Two years later.

"Zhang Nuo."

"The minister is here."

"I'm afraid I won't live for a few days." Chu Rui was already as thin as a dehydrated vegetable, and his face was an ugly gray color. The ambition and high spirits of the past have turned into a gray dead air, shrouding Chu Rui.

"Why did Your Majesty ...... like this?"

"Zhang Nuo, don't say those nice face-saving words. I've been boiling for five years, and I've long since boiled up and don't want to live. I went, but it was better for Da Chu, more than a dozen troops were trapped in the north, but I was so sick that I couldn't even go to the court......"

"Your Majesty, Juyong Pass is guarded by the Chinese army of Li Guogong and General Qin, and it will be foolproof."

Zhang Nuo looked at this "monarch" who was tormented by illness and wanted to die, he was loyal to him for 20 years, and his father was loyal to the emperor for 20 years. Two generations for forty years, and then they will continue to be loyal.

After all, the crown prince is his cousin.

"Juyong Guan Zhen is not worried, the heavy snow has blocked the passage to the north, and the Hu people naturally cannot go south. I'm worried about the hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the north. The grain road was blocked by heavy snow, what did more than 100,000 people eat? If I go, the funeral doesn't have to be grand, and the time should not be too long, so let's settle the war in the north first. Chu Rui spoke more out and less inhaled, but he still insisted on finishing.

Zhang Nuo didn't dare to make a sound, but listened with his head down.

"In the past few days, I am preparing to abolish the prince." As soon as Chu Rui's words came out, Zhang Nuo could no longer be silent.

"What?"

He raised his head almost immediately and said in a lost voice: "But Your Majesty, the crown prince has nothing to lose......

"He has." Chu Rui looked at Zhang Nuo and said word by word: "The day before yesterday, he was sick, gave me the quilt, and wanted to strangle me." ”

"He thought I was asleep, but I wasn't."

Zhang Nuo suddenly felt nonsense, the emperor's situation, anyone can see that there are no days to live, even if he is the crown prince, at this time, he will only be more benevolent and filial, waiting for the national funeral to ascend the throne.

"Your Majesty, the position of the crown prince is related to the fortunes of the country, His Royal Highness the crown prince is the oldest, and he is the son-in-law, and there has been no loss of morality in the past six years......"

"Is there really no loss of morality? What did the Jiang family provide him with horses and weapons for? Chu Rui's eyes revealed a cold chill, "I know everything, Zhang Nuo." I just want to see what this kid is doing. ”

"Your Majesty, the Jiang family just gave the prince fifty good swords to equip the Donggong Yiwei. The crown prince has been assassinated many times, and the sword of the Yue Di sect is more sophisticated in the armament of the capital, so the Jiang family kindly used it to replace the armament of the prince's palace □ Bian Yiwei; As for the horses, that's even more nonsense, just a few bloody horses, playthings......"

"Zhang Nuo, I called you here to tell you that I have made up my mind. This kid is ruthless and lucky, and treats the subordinate officials of the East Palace with a generous appearance and a cold inside, which is not the bearing that a Ming monarch should have. Over the years, I have also wanted to believe in him and let him study political affairs, but his vision is limited, and he is not a benevolent monarch when he considers endowment. ”

"If it had been five or six years ago, even if he had to strangle me, I would have let him inherit the throne. But now there are internal and external troubles, there are anti-thieves in the north, and there are also chaos in the south and Nanyi, and there are more Hu people who keep disturbing the border, and the prince can be a king who keeps to be successful, with his impatient temperament, plus such a situation, I am afraid that if he can't hold it for too long, there will be chaos. ”

"Your Majesty, if you abolish the crown prince, the minister will be the first to disagree." Zhang Nuo firmly expressed his opinion. "Even if the prince has any shortcomings, there is no better candidate now."

"I want Ping'er to inherit the throne, and you and Li Mao will assist the country."

"Your Majesty, it is absurd to give up the adult prince and use a seven or eight-year-old child! The minister can understand that you are now in violation of the royal system and have doubts, but the abolition of the establishment is not the same as the division of family property among the rural people, it is related to the community, and it is more important to the livelihood of all the people. The minister is resolutely not subject to the post of auxiliary minister. "The Duke of Jin Guo knelt down and resigned, and he couldn't bow down.

"Xuan'er and Ping'er are both your nephews, a mother's compatriots, Ping'er is still young and easier to teach, I don't know why you are so opposed. As far as I know, the prince has also slapped your face on several occasions. ”

That's what I did on purpose!

Zhang Nuo, the Duke of Jin, roared angrily in his heart.

"This is a state affair, not a family affair. He is a prince and a minister, and he is a courtier, even if he is reprimanded, why not? ”

Chu Rui just hated these people and couldn't wait to get rid of him, and Chu Chengxuan's attitude of being a "king". He was depressed in his heart, and said without a good face at all:

"I have already issued a secret order to Li Mao of Juyong Pass half a month ago, asking him to come back with the Chinese army to support the new monarch. Now calculated, it should have passed Tongzhou. ”

Chu Rui's words made Zhang Nuo raise his head and almost vomited three liters of blood.

"Your Majesty, you are trying to make Da Chu's blood flow like a river!"

Behind the crown prince, there are many ministers and nobles who have already stood in line, not to mention the distance, the Jiang family and the enemy family who are close have already moved their clans to vote. As the crown prince, he has been teaching the prince carefully for so long, waiting for him to ascend to the throne, how could he fall short at this time?

"If that's the case, how do you let the prince deal with himself?"

"In my edict, he has been sealed as the king of Jiaodong, and the fief is ink. It is not a remote place, and it is enough to use it for the rest of your life. I just abolished his position as the crown prince, he is still the prince, why can't he deal with himself? ”

"Minister......

"The 100,000 Chinese army will arrive immediately, and I have already sent people to guard the palace and outside the palace, this matter has been completed, and it must not be changed." Chu Rui waved his hand and asked the people around him to "invite" the Duke of Jin to the side hall.

"Work hard Jin Guogong will stay in the palace for a few days, and when Li Mao returns to Beijing, I will let you go home. You can wait to be your auxiliary minister and the prince of Jin. ”

"Your Majesty! Are you going to put your subjects under house arrest? Jin Guogong was dumbfounded, and shouted while struggling: "Your Majesty! The crown prince cannot be lost! The prince is the pillar of the country, and if there is an incident due to the rise and fall of the throne, the foundation of Dachu will not ...... Hmmm! Hmmm! ”

Huang Gonggong, the emperor's henchman on the side, had already thrown himself into the prince's door, and when he saw that this Jin Guogong was still shouting, he hurriedly covered his mouth. And he gave him a color, and told him not to say much.

Zhang Nuo didn't know what this eunuch wanted to express, Huang Shenchun followed the emperor on weekdays, his mouth was extreme, and he accepted bribes, but he just didn't do anything. Zhang Nuo once sighed that this eunuch was as solid as a rock and silent as a bell on any occasion, but now that he saw him giving himself a look, he was naturally smart and didn't say much.

At this moment, Zhang Nuo knew that the emperor was confused. Or rather, it's already crazy.

A crazy emperor, what else can he be loyal to?

Mencius, the king regards his ministers as siblings, and the ministers regard him as his heart; The monarch regards the minister as a dog and a horse, and the minister regards the monarch as a countryman; The king regards his ministers as mustard, and the ministers regard him as an enemy.

Although he is not an enemy now, passers-by are already affirmed.

The henchmen of the emperor's henchmen, the secret informants left by the emperor personally controlled the Duke of Jin, and no outsiders were allowed to meet him except for convenience and three meals.

Even if it was to deliver food, it was the emperor's most trusted leader, the eunuch Huang Shenchun, who personally delivered it.

But no one knew that Huang Shenchun was on the prince's side at this time.

Including Zhang Nuo.

"If there is anything to say, I'll take it out." Huang Shenchun dipped his hand in tea and wrote to Jin Guogong on the table.

Zhang Nuo squinted, as if he was wondering why this Huang Gonggong helped him.

Huang Gonggong smiled and continued to write on the table: "No one wants to be the 'former' chief eunuch. I owe only allegiance to Your Majesty. ”

He drew a heavy circle on the "front" and "majesty".

Zhang Nuo looked at him suspiciously, but finally believed it.

He could only believe it.

Zhang Nuo also picked up the tea and wrote on the table: "Send a letter to the Duke of Xin Guo for me, and ask him if he still remembers the original covenant." Let him think of a plan to let the Chinese army enter the city half a month late. Then pass the news to the prince, he knows what to do. ”

He still didn't believe the eunuch, so he only vaguely revealed the information.

Huang Shenchun nodded with a smile and knocked over the tea on the table.

"Lord Jin Guogong, if you don't eat, you can't get angry with the miscellaneous family! It's a pity that this pot of good tea! ”

Zhang Nuo glanced at him, and also shouted coldly:

"Get out!"

Huang Shenchun shook the basket, threw it to a small eunuch outside the door, and strode towards the dormitory of the Spring Palace.

"Your Majesty, the minister will follow your instructions to communicate with the Jin State Gazette, and the Jin State Duke will instruct ......"

Huang Shenchun said the instructions of the Duke of Jin in 1510, and then bowed his head, "There is nothing else." ”

Chu Rui waved his hand and let him go down.

His original chess was really right.

I am afraid that the Duke of Jin Guo did not know that Li Mao would form an alliance with them, and it was also out of his instructions. As for the marriage between Li Rui and the Jin State Mansion, he even single-handedly facilitated it.

He just had to wait for the moment when the world clan contacted Li Mao!

Even if Zhang Nuo wanted to pass this message to Li Mao, Li Mao would not listen to him and stand still. The general of the Chinese army is Qin Feng, he is just a military secretary who supervises the division, and with Li Mao's personality, he is so cautious, so he naturally will not make such an abrupt move before the army is about to enter Beijing.

What's more, Li Mao's family is loyal to him, and Li Rui has already arranged his future. He knew that Li Rui was a natural handsome talent, and the old prince did not allow him to be in charge of the army, so he made him a general of the military guard in his will to protect the safety of the new emperor.

As for the "Praetorian Guard" he was going to lead, he had to rely on himself to form it.

I don't know what the "act" agreed upon by the prince and the Duke of Jin is what it is.

Chu Rui sneered and instructed the Yi Wei beside him.

"Go and call the Queen."

On the other hand, Huang Shenchun still managed to spread the news.

Not only was it passed to the crown prince and Li Mao according to the instructions of the Duke of Jin, but it was even passed to the king of Xiangcheng.

The old fox didn't know who would end up being emperor. But who cares, he's just investing now.

Everyone thinks he is their own person, and he is indeed everyone's person, not their person.

Gonggong Huang looked at the moonlight above the palace wall and sighed softly.

The sky is about to change, is he thinking of finding a hiding place to hide, and then come out when the overall situation has been decided?

Xiangcheng Palace.

"Uncle Huang, do you really want to do this?" Chu Chengwei frowned, always feeling that something was wrong. "Wouldn't it be worse if the situation didn't go in the direction you said?"

"No matter how bad it is, will it be worse than you are now nesting in a poor country where birds don't lay eggs and being the king of the county?" King Xiang Cheng and Lu Yuanhao sat together and snorted coldly. "After two years in the fiefdom, I have no guts. The old man is with the prince to have a grudge against the son to help you ascend to the throne, if you don't want to climb yourself, at most we will be a wreck and watch him proud! ”

If there were other people here, they would have been so frightened that their eyes would have popped out. The second prince, who was supposed to stay in the southern fiefdom, actually appeared in the capital, and he looked like he was already here!

It was a capital offense for a vassal king to leave his fiefdom without permission. Even if Chu Rui is seriously ill now, he did not give an order to let the second prince return to Beijing, he came back early to mourn, which is no different from a rebellion.

Chu Chengwei thought about it and gritted his teeth.

"That's it, just do it! When? ”

"Tomorrow night."

"So fast???"

"Li Mao is coming back with the Chinese army."

King Xiangcheng did not tell the second prince that the emperor asked Li Mao to return to Beijing not to support the little prince, but only to say that the prince wanted to force the palace, and the emperor found out and summoned the Chinese army back to escort him.

He didn't tell Chu Chengwei that he didn't care who became the emperor at all, and he didn't care what these remnants of the Yin Dynasty who connected with him were going to do.

He just wanted revenge.

He and his son are actually the same kind of people.

And now, Chu Rui's family must pay the price for their insolence and rudeness.

West Side.

"Thank you for the manpower of the eldest prince." Wang Youzi arched his hand to Li Rui. "My aunt was unjust to me, but my uncle's family was close to me. Now I have a big revenge, all thanks to the help of the eldest son. ”

Wang Youzi pierced the dagger between the forehead of the strong man, and he was about to pierce it when he saw it.

It is not difficult for him to let a person disappear in the Xicheng territory.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I came to the capital for something important! If you don't kill me, I'll tell you. ”

"Phew, when you killed my uncle and aunt's family, why didn't you want to spare their lives!"

"Wang Youzi, listen to what he has to say." Li Rui stood beside the biao man, glanced at a few thieves who had been knocked to the ground, and made an interested look.

Wang Youzi's hometown is in Tongzhou, and the officials are also in Tongzhou, and these Jianghu rangers are even active in the Tongzhou area, and now they will enter Beijing, which is naturally the reason.

Wang Youzi glanced at the man viciously.

"Wu Heifeng, I advise you to say what you should say, you will definitely die today, but how you die depends on what you are talking about!"

There is a reason why Li Rui appeared in this private house in Xicheng.

In the past few days, the prince gave him a holiday, saying that it was already in the month of Layue, his family was thin, his uncle was not there, and the family sacrifices and the like still needed to be taken care of, so let him deal with family affairs in advance.

Li Rui didn't know what the prince was going to do. But he knew that no matter what the prince did, he would not want him to know.

A few years ago, the prince was impeached for "dishonorability", Qin Bin went to investigate who the guards who saw him wearing a dragon robe to the middle palace that day, Qiu Mu went to investigate those guards who went out of the palace in those days, and he could only take care of the children for the prince.

Since then, he has faded his heart to be a marquis in the future.

He was at home helping his wife deal with the New Year's affairs and New Year's gifts, and one day, suddenly someone took a piece of white jade and asked to see him, saying that there was a messenger surnamed Wang who wanted to see him.

Li Rui looked at the good jade and knew that it was Wang Youzi who came. He owed him a favor back then, and promised him to save his life if he was in trouble. At this time, Jade has returned, and it is time for him to fulfill his promise.

When Wang Youzi saw him, he told the reason 1510.

It turned out that he was sold into slavery by his aunt in Tongzhou, and the owner of the official family had a tyrannical personality, abused boys at every turn, and was even tortured to death. Wang Youzi was alert by nature, and after being abused several times, he wanted to escape from the official house, and disguised himself as a girl, and tried to collect all kinds of evidence, and finally used a black dog to carry the evidence into the Yushi Terrace, causing the family to fall.

This family has a lot of minions, these minions are local rangers and scoundrels in Tongzhou, and they have formed a gang called the "Black Wind Gang", bullying men and women and doing all kinds of evil.

When he fled, the leader of the Black Wind Gang led a group of people to his house to look for him, but he was not found at that time, but no one was killed.

Then the officials fell, and the Black Wind Gang went back to trouble his uncle's family again, and killed his uncle's family if they couldn't get rich.

Although Wang Youzi was sold by his aunt, his parents died early and he was always raised by his uncle, and the family couldn't live anymore so they sold him.

Wang Youzi wanted to assassinate this thief several times, but the thieves were so powerful that none of them could succeed, and his deeds were exposed, so he could only change his name and surname to find a way to return to the capital, escape into the government, be a small official, and never leave the capital.

But even so, Wang Youzi was afraid that one day this group of people would find out his identity and cause him to be killed.

Fortunately, God has eyes, and this group of people didn't know why they left Tongzhou and actually stayed on the border of the capital.

Although Xicheng is a place where the poor gather, but the poor also have a land, such a group of people have nothing to do is naturally eye-catching, someone told Wang Youzi the news that a group of strange men came here, and Wang Youzi checked it......

It's bad, it's his enemy!

Wang Youzi thought at first that they were here to take revenge, but later he felt that he was afraid that without the protection of the official, he would not be able to live in Tongzhou. But anywhere in the world can tolerate rangers and ruffians, but the capital cannot. So Wang Youzi took Bai Yujue to the Li Mansion in the west for help, wanting to find out.

If this Wu Heifeng matter is exposed to the government and confides in him, not only will he not be able to keep the errand of Jingzhao Mansion, but he will also be known by the official behind the official family, and he is afraid that his life will not be guaranteed.

So he could only turn to Li Rui for help.

Li Rui came to admire Wang Youzi, and secondly, he was also curious about what this group of people were doing in the capital, so he ordered more than a dozen generals, loaded crossbows with guys, and followed Wang Youzi to secretly surround this house in the middle of the night and wipe out this group of people.

As for coercion and temptation, that is Wang Youzi's forte, and it has nothing to do with Li Rui.

But as soon as Wu Heifeng's words came out, Li Rui was so shocked that he hurriedly turned around and left.

"Someone hired me, and if there was any movement in the second half of the night, they set fire to these streets."

"Set fire to any change where there is an abnormality?"

"Wherever there is any movement, as long as there is, set it on fire!"

Wang Youzi took a sip, and Li Rui asked the generals to leave a few together, and at the same time asked the others to follow him away.

Wang Youzi scolded him because the matter was so important that not only could he not kill this person, but he must also be sent to the official for interrogation. Otherwise, it will lead to great calamity, and they are all sinners.

His future, his life, is now ruined.

How can you not smack him?

Li Rui hurriedly got on his horse and rushed to his house in the inner city.

In the second half of the night, there was a change and a fire......

What is this for?

The author has something to say: Little Theater:

Li Rui held the token.

(pondering): Is this really the jade I gave away?

Can't remember anything about it.

Therefore, in the end, it was Wang Youzi who brushed his face.