From the afternoon to the evening, the battle was basically over, Zhang Zhikui instructed Xiao Han, if you still want to fight, I will give you another 10,000 people, and directly take Shanhaiguan.

Xiao Han thought about it and felt that his soldiers were too tired, so he gave up this opportunity.

Wanyan Kuto led the remnants and hid in Shanhaiguan, the gate was closed, and he didn't dare to come out again.

Wanyan Kuto was beaten into a frightened bird by Bai Ke, and the halberd wound left on his back was faintly painful.

And Huo Zizhen has been shown to the public by the head of the owl and hung at the gate of Youzhou City.

The battle report entered the capital like snowflakes, and the little emperor Zhao Ce heard that Huo Zizhen had rebelled, and his face was so frightened that his face was like ashes.

Even the Empress Dowager Cao, who had always been calm, had a solemn face and was uneasy in her heart, but soon after, the report of the eight-hundred-mile urgent battle reached the palace, Zhang Zhikui had put down the rebellion, and defeated the enemy general Wanyan Kuto together, and trapped in Shanhaiguan.

Immediately the sound of enthusiastic cheers was heard in the palace.

"Reward, you must reward, at the critical moment, Zhang Zhikui turned the tide and rewarded him heavily!"

The young emperor was overly excited, and he was about to write when he picked up the pen, but was held down by the Empress Dowager Cao, and said: "Don't be in a hurry, wait to see other battle strategies, if you want to be rewarded, you must be fair, so as not to cool the hearts of the generals." ”

——

"What a false alarm."

Empress Dowager Cao fell on the bed of the Arhat in the Jinluo tent, looking lazy.

Lu sat respectfully in front of the Queen Mother.

"The Queen Mother, Hong Fu Qitian, with you in charge, how can you not win?"

Empress Dowager Cao is really tired, although Zhao Ce can read the battle report, but she will not fully trust Zhao Ce, she will listen to almost every battle report, and there are several eunuchs who read the war report around her, and they take turns to read it.

After listening to all the battle reports, she also had to listen to the judgment and various decisions of the emperor and ministers on the battle situation, and sometimes, she would intervene, but most of the time, she would still choose to observe quietly.

She had discovered that the emperor's wings were stiff, and sometimes she didn't like her mother directing him.

Empress Dowager Cao's memory is excellent, and she notices several names.

"Cen Shen's performance looks average."

"The Queen Mother, in fact, the minister has long seen that Huo Zizhen wants to rebel, so he let the husband retain his strength, at the beginning I designed Cen Shen to rebel too, and at the critical moment, I attacked Huo Zizhen back, but the husband was afraid that I would not do anything well and let the Queen Mother misunderstand, so he didn't dare to do that." Lu Shi said with some regret.

Empress Dowager Cao nodded and said, "Cen Shen's worries are not unreasonable, in case you fail to see me, then who will prove his rebellion." When the raw rice is cooked and matured, he is also at a loss. I don't think he's made a big mistake. It's you, why didn't you come to me sooner. ”

Lu Shi said with a smile: "Huo Zizhen is the commander of the Northern Expeditionary Army, before he rebelled, there was no evidence, who dared to insist that he was going to rebel." If he changes his mind by mistake, then the person who reported it will not suffer. ”

Empress Dowager Cao smiled bitterly: "Everything is under your control." However, the Meng family's decision this time seems to be too reckless. It doesn't look like Meng Danqing's handiwork. If it were him, he would never break up with me at this time. ”

Lu Shi said: "It must be Meng Zong, that person is reckless, compared to his father, the gap is too big." ”

Empress Dowager Cao said: "If this is the case, it is actually a good thing for us. What do you think? ”

The Lu clan frowned, pondered for a moment, and said, "The weakness in his character is fatal, but I don't think Meng Danqing may necessarily let Meng Zonglai take over the position of patriarch." ”

"Oh?" Empress Dowager Cao was very interested in Lu's words: "Keep talking. ”

"The minister thinks that Meng Danqingtang's nephew Meng Yin, that is, Meng Yang's younger brother, is more likely to take over the position of the head of the Meng family." Lu's Road.

"Meng Yin?" Empress Dowager Cao thought for a while: "I am a little unfamiliar with this name, where does he serve, and how many official residences does he have?" ”

Lu said: "He has not stepped into the official career, and he is still white. However, with the power of the Meng family, it doesn't seem to be difficult to cultivate him in less than three years to be promoted to a senior member. ”

"How is Meng Yin, do you know?" Empress Dowager Cao asked.

Lu Shi said: "This person has a similar personality to Meng Danqing, and he is more insidious. He controls all the classified documents of the Meng family, and raises countless killers, assassins, and spy networks under his command. If this person succeeds Meng Danqing, it will be of great benefit to the Meng clan lord, and he can resist the royal family..."Saying this, the Lu clan wanted to stop talking, and changed his words: "That's not good. ”

"Oh, Meng Yin..."Empress Dowager Cao groaned and said, "You can't let this person inherit the patriarch of the Meng clan. ”

"What does the Queen Mother mean..."

"It's not up to me to do this."

"I understand." Lu stood up and took leave.

Out of the palace, she wandered back home and asked her servants to call one of the Assassins who lived in the house.

It was a "female" assassin named Han Bok-so.

He looks like a woman, but in reality, he's a man.

Han Furong and Han Fuxiu's brothers all have the ability to disguise themselves as men, and they have proud faces, slender figures, and graceful figures, even if they are thrown into the pile of women, they can be fake and real.

It was they who assassinated the nine-rank general Meng Yang.

"After assassinating Meng Yang, you are finally willing to see me." Han Fuxiu said enchantingly.

Lu Shi shook his head helplessly: "Every time we meet, you are not honest, so the fewer times we meet, the better." Besides, I don't think I'm a brilliant color, so why do you have to look for me? If you like it, I can go to Pingkang Fang and find you the most beautiful pavilion girl to accompany you. ”

"Vulgar powder, I don't like it." Han Fuxiu twisted his body and walked towards the Lu family.

Lu Shi hurriedly stood up and said, "If you dare to be polite, let's not meet in the future." ”

Han Fuxiu suddenly sank his face: "You hate me so much? ”

"This..."Lu suddenly smiled in embarrassment: "You can't say that, for the Han family, the concubine body is still very admired." It's just that the concubine doesn't like to act secretly like this, so please be considerate. ”

"In that case, I'm going to kill Cen Shen. Then you and I will marry openly. ”

"No," Lu Shi paused, "At least not now." ”

"Why?"

"Now Cen Shen is still my reliance, and he is also my chess piece, without this second-minded general, I have no military power in my hands, which is very unfavorable to me." Lu said.

Han Fuxiu smiled bitterly: "It's just a lieutenant general, and he only has 10,000 soldiers and horses, and when he finishes fighting Youzhou, maybe he will have to garrison troops there, what impact can it have on you at that time?" ”

Lu Shi said: "Although the impact is not big, it is influential after all. You have to think like this, in front of the Queen Mother, if I am just a strategist, she will value me at most five points, but if I still hold the power of the army, then at least I should add one point of attention. ”。

"You won't spare even a penny."

"Only by using all the resources around us can we do great things."