In the seventh year of Chengping, the seventh day of the first month.

On the last day of the new year, Zhao Zhi convened several confidants and ministers to discuss matters.

"Liu Xiangguo set off to return to his hometown today, Your Majesty, you won't go...."

Before anyone arrived, Zhao Zhi sat there silently, several ministers gathered together and spoke in a low voice, Qin Anming glanced at Zhao Zhi and asked in a low voice, but he didn't finish his words.

Zhao Zhi knew what Qin Anming wanted to say, shook his head, and said lightly: "Everyone will have this day, let the friendship between our monarchs and ministers stay in that best time." ”

Qin Anming lowered his head and stopped talking, but he sighed in his heart, Liu Wei finally chose to put the family first, broke away from the opposite side of the Yang family, and completely got rid of Zhao Zhi.

Zhao Zhi's original idea was to let Yang Daosi and Liu Ji both become officials, let them designate their respective successors to take the throne, and lead the political forces of the two sides to continue to balance, Zhao Zhi, Yang Daosi, and Liu Ji have reached a consensus at the beginning and are developing in this direction, but some things are often not what you want to do, first of all, the Yang family has an overwhelming advantage over the patriarch Yang Daosi in the court, but he is a little weak, and he has repeatedly made concessions to Liu Ji, and many core clansmen have been dissatisfied, There are more and more opposing voices, among which Yang Daohei's fifth son Yang Youan and sixth son Yang Binglin are the strongest, they represent a kind of toughness, not to compromise with Liu Wei and his party, but to completely defeat them, by their own dominance, and further affect the political situation of the entire court and even the Great Jin Dynasty, Yang Youan and Yang Binglin's views have been supported by more and more core people, and have slowly become the mainstream, so that in the court, once the ministers of the left party have some actions, Yang Daosi is still the same as usual, even if there are differences of opinion, it is to fight back in a relatively moderate way, and many ministers of the Right Prime Party gathered under him immediately stood up and expressed strong opposition.

In the face of such a situation, Yang Daosi may have tried, but the effect is obviously not great, because.... The political struggle between the two sides in the court has become more and more intense, and in the end, most of the time, Yang Daosi can only choose to remain silent.

Yang Daosi has slowly become uncontrollable over the entire Yang clan, including the political forces gathered around him.

Liu Ji and Zhao Zhi Junchen for decades, without Zhao Zhi's grace and vigorous promotion, Liu Ji will be difficult to be in the position of the left minister, and he has been doing it for more than 20 years, greatly realizing his revenge and ideals, he doesn't want to disappoint Zhao Zhi, he wants to spend the last period of his life in peace, and draw a perfect end to his life with Zhao Zhi, the monarch and minister.

But things often don't go as expected, and in the end, it can only turn into a deep sigh of helplessness.

Liu Wei did not work hard, when the battle of Longyou was at its most intense, he ignored the opposition of the ministers of the entire left prime minister, went to the Momeng grassland, and stabilized the Hu army south, but what was the result? After Liu Ji returned to Fengjing, Zhao Zhi mentioned Liu Ji's merits several times, and the officials of the Left Xiang and the Party vigorously praised and publicized, but the officials of the Right Xiang and the Party collectively lost their voices and maintained a depressing and uncomfortable silence, even Yang Daosi was only in private, with personal friendship, to thank Liu Ji for his contribution to the country, and it was from this time that Liu Ji finally knew that Yang Daosi had his own decision on the issue of the country and the family, and he finally ... still chose to take care of the small family.

Yang Daosi already had his own decision, and Liu Ji couldn't help but ask himself, what was his choice? Continue to stand in the court, lead the entire left and one party, and conduct an all-round confrontation with the right party? The political situation is still the same situation, but the whole situation has completely changed, I am afraid that there is no compromise between the two sides anymore, continue to develop like this, the political struggle between the two sides will become more and more intense, since Zhao Zhi ascended the throne for more than 20 years, the political environment of the non-punishable doctor is bound to be gone forever, and in the end, the struggle between the two sides will only develop in one direction... Never die.

Liu Wei finally had a choice, so that the Liu family retreated from the main battlefield of the court, the center of the political storm, the reason why Liu Wei had this choice, there is another reason, that is, Liu Wei finally understood a truth, the King of Qi he supported and the King of Chu supported by the Yang family, no matter who finally won the victory and ascended to the throne, the result is the same, the Yang family is now powerful, Zhao Zhi supports the Liu family to resist and suppress it, if the King of Qi triumphantly ascends the throne in the future, When the time comes, the Liu clan will be powerful, won't the new emperor support a new political force and turn to confront and suppress the Liu clan?

In this game with the world as the game, the Liu family and the Yang family seem to be the biggest gainers of benefits, but how many people can see the danger? If you are not careful, I am afraid that there will be a danger of extinction, such as the current Yang family, with the name of the first gate of the Great Jin Dynasty, the clansmen, protégés and former officials are all over the government and the opposition, how powerful the power is, even Zhao Zhi is afraid of it, and he has always maintained suspicion and jealousy in his heart, once he has a chance, will Zhao Zhi raise the butcher knife in his hand to cut it down?

Therefore, Yang Daosi and even the entire Yang family, it is not that they do not want to retreat, but they have reached the top of the pyramid, it is easy to go up, but it is difficult to come down, and they can't retreat if they want to, on the surface it looks very bright and bright, but from the other side, the Yang family is now like a giant, one foot is already on the cliff, as long as one step is not good, it is an abyss, broken bones, and there is no return.

The Liu family has been inherited for hundreds of years, and Liu Wei didn't want the family to be destroyed in his son's generation, so in the end, he chose the path of self-preservation and retreat, but since then, he has turned his back on Zhao Zhi, and the friendship between the two of them for many years has come to an end.

Zhao Zhi looked at Qin Anming and said lightly: "Anming, you are also half of Liu Ji's protégé, there are not many things today, if you have time, you.... Go and see him off, and I'll say hello to him. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Qin Anming did not refuse, although he was shrewd, even a little slippery, but he also had his own principles, Qin Anming's grandfather had been a thorn in Hedong, Qin Anming was still very young at that time, and he had to be helped by his grandfather, and he had studied for several years in the world-famous Hedong Liu clan genealogy, Jinshi and the first year, just by Liu Ji as the chief examiner, and then entered the official career, it was also thanks to Liu Ji's strong recommendation, which slowly entered Zhao Zhi's eyes, and was finally reused, just in his early forties, It is to achieve the position of Xiangguo under one person and above ten thousand people, although now, because of Zhao Zhi and many reasons, politically, Qin Anming and the entire Liu family have become strangers, but for Liu Ji, Qin Anming is sincere respect and gratitude.