The Lingtai is a stargazing platform built on a small hill in the northeast corner of the Holy Capital.

Usually, only the Lingtai attendant (1) brings a few Peng subordinates here to watch the stars.

During the mourning period, the Lingtai attendant was supposed to be on duty in the holy capital, waiting for the emperor's summons at any time, and assisting the Dadian Star Branch to respond to the evaluation time required for the funeral. As a result, the altar is now empty, with neither a lamp nor a fire. In order to facilitate stargazing, the roof of the altar was built very high, and there was no shelter, and there were no walls on all sides, only different grid beams and 24 marble beams that distinguish the sky area. The cold wind whistled through the middle of these pillars, and the atmosphere in the altar was terrifying.

A man dressed in black mink stood in the middle of the altar. The man wrapped his head in a big hat and looked up at the stars in the sky, motionless.

A figure hurried up from the steps of the platform.

In the middle of the night, neither of them had a lantern. No one followed.

The man who rushed over walked into the middle of the mourning platform, gasped and said, "Prime Minister, I'm late." The Nangong guards stared too closely, and it took me several times to get rid of them, and I was not followed by them, so I asked the prime minister for forgiveness. ”

It turned out to be Prime Minister Hong Tong and Imperial Historian Liao Xia.

Prime Minister Hong Tong did not move, and after a while, he said: "For more than a month, we don't even dare to move." The period of the first month of the Great Funeral has passed, Tuyu's seat is secured, and the imprisonment of the Nangong guards is much relaxed. Moreover, they are now being led by Luo Yuanji and Dou Ji to secretly spy on the kings of Beiling County, Ganzi County, and Xiangting County. Otherwise, you and I would never have gotten rid of them so easily. ”

Imperial Doctor Liao Xia slowly calmed down his breath and said, "What the prime minister said is true. Prime Minister, how are you doing this month? ”

Prime Minister Hong Tong sighed and said, "Hey! Emperor Longwu died so inexplicably, and Tu You's succession to the throne was so inexplicable, how could I live well? The queen mother and His Royal Highness the crown prince are also closed, and we don't know any news. Tu Yu and Yu Yuan control us like an iron bucket, and they can't even get in and out of the wind. Truth be told, we've lost everything. What do you think, Dr. Liao? ”

"What the prime minister said is very true. I was really surprised by the way Tuyu did it. From the night of Emperor Longwu's death, step by step, ring by ring, there was no loophole at all, and we and the hundreds of officials and the county guards outside couldn't even see each other, and we couldn't hand a piece of paper in. If you want to turn the tables now, it is absolutely impossible. ”

"Hey! The Empress Mother and I had already reminded Emperor Longwu that we must be vigilant, but he just didn't listen. Emperor Longwu was wise I, and when he came, he actually made a mistake in Tuyu. Gathering the iron of Kyushu, you can't make such a big mistake. Tuyu's scheming and means are by no means under Emperor Longwu. Over the years, he has been hiding too well and working too well. Almost all the clansmen of the Xiao clan were enveloped by him, and there were many of his cronies among the civil and military officials. In just one month, Tuyu was in complete control. Now, he has a general text and a martial arts, and he has Dou Ji; There are clan relatives of the Xiao clan inside, and there are county kings of the Xiao clan outside; Mingli has the dying edict of Emperor Longwu and the support of his relatives, and secretly detains His Royal Highness the Prince, the Empress and the concubines of the county guards. Tuyu is now in control. ”

"Prime Minister, are we just throwing in the towel?"

"Doctor Liao, if we don't admit defeat, what can we do? Now, we can't get out, we can't talk, and the county guards outside don't dare to move. Tell me, what cards do we have to play? ”

"Prime Minister, are we just watching the country laid down by Emperor Longwu and giving it to Tu You and Luo Yuanji, two shameless erectors?"

"Doctor Liao, Emperor Longwu's country is not something we gave to them, they took it by themselves, and now they are firmly in their hands."

"Your Majesty!" Liao Xia's depressed and sad mood could no longer be contained, and he hid his face and wept.

Hong Tong moved his feet, and then began to walk slowly along the twenty-four beams, Liao Xia sobbing as he followed.

When Hong Tong walked to a pillar facing the palace, he stood still. He stared at the majestic palace, squinted his eyes and said, "Right now, we're losing, but looking back, we've not lost yet." ”

Liao Xia suddenly stopped crying when he heard this, stared at Hong Tong and said, "Prime Minister, could it be that you have any measures in advance?!" ”

"I don't have anything special to do. However, Emperor Longwu was wise and martial, and the counties he strongly implemented the county guard system, and the county guards appointed by him were all his own people, and he was loyal to Emperor Longwu. Over the years, Tu Yu has mainly worked the clan members, the county kings of the Xiao clan, and the courtiers in the holy capital, but he has little influence on the county guards outside. Now, although they are in control of the situation for the time being, I am sure they will not dare to do anything against His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother. ”

"But the sons of these county guards are all under the control of them in the Holy Capital. Even if they kill His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother, can those county guards still rebel? ”

"For the sake of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen's mother, those county guards may not rebel, but if it is for the throne, those county guards will dare to do anything."

"The throne? Does the prime minister mean that these county guards want to set themselves up as emperors? ”

"Exactly! Doctor Liao, what are the skills of these county guards, you must also know it in your heart. They are all famous ministers and generals who followed Emperor Longwu to fight the country, which one is not a single general, handsome talent? They have been operating in various counties for so many years, and they want money and food, and they want soldiers and generals, and they are fought with a knife and a shot on the battlefield, which is much more difficult to deal with than those county kings. During his lifetime, Emperor Longwu planned to fully implement the county guard system, but at the same time, he was also worried about the excessive power of the county guards, and he had been thinking about the law of restraint. ”

"Prime Minister, Emperor Longwu has more than enough to control these county guards, right?"

"That's what Dr. Liao said. However, Emperor Longwu was not worried about the present, but about the future, and he was worried that his descendants would not have the prestige and means of his own, and they would not be able to restrain these county guards. If you encounter the suspicion of the lord and the young country again, these county guards will be a great disaster? Now, I can't say any of that. Emperor Longwu died suddenly, and the situation has changed dramatically. For them, these county guards are now a great disaster. In the past, there was Emperor Longwu, and these county guards neither wanted nor dared to rebel; Emperor Longwu collapsed violently, and Tu Yu succeeded to the throne inexplicably, they actually already had the pretext of rebellion, but as long as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother were there, this world, nominally speaking, was still the world of Emperor Longwu, and they had no reason to rebel. If they dare to kill His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother, it is equivalent to giving them the best excuse to raise the banner of rebellion and rebel. It's okay to play some tricks and conspiracies in the Holy Capital, but if they fight with real knives and guns, they are far behind. To fight a war, it is absolutely impossible to rely on the set of false benevolence and false righteousness, and it is even more impossible to rely on those few clan relatives and county kings who sit back and enjoy their success. Tu Yu knows this, and Luo Yuanji and Dou Ji also know it. Therefore, in order to sit firmly on his throne, Tuyu would never dare to do anything to the crown prince and the queen. ”

"The prime minister saw deeply, and he saw it."

"According to the old man, Tu Yu uses the set of false benevolence and false righteousness, and inaction to show weakness to envelop the clan relatives and county kings. The reason why those clan relatives and county kings support Tuyou, according to my guess, is nothing more than two reasons. One is that Tuyu definitely promised that they will not abolish the county kingship, and the other is because Tuyu seems to be more controlled! Before Tu Yu is on the throne, his set of hypocrisy and benevolence and generosity must be continued, otherwise, those clan relatives and county kings will work together inside and out, and they can overthrow him immediately. Therefore, the old man concluded that in order to play benevolence and generosity, Tu Yu would never dare to put on another face, and rashly raised a butcher knife to slaughter His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen's Mother. In the final analysis, generosity, kindness, and indecision are the greatest weapons of Tuyu. ”

"What the prime minister said is very true. As long as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother are still there, we haven't lost to the end. ”

"Exactly! Therefore, the top priority is to do everything possible to protect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother. The queen mother is a person who is used to seeing wind and rain, judging from the news released by Tu Yu after the death of Emperor Longwu, the queen mother made a judgment that night, so she was the first to stand up and support Tu You, and refused to see other princes, which is a wise move. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is also a person who has been trained for a long time, so after the death of Emperor Longwu, he followed the queen mother and also expressed his allegiance to Tuyou, and similarly, he also lived in the palace and did not see the ministers. I'm just worried about ......... right now."

"What is the Prime Minister worried about?"

"One is the king of Xiangting County and the two of them, they are not only the cronies of Emperor Longwu, but also the relatives of the queen's mother, and they are relatives, and now Rongya is involved in the poisoning case, once the fools are not handled properly, the old man is worried that the two of them will have a radical move. One in the northwest and the other in the south, and if there is a disturbance, the situation will get out of control. Fortunately, King Xiangting and Rongzhu are both far-sighted people, so the old man's worries are only one percent. Another worry is what the old man is most worried about, the old man is worried that the king of Beiling County may make waves. ”

"What can he do, ask the immortal every day."

"There are some things you don't understand. The king of Beiling County in the north of us is not a good person. Over the years, he was afraid that Emperor Longwu would be jealous of his power and territory, so he pretended to be a ghost, and he was cultivating the Tao and cultivating immortals. The king of Beiling County has been disguising hard enough over the years, he used to be afraid of Emperor Longwu so he didn't dare to do anything, but for Tuyou, he has nothing to fear. In the past few years, he has been widely benevolent and resting with the people in Beiling County, and on the other hand, he has been reorganizing his troops and fighting strongly, but he has not been idle. Now is the best time for suspicion and internal and external discord, and the king of Beiling County is also almost sixty people, and if he doesn't do it, he will never have a chance to climb the dragon in this life. From another point of view, with Yu Yuan's general personality and mind, sooner or later he will free up his hands to completely liquidate the king of Beiling County, who is a thorn in his side. On the one hand, there is a huge temptation to the throne, and on the other hand, there is a huge risk of being liquidated. And there is only one incision for him to disrupt the situation, that is, to instigate other county guards to support His Royal Highness the Prince. That's what worries me the most. ”

"So what are we going to do?"

"Our purpose is one, that is, to protect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother. As long as the two of them are here, we won't be afraid of anything. Now what the king of Beiling County wants is a 'chaos', so he can take advantage of the chaos. Let's look at it from the perspective of maintaining the safety of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Queen's mother, but now it is the same as Tuyu. The king of Beiling County wants to be chaotic, so let's be stable. Not only to be stable, but also to follow the picture. Otherwise, if there is a disagreement between us and Tu You, the king of Beiling County will immediately take advantage of the situation. ”

"That's what the prime minister said. What should be done, please make it clear to the prime minister. ”

"We have to follow the queen mother and His Royal Highness the crown prince and make full concessions. During the mourning period, we were sick at home and refused all visitors; After the great mourning, before Tuyu ascended the throne, let's pay tribute. ”

Liao Xia thought for a while, sighed, and said, "Alas! That's all there is to it. I advance and retreat with the prime minister. ”

"Good. After the funeral, after the funeral, we immediately returned to our hometown and rushed back to the county. In this way, it is safer than staying in the holy capital, and second, it is easier for us to arrange various matters together with the county guards. ”

"What the Prime Minister said is very true!" Suddenly, the voice of an attendant came from under the steps of the altar.

Hong Tong and Liao Xia were suddenly startled, and they both reached out and drew the swords at their waists. At this meeting, Hong Tong specially told Liao Xia that he must go there secretly alone and not bring any entourage. Now that this situation has happened, Hong Tong and Liao Xia can only draw their swords to protect themselves.

A man in a black cloak leaped up directly from under the altar. Hong Tong and Liao Xia made a fighting posture. Liao Xia bent his arm and flew all the way to the heart of the visitor. The visitor did not dodge, but just stretched out his right hand, like picking a flower, and easily caught the Hidden Arrow.

The person who came said, "Don't panic, two adults. I'm Su Poyan. ”

"Oh Chang Autumn (2) Lord. Disrespectful. Liao Xia said.

Su Poyan is the great long autumn of Empress Xuanren. Su Poyan has served Empress Xuanren since she was the county lord of Xiangting County, and she is a person specially selected by the old Xiangting County King to protect her favorite county lord, and he is also the first confidant of Empress Xuanren.

"Don't dare." Su Poyan returned the sleeve arrow to Liao Xia, and then saluted Hong Tong and Liao Xia respectively and said, "Prime Minister Hong, Lord Liao, I hope you don't blame Su Poyan for following the two adults and eavesdropping on the two adults' deliberations." It's just that the situation is critical, and you have to follow the queen's decree and have to act cautiously. I hope forgive my sins. ”

Hong Tong returned the salute, his eyes were filled with tears, and he said with a choked voice: "How is Niangniang?" How is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? ”

Su Poyan said: "Niangniang, everything is fine. But on the side of His Royal Highness the Prince, I have never been there, and I have not seen His Highness with my own eyes, so I dare not speak falsely. However, I heard from the chamberlains in the palace that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince lives deep in the palace and does not see the ministers. It can be seen that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince should not have done anything drastic. ”

Liao Xia put the sleeve arrow back into his sleeve, and returned the salute, saying, "How did Lord Da Changqiu come out of the palace?" Fengde Palace must have been surrounded by Nangong guards for a long time, right? ”

"Fengde Palace is not only surrounded by Nangong guards, but even the chamberlains and palace maids around the queen have all changed, and I am the only one left by the queen's side. But those palace walls are still difficult for me to splash. ”

Hong Tong looked around and said, "Since Lord Da Changqiu can go out of the palace, he will definitely be able to go to the palace of His Royal Highness the Prince, but why does Lord Da Changqiu say that he has never met His Highness in person?" ”

"What Prime Minister Hong said is very true. If I want to go, the palace walls and Nangong guards in Changle Palace will not be difficult for me. It's just that the queen has a will, and she is not allowed to go to see His Royal Highness the Prince. ”

"Why is that?" Liao Xia asked in surprise.

"Niangniang said that she believes that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will properly handle a matter of affairs."

"Knowing the son Mo Ruomu. The queen is shengming! Hong Tong said sincerely.

Su Poyan nodded, and then said: "The queen mother also said that Prime Minister Hong and Dr. Liao are their own people, and they will seek the country sincerely, and they will definitely meet and discuss countermeasures at the right time, but they will never be in the city." Therefore, the queen mother explained that I would meet the two adults when they came out of the city. ”

Hong Tong laughed and said, "It seems that Lord Da Changqiu still can't trust the old man and Doctor Liao, so I listened to what we advocated under the spiritual platform, right?" ”

Su Poyan also smiled: "Prime Minister Hong misunderstood Su Poyan." We just cut a few tails for the two adults. ”

"Huh?! Unexpectedly, I was still targeted by Nangong Guards, and I almost broke the big thing. Liao Xia said annoyedly.

"Dr. Liao is not being targeted." Su Poyan said.

Hong Tong was shocked and said, "The old man was targeted by the Nangong guards? It's impossible, the old man came out of the secret passage, and the old man traveled all the way, without the Nangong guards watching him at all. ”

"Prime Minister Hong, you are indeed not targeted by the Nangong guards. The Nangong guards brought out by Luo Yuanji and Dou Ji really didn't have the ability to target the prime minister. ”

"Who else could it be?"

"The guards sent by the King of Beiling County!"

"Huh?! He did it so quickly? Liao Xia exclaimed.

"Two adults, please take a look. It's on those people. Su Poyan took out more than a dozen waist cards from his arms, all of which were unique jade waist cards in the Wang Army of Beiling County.

Hong Tong frowned and said, "The most terrifying thing is that the guards of the King of Beiling County are even more clever than the guards of Nangong. The old man came out of the secret passage, but he was still targeted by them. ”

Su Poyan said: "Emperor Longwu has always been uneasy about the king of Beiling County, and has long privately sent a large number of embroidered messengers (3) to closely monitor him. Emperor Longwu secretly appointed me to lead these embroidered messengers, so I knew their whereabouts well. Thanks to these embroidered messengers, otherwise, if they are now so tightly controlled, we would be blind and deaf. ”

Hong Tong nodded, then looked at Xu Poyan and said, "Lord Da Changqiu, the queen mother sent Lord Da Changqiu, but do you want to say anything to the old man and Dr. Liao?" ”

Su Poyan smiled and said, "What the queen mother wants to say is what Prime Minister Hong said just now. The queen asked Prime Minister Hong and Lord Liao not to do useless acts, during the mourning, do not connect with the prince, other princes, the king of Xiangting County, and the county guards from other places, and ask the two adults to return to their hometowns after the funeral. The queen mother still has two sentences, and I must convey them to the two adults in a good word, and ask the two adults to keep in mind, one is 'don't be impatient', and the second sentence is 'support the new king'. ”

Hearing that the queen mother's judgment was consistent with herself, Hong Tong and Liao Xia breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Poyan then asked, "Do the two adults have anything else you want me to play Niangniang?" ”

Hong Tong and Liao Xia thought quickly in their hearts, but they couldn't remember what to say, and finally Hong Tong said: "Shengming has no queen mother." Please Da Changqiu to play the mother, and the ministers should follow the queen's decree, tell the old man to return to his hometown, and wait for the decree of the mother. ”

Su Poyan said, "Good! It's not too early, I have to go back to the palace. Let's go back soon, too. With all due respect, during the mourning, the two adults should not meet again. If it weren't for the fact that I happened to see the two adults today, it is estimated that the two adults would have been seized by the king of Beiling County. We'll see you later. ”

"What Lord Da Changqiu said is very true. Please take care of Niangniang and Da Changqiu. There will be a date later. ”

"There will be a date later!"

Concentrate:

1. Lingtai Attendant: The name of the official position, responsible for observing the operation of the stars and the moon. is a subordinate of the Great Dian Star.

2. Da Changqiu: official name. In charge of the affairs of the Queen.

3. Embroidered messenger: secret agent.