Chapter 46 Section 16

Shentujia has not seen Qi'er for several days, and he has no chance to go out of the house to contact Wang Ju, which makes him very troubled. On June 30th, the head of Princess Taiping's mansion suddenly announced that on the seventh day of July, Empress Wu would hold a grand water and land dojo in the mansion for the princess's biological mother, to pray for her spirit in heaven.During this period, the guards, servants and servants of the Hefu are not allowed to leave the mansion, but must fast and bathe in the mansion, and praise Buddha devoutly. On the first day of July, Princess Taiping summoned Shentujia in the back garden and clarified his mission to get rid of a "little man" who disgusted the princess.

Therefore, Shentujia was arranged to live alone in a small courtyard in the mansion, and additional guards were sent outside the door. Xiao Zhizhong's affairs went very smoothly.The emperor has long had plans to strengthen the defense north of the capital, and this time it is in line with the holy will for the imperial guards to cooperate with the local government soldiers. This suggestion was first reported to the Supreme Emperor, and then Princess Taiping agreed. Finally, it was decided that You Yulin Army and You Wanqi would set off northward on the third day of July. Only General You Yulin Li Ci led a battalion of troops to stay behind.

Due to time constraints, Guo Yuanzhen, Minister of the Ministry of War, and other relevant officials were busy around. Princess Taiping also took advantage of this important military event to go to the Daming Palace where the Supreme Emperor lived, and she didn't know what to say.According to rumors from the servants, the Taishanghuang looked very happy after the princess left that day. Wei Zhigu, who is also the governor of Menxia Province, is very worried about sending the forbidden army out of the city. According to common sense, it is a normal content in the military affairs of the Tang Dynasty that the forbidden army and the government soldiers cooperate with each other in exercises, especially in the defense of the northern ethnic groups.However, right now is not a suitable time. The situation in Beijing is becoming more and more difficult to control. The conflict between the emperor and Princess Taiping may happen at any time. Sending troops out of Beijing at this time obviously has ulterior motives.

Although Wei Zhigu couldn't directly accuse someone of ulterior motives in the court, he had to explain the general truth.He and Guo Yuanzhen, Minister of the Ministry of War, Prime Minister of National Military Affairs, their opinions are very important.Under normal circumstances, if the two of them objected to military issues at the same time, no one would come forward to insist on a resolution.Helpless, the Taishanghuang relied too much on his sister. With the approval of Princess Taiping, this dangerous military exercise finally started. The imperial court has always had a certain system for dispatching troops. Wei Zhigu and Guo Yuanzhen only set out major policies, and the details of food, horses, and local contacts were all handed over to Guo Yuanzhen's deputy. The two were promoted by Princess Taiping. The Minister of the Ministry of War will do it, and this is the time for them to repay Princess Taiping.

After arranging everything, Wei Zhigu and Guo Yuanzhen came to see the emperor in a hurry. It seemed that everyone in the court felt that something big was about to happen. When the two of them were passed into the emperor's study, they found that almost all the emperor's cronies had arrived. The emperor did not sit on his throne as in the past, but leaned on a Hu-style chair, lost in thought. In addition to Wang Ju and Wang Maozhong, the emperor's two younger brothers Qi Wang Li Longfan and Xue Wang Li Longye, the eunuch Shaoqing Li Lingwen who was in charge of the imperial horse, and the emperor's closest eunuch Gao Lishi were present.

As soon as Wang Ju saw Wei Zhigu and Guo Yuanzhen arrived, he hurried forward and said: "The two prime ministers came just in time, and there is a difficult matter for the staff here." Wei Zhigu and Guo Yuanzhen are the important ministers of the country, and they acted in a well-regulated manner. They did not have the irritable temper like Wang Ju, who was born in the lower class. Although the matter was critical, they still calmly paid respects to the emperor. "You two gentlemen have worked hard. I am in a state of confusion at the moment. You should listen to the situation first, and we will study later."

Seeing that the emperor's face was serious but not flustered, and his eyes were painful but not hesitant, Wei Zhigu and Guo Yuanzhen's hearts were half relieved hanging in the air.As long as the emperor is still decisive when the opportunity arises, things can be done. On the other side of the main hall, Gao Lishi had already placed thick cushions and vouchers for the two elderly prime ministers, and waited for them to sit down. This Gao Lishi has been with the emperor since he was the king of Linzi. Although he is a eunuch, everyone present has never underestimated him.This is also a man with courage and strategy. When the emperor killed Wei Shi, he held a scimitar and followed closely beside the emperor.That Shangguan Zhaorong, who used to be in power for a while, was beheaded and killed by him.

Gao Lishi brought a beautifully decorated Hu-style scimitar from the emperor's imperial case, presented it to Wei Zhigu and Guo Yuanzhen, and said: "You two ministers, this is what Zhang Zuocheng sent to the emperor overnight in Luoyang. .” "Maybe there is no letter?" Wei Zhigu asked. "You are really amazing, there is only one safe post for the emperor." Gao Lishi's tone was modest and calm. Zhang Zuocheng in Luoyang was named Zhang Shuo. During the reign of the Supreme Emperor, he served as the Minister of Zhongshu, Tong Pingzhangshi, and also a prime minister.In the second year of the Supreme Emperor Jingyun, Song Jing and Yao Chongzuo asked the prince to supervise the country, and it was Zhang's idea that Princess Taiping was resettled in Puzhou.Later, because Cui Shi plotted for Zhang Shuo's position as prime minister, Princess Taiping stepped in and demoted Zhang Shuo to Luoyang as Zuo Cheng.

"Could it be that he wants the emperor to make a decision early?" Guo Yuanzhen is an all-rounder in civil and military affairs. He has been in the frontier for a long time, and he is most sensitive to this kind of conquest. At this time, the emperor said from the side: "You don't need to guess, Mr. Zhang has always seen things seriously, and he sent this knife, it can't be for other reasons." "I'm very touched that all the ministers have worked so hard for the country and society of the Tang Dynasty." When the emperor returned to the throne, his expression was a little sad. "Tomorrow when the army sets off, I will personally send it off as usual. However, just now, the Supreme Emperor summoned me to visit Princess Taiping's mansion after sending off the Habayashi army. What's your opinion on this matter?"

"Why didn't the emperor speak out earlier? This is a big deal!" All the officials were in an uproar. "I'm thinking, I can't go against the emperor's will, can I?" At this time, visiting Princess Taiping's mansion, the danger is obvious.The difficulty is that this is the emperor's will, and it is impossible not to go.The emperor is an example for the world, and he cannot bear the bad name of being unfilial.Perhaps the original intention of the Supreme Emperor was to take this opportunity to let the emperor and Princess Taiping reconcile. How could he know that the emperor and Princess Taiping were already in the same situation at this time, and they might meet each other at any time.

All the people in the hall turned their attention to the two prime ministers for a while, maybe they were hoping that one of them would come up with a good way to save the emperor from danger.Whether it is based on official position or authority, now these two people have naturally become the backbone of everyone. After an unbearable silence, Wei Zhigu and Guo Yuanzhen exchanged glances, presumably they both had an idea. "I'll just talk first!" Guo Yuanzhen was the oldest and most qualified. In the face of such a big problem, it was most appropriate for him to speak first. "I think that the emperor is lucky enough to be in Princess Taiping's mansion, so there won't be too much danger right now." Everyone was shocked by the words. Guo Yuanzhen's words attracted everyone's attention. "Think about it, everyone. Princess Taiping has worked so hard to plan all this. What is it for? In the small, it is for power; in the big, it is for the country. Now the Tang Dynasty is stable, the world is peaceful, it is her. If the Wu family wants to take the lead in this country, they have to follow the current path to ensure peace in the world. Therefore, if Princess Taiping wants to take action without losing the hearts of the people, she can only abolish the emperor, not kill the king." Guo Yuanzhen is often in Wanma The voice of the speech before the army spoke every word he said loudly. The difference between abolishing the emperor and killing the king is indeed insightful, and everyone is carefully savoring the hidden meaning in Guo Yuanzhen's words. "When we visit Princess Taiping's mansion tomorrow, as long as we are prepared, we guarantee that there will be no danger. The danger is the three days of the fourth, fifth, and sixth days of the lunar new year. If Princess Taiping transfers You Wanqi, it will be for her coup d'etat. If she is prepared, she will definitely do it after the army has gone far, not when the vanguard has just set off." "It makes sense." The emperor and Wei Zhigu both clapped their hands and nodded. On weekdays, Wang Ju would always speak first.Today, because there were two prime ministers present, he waited until the matter came to a conclusion, and then said loudly: "In my opinion, let's assign tasks first. For these three days, Princess Taiping will not do anything. We have to do it too." Wang Ju's words were right on point, causing the two prime ministers to nod their heads and say with a smile, "That's exactly what they said." But Wang Ju had other plans in his heart. In order to turn Princess Taiping back and take the initiative, he wanted to arrange a surprise army.However, he hasn't figured out how to proceed, but he doesn't agree with Guo Yuanzhen's point of view. Princess Taiping may not be as thorough and safe as Guo Yuanzhen, and she may take risks regardless of anything.