became much gentler. Obviously, Zhang Baizhou's thoughts were very consistent with Li Xuandu's original intention. Li Xuandu Of course, I don’t mind being annoyed and want to hear it in detail, “So I’ll talk about your thoughts.”

"Yes, sir." Zhang Baizhou was encouraged and knew that this was Li Xuandu's recognition of his ideas. He could combine his thinking about Li Xuandu's layout with his own ideas, and then give it to the fullest. Mr. is the immortal of the immortal, but there is also an immortal of the immortal in the imperial capital, that is, the old man Long of the Confucian sect. Even Mr. Qin from Liaodong also came to the imperial capital, but there is also a great sword immortal in the East China Sea, who closed his door in Dantai Yun If it is not done, no matter how you calculate it, you can only maintain a balance of power in this regard, and no one can do anything to anyone, so it is not advisable to break the deadlock with force."

Zhang Baizhou paused for a moment, adjusted his words, and said, "We only have two ways to break the deadlock. One is to divide them, and the other is to win over other forces to strengthen ourselves. When neither side can do anything to each other. , those neutral forces that could not affect the situation became crucial. How to win the battle in the imperial capital is whether we can compete with our opponents and compete for the general trend. The list I have in my hands is the hearts and hearts of the people and the people. Part of the general trend, if I can successfully fight for them, then I will make a good start. Many times, people have the mentality of following the crowd. Our side has more people's hearts, which makes it easier to win the rest of the hearts. We will carry it on our side. As the trend comes, the rest of us will be more likely to use it, just like a rolling avalanche, getting bigger and bigger. I wonder if I understand this correctly?”

"I'm very pleased that you can think like this." Li Xuandu's expression and tone did not hide his surprise and appreciation. "You have said just now. Whether we can win people's hearts and general trends starts with you. It’s hard to start with everything, how do you plan to start this?”

Zhang Baizhou was repeatedly affirmed by Li Xuandu, and he had already begun to be excited and said, "Since the Emperor's Capital Change in the second year of Tianbao, the Empress Dowager has been in charge of the court, and the government has been wrong again and again. Although this may not be all the fault of the Empress Dowager's party, the Empress Dowager As a person in charge of the power of the court, it is hard to refuse to blame and must take on this responsibility. Therefore, the Empress Dowager has lost all his heart, which is also the reason for the rapid rise of the imperial party. It is not difficult for us to win the hearts of the Empress Dowager, whether these people were before. Or now, we all oppose the empress dowager and can share our thoughts with us. The key lies in the Confucian school. How to win people's hearts with the Confucian school is the problem. I haven't figured it out yet, and I may have to break the situation through Liaodong."

Li Xuandu said: "It's already great that you can think of this. You should do what you have at hand first, let them recognize you, a descendant of the Zhang family, and use your identity and name, as well as their support to the imperial capital. A wave of overturning the case for the four ministers was set off. Some fortresses seemed unbreakable, but in fact they were just a sign of it. They might have scattered under the big waves with a slight pat."

Zhang Baizhou's eyes were burning and he replied in a deep voice: "I understand."

Li Xuandu also told me: "The Lord Shangguan will help you. Sister Shangguan is a master of the Earth Master and has all the true teachings of the Earth Master. As for who is the Earth Master, there is no need for me to say anything more. Follow her and ask for advice humbly.”

Zhang Baizhou said, "Yes."

Li Xuandu waved his hand and signaled that Zhang Baizhou could go and prepare.

After Zhang Baizhou left, Li Xuandu looked at the sundial placed in the courtyard.

He knew that many major events and changes in the court could only happen after the nobles got up, which was almost impossible to strike, and it seemed that the time was almost done.

At this moment, Lu Yanbing came over with a tray and gently placed it on the table beside Li Xuandu. Seeing Li Xuandu looking out the gate of the main hall, he whispered: "Senior brother, let's have breakfast."

Li Xuandu turned his head and looked at the tray, and was stunned. The small soup buns on the south side of Jiangnan had thin skin and fresh filling. The most rare thing was that they had to pinch out a petal-shaped leather ring at the top, with a small one in the middle. The needle hole should not be big or small. Slowly steam the brine in the filling and oily in the skin ring.

Li Xuandu Huanhuan said, "This kind of food is quite common in Jinling Mansion, but it is rare in the imperial capital. Where did this come from?"

Lu Yanbing replied with a smile: "It's amazing. It's just sent by someone. Senior brother might as well guess who sent it?"

This was a bit beyond Li Xuandu's expectations. He thought about it seriously, "It's not the Empress Dowager Xie Zhi. She is from the north, not the southerner. As for the Confucians, Mr. Bai Lu and the Chiyang Weng are from the north. , Old Man Long, and Daoxuan of Sikong are all from the north. The high priests from Jiangnan didn’t show up much, and they wouldn’t deal with me in this way.”

Lu Yanbing whispered: "It is the number one courtesan in the imperial capital today. Her ancestral home is Jiangzhou. It is said that the courtesan cooks by himself. Judging from the heat, he has to go into the kitchen at the time of Yin."

Li Xuandu said, "Shi Hengbo? I don't recognize this person, why should she show her kindness to me?"

Lu Yanbing curled his lips, "I like Senior Brother, who has such status, such a state of cultivation, and such age, which woman doesn't like it?"

Li Xuan didn't agree, but just said, "If you have nothing to do, you will be either a traitor or a thief."