Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 356

Chapter 356 Gu Refining

The Old Qin Clan held a family banquet, and the entire clan was flattered by the presence of such a person as Imperial Concubine Yin De. Don’t say it’s the Qin Clan. Even an imperial relative like Eldest Sun Wuji hasn’t been visited by Imperial Concubine Yin De. This must be said to be an unprecedented matter.

Imperial Concubine Yin De was a noble and graceful person, and she did not give others a sense of distance. She was very affectionate. Therefore, the family banquet was relatively relaxed. However, today was a rather special day, and the atmosphere was somewhat oppressive and dull.

After dinner, Princess Gao Yang left Imperial Concubine Yin De to live in the Prince Consort’s Imperial Concubine Yin De insisted on returning, saying that the Emperor was seriously ill now, so how could she sleep outside as an Imperial Concubine? Her words aroused Princess Gao Yang’s worries. She said that Father Emperor was really too sick to allow us to visit him. I wonder how his illness is now. No, I have to see it tomorrow.

Qin Mubai stopped her and said that she was in a special situation right now, so you shouldn’t make any mistakes. Princess Gaoyang did not insist, but her heart was still in a bad mood.

Later, Qin Mubai arranged for the guards and carriages to send Princess Gaoyang and her daughter back to the palace. Li Daozong and his daughter were free to live in Chang’an City, so they stayed to continue drinking tea. Li Xueyan was a smart and sensible woman. Knowing that her father had something important to discuss with Qin Mubai, she followed Shuang’er to accompany the little orphans.

Not long after, Li Ji arrived, dressed in casual clothes and riding lightly.

The three of them sat in the quiet room, making tea and discussing the matter directly.

Li Daozong said, “Mubai, we shouldn’t have discussed these troublesome matters with you at a time like this. However, in times of emergency, please put aside your selfish thoughts and focus on national affairs for the time being.”

“Your Highness, there is no need to say anything else. I will naturally save my priorities.” Qin Mubai said, “The incident with Yao’er suddenly caught me by surprise. Although my heart hurts, it doesn’t cause chaos in every inch of my body. A man does something and doesn’t do anything. I won’t leave behind anything that needs to be done.”

“Yes, that’s good.” Dao Sect Li nodded in admiration and said to Li Ji, “Duke Mao, I specially invited you here today to hear your opinion.” Although this king has not been in the court for a long time and is still far away in You Zhou, he dares not ignore the important matters of the country. Now that such a major change had occurred in the Imperial Court, it was time to reform the old cauldron. At such a critical juncture, there were both great risks and great opportunities for improvement. It can’t be said that it was an important turning point for my Great Tang. Therefore, we should spare no effort to help you and your country. ”

“Your Highness is right.” Li Xuan smiled indifferently and stroked his beard. “Actually, I know what His Highness and Mubai want to discuss with me. Your Highness, don’t worry. Today is different from the past. Although I am usually a coward, I will definitely not hold back at this moment. I know everything and will speak endlessly to repay your trust.”

“Haha!” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Uncle Shi really knows how to joke.” If you were as timid as a mouse, then who was the one who commanded the 17-year-old army in Wagang Stronghold to charge into the front lines? I also heard from my father that after Li Mi surrendered to the Great Tang, he came to surrender to you. You surrendered to the Tang as Li Mi’s minister, and were praised for your loyalty by the High Ancestor. My father never praises people easily, but in his opinion, Uncle Shi is the one who values love and righteousness. However, he never said these things, but put them into action. I have always respected Uncle Qin’s character and morality the most. ”

“Haha! Has your father ever praised me? It would be nice if he didn’t scold me in his back!” Li Ji laughed. “My second brother Qin has been as upright as a blazing fire for so many years. There’s no sand in his eyes. Sometimes, I really admire him. You’re smarter than your father, but you have the same passion in your bones. Otherwise, if it were me, I wouldn’t have put on a bandage on my hand today.”

“I’m ashamed.” Qin Mubai smiled self-deprecatingly and cupped his hands. “At that time, I was so angry that I completely forgot my feelings. I only recognized my bone-chopping enemy before me. I don’t remember whose young master he is, nor do I remember the laws of the country.”

“Chong Guan is furious, the man is hot-blooded, so why bother to say it?” Dao Sect Li smiled indifferently and said, “If I were twenty years younger, I would behave like you.” So what if he killed them? Only by daring to shoulder the burden of good fortune and misfortune could one truly be a man. “Don’t talk nonsense, Mao Gong. If you could still think about it and fear your feet, then you wouldn’t have cut off a piece of your own flesh and given it to Dan Xiongxin to eat.”

“Haha, good, good, we don’t need to mention anything like this anymore.” Li Ji waved his hand and smiled. “Alright, the people here are all hot-blooded heroes and chivalrous heroes, alright? Is the flattery over? Shouldn’t we get down to business now?”

“En, then you must be a hero to sit together and discuss such a national matter.” Qin Mubai laughed jokingly, “Heartless may not be a hero. How can Lianzi not be husband?”

“Haha!” Dao Sect Li and Li Ji laughed together and praised Qin Mubai for his excellent performance in both civil and martial arts.

Qin Mubai, who had done plagiarism again, was secretly amused, and was thus flattered.

“Mao Gong, what do you think of Eldest Sun Wuji urging him to stop fighting against Tibet?” The atmosphere became livelier and the distance between them became shorter. Dao Sect Li cut to the chase.

Li Ji nodded and said, “Actually, from the overall situation, there is nothing wrong with Eldest Sun Wuji.” As the saying goes, those who know their weapons are not easy to fight. Killing a thousand enemies is detrimental to eight hundred. After all, war is not a good thing. Especially now, my Great Tang suddenly suffered from the collapse of the Eastern Palace. The royal court is filled with fear, and His Majesty is sick and unable to be a director. “If we brazenly use force at this moment to reinforce our troops, it will be even more detrimental to our country.”

“But in the long run, if we give up our fighter jets now, it will cost us a lot of money.” Qin Mubai said, “Tibet and my Great Tang have been fighting for several years. They have changed all kinds of methods to fight against me, and none of them can win.” Now that they have failed to propose, they have returned to the plateau with a mouthful of resentment and instigated Gao Chang’s rebellion. They want to seal off our Great Tang from the periphery and extend our battlefront. As everyone knows, our Great Tang’s control over the Western Regions has always been weak. From Liangzhou in the east to Onion Ridge in the west, tens of thousands of countries in the Myriad Miles Territory are all neighboring me, eyeing the riches of the Central Plains covetously. There, although there are some countries to our Great Tang, metaphorically speaking, Gao Chang, but in fact, it is only an illusionary title. On the contrary, Tibet and Western Turkic had more control over them. Originally, I was thousands of kilometers away, but my refusal to submit has little impact on my Central Plains. However, our Great Tang’s Silk Road is a source of running water. Being cut off is not only a loss of wealth, but also extremely unsafe from a long-term strategic point of view. If Gao Chang turns a blind eye to us, the rest of the small countries will dare to follow suit. In this way, the prestige and control of the Great Tang in the Western Regions would be lost. As a result, Tibet dared to tangle with these allies and attack the Great Tang altogether. “When that time comes, how will our Great Tang deal with the Ant Corrosion Elephant and the Tibetan Tiger lying beside the bed?”

“What Mubai said is absolutely correct.” Li Ji said, “Looks like His Majesty the Emperor is not mistaken about you. You indeed have a long-term strategic vision.” That’s right, Gao Changfan, in the eyes of now, it’s just a disease of scabies. However, letting him be free would become a problem in his heart and in his elbow. It was not scary for the Great Tang to lose a subordinate country that gave away a few cattle and sheep artifacts every year, nor was it scary to lose the wealth of the Silk Road. What was fatal was the ferocious tiger plus the ant colony. In less than a hundred years, the Central Plains would be in great trouble. Lanzhou was a pair of fists placed by the Great Tang in the Western Regions. If they didn’t attack now, they would be beaten to the point that they wouldn’t be able to fight back in the future. From this point of view, Lanzhou must send troops and absolutely cannot sit idly by and watch Gao Chang rebel!

At this point, Li Ji paused for a moment and said sonorously, “My personal position is to support Lanzhou sending troops and attack Gao Chang in the west!” And take this opportunity to attack the Western Domain. However, this was not a simple matter! Aren’t there small countries with complicated politics and religions, and big powers like Tibet and Western Turks backing them up? When it comes to martial power, we, the Great Tang, will definitely not be able to achieve our goal of dominating the Western Regions. Siege attack heart cutting soldiers governance, must be two-pronged. It’s not that I, someone Li, spoke ill of Second Brother Qin behind his back. In a war, Second Brother Qin would definitely have no problem. There were few enemies in the world today. But he can’t do without you, his son, to conspire to govern the people. ”

“Mao Gong told the truth.” Li Daozong nodded deeply and said, “On the surface, the Battle of Gaochang appears to be a small-scale rebel war, but in reality, it is a huge battle that concerns the Great Tang Empire’s national policy and China’s millennium plan. To command such a battle, one needs to have a lot of money, wisdom and ability. Looking at the world today, there are about four people who can accomplish it.”

“Which four?” Li Ji asked as he sipped his tea and smiled.

Li Daozong smiled and said, “Didn’t you know what to ask? First, of course, he is the Divine Guard Medicine Master of the Dingding Army, but he is unlikely to return to battle. Second, you, Duke Li Mao, are the Duke of England. However, as the Great Wall of the Northern Region, how did you escape to the Western Regions to fight? Third, I am the other military god, His Majesty the Emperor, who can easily be ignored by everyone.”

“I agree.” Li Ji nodded.

“The fourth one is naturally Duke Wei’s closed disciple, Qin Mubai.” Li Daozong said, “Although you have been under Duke Wei for the shortest time, you are the most talented and have the most quintessence. Especially, apart from your military strengths, you are also someone else in politics and people’s livelihood. The changes in Lanzhou over the past two years are proof of this.”

This was not a compliment. Qin Mubai did not shy away from denying it. He only said, “As His Highness said, my master, Uncle, and His Majesty are all qualified. However, it is impossible for them to personally go there. Only Qin is left. As shrewd as Eldest Sun Wuji and Chu Suiliang, they must be able to think of this, right?”

Li Daozong and Li Lu looked at each other and nodded.

“But they are determined to stop Lanzhou from using troops. Apart from considering the overall situation, will they have other intentions?” Qin Mubai asked.

“Good question. This is the core of our topic today.” Li Daozong’s expression became a little more serious as he said, “The Emperor is seriously ill, and Li Zhi of King Jin, who has never been thought of before, suddenly stepped onto the stage.” As far as this king knows, the emperor gave an extremely lively order to Eldest Sun Wuji at that time, asking him to assist the prince in supervising the country, but he did not say when he was the prince. “The implication is to force Eldest Sun Wuji to express his stance and push the prince he supports onto the stage.”

“The Emperor’s move is also helpless.” Li Ji said, “In recent years, the struggle for the throne has almost disrupted the court. The eldest son has lost his moral integrity and the Wei King has risen sharply, but the eldest son Wuji Su and the Wei King are at odds.” Unfortunately, Eldest Sun Wuji was also the Prime Minister that His Majesty trusted the most. Although the Emperor had recently become King Wei, if the King of Wei came to power, he and Eldest Sun Wuji would be at odds. This was another catastrophe that was even greater than the battle for the throne. Helplessly, the Emperor forced Eldest Sun Wuji to declare his stance. “Who would have thought that Eldest Sun Wuji would actually dare to push out his youngest son, King Jin Li Zhi? This could be considered a complete break with the Wei King, and he had already made his position clear to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Many owls in troubled times. I have to admit, Eldest Sun Wuji dared to go up against the current this time.” Qin Mubai said, “Actually, Changsun Wuji definitely understands the Emperor’s intentions. He wants to force him to shake hands with King Wei at this critical juncture and govern the court together.” But he actually dared to go against the Emperor’s will and support Li Zhi. This had to surprise me all of a sudden. All of this didn’t seem like the usual behavior of Eldest Sun Wuji. In my impression, Changsun Wuji was the opposite of Wei Zheng, who dared to resist Yan Zheng’s direct advice. No matter what the emperor did, he supported and praised him. This characteristic of his had always been criticized. “But now, he has gone against the Emperor’s will. It’s really strange.”

“This isn’t strange, Mubai.” Li Daozong said, “King Wei is the direct son, and King Jin is also a suspected son. He is also Eldest Sun Wuji’s nephew, and his palms and hands are full of meat. What can he do to support King Jin?” The Emperor would definitely ask Changsun Wuji such a question, and Changsun Wuji would definitely have his own convincing reasons. Otherwise, why did the emperor stay in bed and ignore the government? Didn’t he just want to use a period of time to test whether Eldest Sun Wuji’s choice was correct? ”

“That makes sense.” Li Ji said, “Actually, the Li Chu is a family matter of the Emperor.” It’s a family account, and the twists and turns of it are not something outsiders like us can figure out. According to the Emperor’s personal wishes, King Wei was naturally the most suitable candidate. But things didn’t go according to people’s wishes. Even if he was the emperor, he couldn’t decide everything. The so-called bloodline descendant was actually just a garment when he chose the Savage Monarch. What really played a decisive role was to see who was standing behind this prince-now, Eldest Sun Wuji stood firmly behind Li Zhi, and even the Emperor had to look at him. “This is because Eldest Sun Wuji is not only a national uncle, Situ, and prime minister, but also represents a group and a force. The largest force in the Imperial Court today is enough to reverse the entire history of the dynasty!”

“Go straight to the heart of the matter!” Li Daozong clapped his hands in praise and said, “Let me tell you this. Although Mao Fairness doesn’t say much, the Zhifu has deep insights. To be able to tell such a big truth now is enough to show that you have already cut open your liver and heart for the two of us.”

“It should be.” Li Ji cupped his hands and smiled. “We should work together on the same boat.”

Qin Mubai nodded in praise. Li Ji was right. As the saying goes, it is not that a family does not speak a single word, it is not that they do not conspire against each other. Now, a mysterious bond had bound together Li Daozong, Li Ji, and Qin Mubai, who represented the military. As for the civil service group led by Changsun Wuji, they were tightly clasped together.

From the day of the incident in the Eastern Palace, the division between civil and military affairs had gradually revealed itself. Now, on the matter of Lanzhou, the difference was clear. There were some things that Qin Mubai, Li Daozong, and Li Ji did not say clearly. That was, apart from being public-minded, everyone had their own selfishness in this matter.

Every man for himself, and the devil takes the hindmost!

Changsun Wuji was unwilling to start a war in Lanzhou. Apart from the considerations of the Imperial Court, there were also considerations of selfishness. Firstly, it was common for Tang Shangwu to attach importance to military merits. General Li Jing, Li Xu, and the others had done it before, and it was common for them to do so.

Now that Li Jing had retired and Li Ji was outside, there were few military representatives in the court. There were even fewer who could contend against Eldest Sun Wuji. After the fall of the Eastern Palace and the appearance of King Jin, Changsun Wuji anxiously began to eliminate the dissidents and cultivate his party members. The elites of the middle-aged generals in the military and Hou Junji, the Minister of Officials, were instantly cleaned up. This was a big move by Changsun Wuji to weaken the military’s influence in the court.

Under such a prerequisite, how could Changsun Wuji allow Lanzhou to start a war, release its military power, wealth, and merits, and set up a strong enemy for himself?

This potential enemy was Qin Mubai.

Smart as Eldest Sun Wuji, he naturally knew that Qin Mubai’s position would definitely not be the same as his, nor would he be willing to stay behind him and stand in Eldest Sun Wuji’s camp as a flag bearer to cheer for him. Furthermore, the deeper and deeper contradictions and divisions were that the eldest Sun Wuji was determined to choose a guardian king for Li Shimin. If he could continue the grand scenery of the Great Zhenguan Tang without causing any major trouble, then his eldest Sun Wuji would be able to achieve great merit for a thousand years. Qin Mubai, on the other hand, wanted an ambitious explorer to continue to develop the might of the Great Tang.

The difference in stand determined that Qin Mubai and Changsun Wuji were destined to be unable to stand on the same side as Nanyuan Bizhe.

At this time, Eldest Sun Wuji, who was in charge, was the first to take action. It was his first move to rope in Qin Tong and Qin Bin, the two eldest sons of the Qin Family; Freezing Lanzhou to stop the war was the second step. He didn’t know how he would be able to set up this third step flag.

Qin Mubai was well aware that with his current strength and ability, he was definitely no match for Eldest Sun Wuji. He needed a capable helper and an opportunity to soar into the sky.

The Li Dao Sect and Li Lu in front of him were comrades in the same camp as him. Li Daozong was in charge of defending Beidi and Gaogouli in You Zhou. Li Xu was the Great Wall of the Great Tang Dynasty, and both of them were military titans who stood on their own side.

Of course, they hoped that Lanzhou could start a war. First, it was out of the retribution and ideals of the soldiers. Second, if Lanzhou was frozen, then the rabbit would die and the fox would be miserable. How long would it take for Eldest Sun Wuji to kill them?

In terms of benefits, the three of them were absolutely united!

“We can’t ignore a character.” Dao Sect Li suddenly said.

“Who?”

“Chu Suiliang!” Dao Sect Li said, “Don’t you think that this person’s sudden stubbornness is very strange?” Originally, he was only one of His Majesty’s personal servants, a confidant of the Emperor. But now, he was able to stand on par with Eldest Sun Wuji. He was younger than Eldest Sun Wuji and more reserved. Often, the more such a person was, the more talented he would be. If it’s dangerous, it’s even more dangerous. ”

“Chu Suiliang is indeed a mystery.” Qin Mubai said, “I have worked with him a few times. He is as wise as a fool. He is very strong and gentle, and he does not leak a single drop of water.” Compared to Eldest Sun Wuji, who was in the limelight and had a strong desire for power, he was much more reserved and low-key. In the East Palace incident, he suddenly appeared. An important opportunity was for him to send an order to Eldest Sun Wuji. Thus, from that time onwards, he and Eldest Sun Wuji stood together and became one of his right and left arms. However, I always feel that Chu Suiliang and Changsun Wuji seem to be somewhat divorced from each other. Chu Suiliang’s roots were always with the Emperor. He is the only one allowed to enter and exit the Emperor’s ward freely, so I guess that Yang, the current Chu Suiliang, is actually an incarnation of the Emperor in the Imperial Court! ”

“This analogy is quite appropriate.” Li Daozong smiled and said, “Perhaps Eldest Sun Wuji only regards Chu Suiliang as a follower of his party, but in reality, I guess it is Chu Suiliang who really decides the big issue, because he is the Emperor’s hand, eyes and tongue.” Therefore, Mubai, if you want to find a turning point in this crisis, you have to start with Chu Suiliang. It would be great to see His Majesty the Emperor. At a time like this, apart from His Majesty the Emperor, no one else could turn the tide. You, me, Duke Mao, even with Duke Wei and Apothecary Li, you won’t be able to compete for Eldest Sun Wuji in the court. And the more we fight, the more disadvantageous it will be to us. “Because Changsun Wuji has already grasped the right to speak in the Imperial Court, we are in opposition to the Imperial Prince, Li Zhi. In disguise, we are in opposition to the Imperial Court and the Emperor.”

“Your Highness is right.” Li Ji stroked his beard and said meaningfully to Qin Mubai, “Mubai, at this moment, you need to use your skill.” You are the emperor’s son-in-law and the emperor’s beloved general. Changsun Wuji will definitely not dare to touch you. He can only use such methods as recruiting, isolating, alienating, and excluding you to deal with you. On the other hand, you can’t fight head-on with Eldest Sun Wuji. Right now, he’s eager for you to take the initiative to fight him, and then righteously chase you out of the court. Even someone like Hou Junji was defeated by him overnight, let alone someone else? So, you’re both safe and dangerous now. This is not only a turning point in the Great Tang, but also a turning point in your life. Grasp it well, be careful. It is best to make full use of your identity and relationships to change the current situation. ”

“Mm … Uncle Shi’s words are engraved in my heart. Actually, I’m not worried about what I’m doing right now. I’m worried about my father, who is as fiery as fire. If he knows that the Imperial Court has rejected his petition, what should he do?” Qin Mubai frowned and said, “If my father were to resist the decree and attack Gao Chang in the west, he would have already given someone a handle. This way, my father and son would be quite passive and would be completely seized by Eldest Sun Wuji!”

“What you’re thinking is true!” Li Daozong clapped his hands and said, “It’s impossible to say. Send a letter of divorce to your trusted aides immediately and send them to Lanzhou in a hurry. Even if they run away and kill a few people and horses, this letter must be delivered to your father as soon as possible! Otherwise, the consequences will be unpredictable!”

“I will immediately divorce you!” Qin Mubai stood up and invited the four treasures of the study to immediately wave his divorce papers. At that time, he sent a few Hundred Cavalry Guards outside the study to leave Chang’an at night and rush towards Lanzhou.

After finishing these things, Qin Mubai heaved a sigh of relief. At this moment, he always felt a pair of eyes staring at him from behind, staring at Li Daozong, Li Ji, and the group of eldest Sun Wuji.

Those eyes naturally belonged to Emperor Li Shimin.

Qin Mubai felt that these people were like legendary “Gu Refining”. They were like poisonous insects and poisons being locked together in a jar. They were biting and fighting each other. Whoever survived in the end would become a Gu!

Li Shimin didn’t need too many poisons to jump around in front of him. He only wanted a Gu to assist his son, to stabilize his court, to stabilize his country, and to continue his domination!

As for who this son is, on the contrary, he is not as important as that Gu …