In the midst of the bustle and prosperity of the holy capital, the king of Ganzi County and the king of Xiangting County were invited to the Wuxinwu of the Beiling County Royal Mansion in the middle of the night.

The king of Beiling County still brews tea by himself, personally pours tea for the king of Ganzi County and the king of Xiangting County, and the tea boiled is still Xuerui, and the cup used is still Pegasus white jade cup. After pouring the first tea, the king of Beiling County took a sip slowly, and said to the king of Xiangting County: "Brother Wang, now we have truly become a family. Then he turned to the king of Ganzi and said, "Shihuan, did you say?" ”

"Exactly, Shi Huan has seen two royal brothers." King Ganzi looked rather lonely and said.

"Hahaha. I've also come to see Brother Wang. The king of Beiling County hugged each other and said to the king of Xiangting County.

"Hi. This ......, this is all His Majesty's Longen. I'm ashamed, but I can't refuse. Alas......"

The king of Beiling County returned to the red clay stove where the tea was boiled, and while serving the tea, he said, "Longen? Brother Wang, do you really think so? ”

The king of Xiangting County took the white jade cup of the flying horse, took a sip lightly, and did not speak.

The King of Beiling County glanced at the King of Ganzi County again and asked, "Shihuan, what do you think?" ”

Xiao Shihuan put his hands on his legs, shook his head, and said, "Give the surname, this matter is indeed a piece of Your Majesty's kindness, and it is also Your Majesty's painstaking heart." When the first emperor was resolutely opposed to the king with a different surname, but the royal brother had made outstanding achievements and was a relative who had made great contributions to the establishment of the country, so naturally it was a different matter. But since the fifth year of Longwu, except for Brother Wang, all the county kings with different surnames have been cut off or subdued, and the whole world is the king of the county of the Xiao family, only Brother Wang is a county king with a different surname, which is indeed too eye-catching, and it is not necessarily a good thing for the descendants of Brother Wang. Now that the surname is given, there is no such problem. And it's also a combination of two clans. So, I think this is indeed a great grace, which shows the benevolence of Your Majesty. ”

King Xiangting didn't look up, nor did he have any special expression, he just nodded and said, "That's true." ”

Xiao Shihuan stood up, walked to Xiao Tuxiu, looked at the pottery bowl in the hand of the king of Beiling County, and said: "But what about ......" Before the words were finished, Xiao Shihuan sat down next to the king of Beiling County, picked up the white jade box containing Xuerui, and looked at it carefully.

Xiao Tuxiu smiled and said, "Shihuan, your temperament is stable now, don't you want to say it thoroughly?" ”

Xiao Shihuan smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Wang made fun of me." During these days in the Holy Capital, I have enough to learn. Xun'er left, and so many things happened after that, and I saw more and more clearly. Originally, when my father was alive, he often told me that it was not a blessing to be born in the royal family, and that I should cherish myself more and be cautious in my words and deeds. At that time, I never felt anything, I just felt that my father was a mediocre person who was self-disturbing and timid. However, now it seems that my father was really prescient. ”

Xiao Tuxiu stared at Xiao Shihuan for a while, and sighed: "Hi! Shihuan, if you don't want to say it, then let's talk about it for my brother. His Majesty's edict on the new policy has been issued, and although there are many new policies, taken together, it is not the kind of new policy that ordinary new dynasties did at the beginning of the new dynasty. ”

Neither Ji nor Shi Huan spoke. The two looked at each other, and immediately looked away.

Seeing that the two of them were reluctant to answer, Xiao Tuxiu continued: "On the surface, the county system is fully restored, but in fact, it is a comprehensive reduction of the power of the county king, and one by one is against us county kings. First of all, of course, it is a new political system in which the county kings and county guards coexist but divide the rule, which is only one word different from the coexistence and rule of the county kings and county guards at the time of the first emperor, but there is a world of difference. In this way, although each county has restored the county king, the power is divided into two. Moreover, the county guard is appointed by the imperial court, and the county king and the county guard are not subordinate to each other, and we, the county kings, are actually half the county kings. Xiao Tuxiu stood up, added a cup of tea to Xiao Shihuan next to him, walked over to add tea to Xiao Ji, and then returned to the red clay stove, and continued:

"The second article, except for us, the hereditary replacement privileges of other county kings have all been canceled, so that those county kings who have died in one generation are actually lifelong county guards. We seem to be a special case, retaining the hereditary privilege, but his next article is even more vicious than this second one, that is, the county will be divided again. Brother Wang, Shihuan, you are all people with many heirs, if your sons want fiefs and thrones with you, can you not give them to them? If you don't give it, it will immediately cause trouble and internal strife in the family. But if it is given, the land will be torn apart immediately. This one is even more ruthless than depriving us of our hereditary privileges. That's not all, it's still necessary to concentrate on upbringing, to put it bluntly, isn't that a proton. We, the Emperor Chongjing, are very wary of our clansmen. ”

Xiao Shihuan said: "This must be the idea of that Luo Yuan, Your Majesty is still kind to the clan, otherwise, we would not ......" At this point, he quickly stopped. He realized that Xiao Ji did not participate in the poisoning of Emperor Longwu, and there were some things that could not be said in front of him.

"Benevolence? Hum! "Cultivating the Tao," Shihuan. Benevolence? Our emperor is not what you think. Do you know why you were able to get the favor of the Emperor and his supreme honor? I'm their own brother, but who in the world doesn't know that you are more favored than me? You've never thought about this question before? The first emperor didn't say anything, he has always distrusted us clan relatives, and treated us harshly. But today, Your Majesty is well-known in the clan for being kind and responsive, but why is he lukewarm to me, my own brother? ”

Xiao Shihuan shook his head at this time, waved his hand and said, "Brother Wang, I know about this matter. The first emperor and His Majesty's mother were originally Liangdi, they were concubines, and they were not very friendly to you, the elder brother, this is also human nature, can't you say that you are benevolent or not? ”

Xiao Shihuan actually has a deeper layer of worry in his heart. He was worried that the emperor, who had fought for hundreds of his family's lives to put on the throne, was really an unkind monarch, and he would really shoot himself in the foot.

Xiao Tuxiu said disapprenorovingly: "Shihuan's words are wrong. The ambition and fighting spirit of the first emperor came from the identity of the concubine, which is well known. Before the first emperor became emperor, he did have a deep knot in his heart, but he was really friendly to me, which is very different from everyone's understanding. After the first emperor ascended the throne and became emperor, he gradually distanced himself from my own brother and became close to you, a cousin. There's an article in it. ”

Xiao Shihuan said: "Oh? ”

"Why? Because Beiling County has the most vast territory, the strongest strength, and the highest prestige, it also poses the greatest threat to the throne of the first emperor. After the first emperor ascended the throne, the reason why he wanted to respect you, a cousin, unconventionally, and retain the throne of his brother Xiangting County King was to contain and balance me, the king of Beiling County. And today's Your Majesty is a person who thinks deeply, and there are some things that you may know, and some things that you don't know at all. Today, His Majesty's strategizing and forbearance are by no means under the previous emperor. Otherwise, just based on the knot in the heart of the concubine, how could he set up a puzzle to poison me, and then blatantly fake the two servants with the respect of the emperor. I'm not afraid of Brother Wang and Shihuan's jokes, I look for immortals every day and ask, do you think I'm really out of the world, if I didn't do this, I'm afraid I would have died a long time ago. ”

Xiao Ji and Xiao Shihuan were silent, and both of them lowered their eyes and did not say a word.

Xiao Tuxiu smiled dumbly, glanced at the King of Xiangting County, and then at the King of Ganzi County, and said with a smile: "Hahahaha, do you think that I am the only one who is suspected and poisoned." Think about it, now, the other county kings are all county kings who have no hereditary privileges and die in one generation, only the three of us are hereditary county kings, how much risk is hidden in this hereditary replacement? Although it seems that the risk of hereditary replacement of the county king can be lifted with the new move of re-dividing the county into feudal domains, I dare to assert that Your Majesty and Luo Yuan will not wait until that time, and in less than ten years, when they have subdued the other counties and put the new policy in order, they will be free to deal with the three of us. ”

Xiao Shihuan couldn't help but nodded. But there was still no response. The king of Beiling County poured tea for Xiao Ji, stared at him and said, "Brother Wang." Your Majesty has divided the crops into the Canaan Counties, do you know why? ”

"Oh. I don't know. However, Xiao Jia has been writing to implore His Majesty to remove him from the crown prince......"

"Brother Wang, I'm not talking about this. I mean, why did Your Majesty seal the crops to Canaan? Canaan County Shourong Zhu is a close confidant of the first emperor, and he is also a relative of the first emperor. Isn't such a measure contrary to the original intention of the coexistence and division of the county kings and county guards? ”

Xiao Ji raised his eyebrows. This is indeed a very strange measure. Crops and fusions will never contain and balance each other, so wouldn't the county of Canaan become an independent kingdom with the county king and the county guarding each other? Once Xiaojia and Rongzhu join forces, one has the identity of the eldest son of the first emperor and the original prince, the other has extremely high prestige and military talents, and there is a distant echo of the king of Xiangting County, then the consequences are difficult to predict.

Xiao Ji couldn't help but raise his hand and stroke his beard.

The king of Beiling County continued: "Moreover, Your Majesty also made it clear to the world, saying that he would restore his title as prince after the prince recovered. At the same time, of course, it also echoes, and Xiao Zhi was not established as the crown prince, but was named Prince Jiarong. Do you think, is this because the emperor is acting hypocritically and righteously to show the world? ”

Xiao Ji's hand stroking his beard stopped: "Your Majesty is not doing this to show the world, what else can it be?!" ”

Xiao Tuxiu also stroked his long hair a few times and said, "If you think so, then you would underestimate our Chongjing Emperor." ”

He walked briskly to the red clay oven, looked outside for a moment, then turned around, and said with great determination: "If what I expected is right, in less than a year, the harvest and the melting and casting will be served in a pot." and the other sons of the former emperor, all of whom will be killed. When the king of Beiling said these words, his expression, tone and posture became murderous and majestic, which was completely different from the fairy-like and leisurely bearing in his usual days.

He stood up suddenly. He couldn't believe it was true. He was more worried about why the king of Beiling County wanted to say this to him. After all, his relationship with the king of Beiling County is not very deep, and his temperament is not similar. "Talking shallow and deep", this is a big taboo. He felt that the King of Beiling County was definitely not reminding him out of kindness, and he wanted to leave the Beiling County Palace as soon as possible.

Xiao Tuxiu saw Xiao Ji's abnormality, smiled and said, "Whether what I said today is true or not, let's wait and see." Brother Wang, Shihuan, I have a heart-to-heart relationship with the two of you today, just in the hope that the two of you can be prepared, just in case. If necessary, Beiling County and I are willing to respond with the strength of the whole country. ”

Xiao Ji's heart sank, this is to make an appointment to rebel.

Xiao Shihuan was also a little surprised. Although he basically agreed with what the king of Beiling said in his heart, he was still the most favored king of the county after all, and the emperor did not say anything unusual about him. The rebellious words of the king of Beiling County seem to have gone too far.

Xiao Tuxiu looked at Xiao Ji and said, "Brother Wang, it is imperative that we still plan how to save the melting cliff." ”

"I am very gracious. However, O immortals, my grandson can pick up a life, all thanks to your rescue from the gods, and you can be sentenced to exile to Shamrock Island, I know enough. Rongzhu is a cautious person, and he will not agree to you and me saving Rongya privately. I think it's better to let him go to Sanye Island for a while. The reason why these things happened is inseparable from his own impetuous temperament. Going to Shamrock Island to sharpen his temperament is beneficial to him. Thank you. ”

The corners of Xiao Tuxiu's eyes unconsciously raised, and then, he breathed a long sigh of relief and said, "That's fine." Okay, Brother Wang, Shihuan, I'm done with what I should have said today. I hope the two of you will do it yourself. Let's cherish each other. The hand of the king of Beiling County was clenched into a fist and raised.

The king of Xiangting and the king of Ganzi also hugged their fists and saluted and took their leave.

The king of Xiangting County deliberately wrote the things that Tuxiu said as a secret letter, and sent it to Rongzhu with a cloud pigeon, and in less than half a day, Rongzhu used a cloud pigeon to return the letter, the content of the letter was very simple, only two sentences, the first sentence was: "Beiling is unpredictable, but what he said seems to be true." The second sentence reads: "The water of the snow pool is less than 30%, and the color has reached a thick black." ”