As for the grain and grass, it is also in full swing, but no matter how Zheng Yuan thinks of it, it is a big gap from the grain and grass needed by the 180,000 soldiers, which really gives him a headache.

Just when there were only three days before the expedition, the king of Pingyang suddenly contracted a cold, was bedridden, and could not lead the army.

Gongliang Yuzhi waited for this opportunity, presenting the three-talent formation and the wooden ox that could automatically walk and transport grain, coupled with the promotion of Wan Jin, Gongliang Yanqing, Yang Nan and Princess Pingyang, finally ordered Gongliang Rongruo to choose him as the commander, and on February 20, he commanded an army of 180,000 to intercept the army of Wu.

On February 19, Gongliang Rongruo had just come down from the morning court and was talking to Xiao Shunzi, when an inner supervisor came in and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother is here." ”

"The Queen Mother?" Gongliang Rongruo raised his head in surprise, and sure enough, when he saw Ruoqiu helping the Empress Dowager Wan in, he got up and walked quickly to meet him, and after helping the Empress Dowager Wan to sit down, he said, "Why are you here, Queen Mother?" ”

"The mourning family has something to say to the emperor." Empress Dowager Wan said in a deep voice, with a layer of clouds on her face.

Gongliang's expression moved, and he said to the palace people standing on both sides: "You all stand down." ”

After there were only a few of them left in the hall, Gongliang Rongruo said softly: "Queen Mother, what happened?" ”

Empress Dowager Wan turned her face to Ruoqiu and said, "Take the note to the emperor and show it." ”

"Yes." Ruoqiu took out a letter from his sleeve and presented it to Gongliang Rongruo with both hands, "Please take a look at Your Majesty." ”

Gongliang Rongruo received it in his hand with a puzzled face, and inside was a thin piece of stationery, on which only four words were written, but his face changed greatly, "Be careful of King Ning."

"What's going on?"

Ruoqiu bent his knees and replied: "Back to Your Majesty's words, yesterday a letter was sent from home, saying that the slave's mother was seriously ill and would die soon, and the Queen Mother was merciful, and Tern allowed the slave to go home to take care of her mother for two days, and did her best to fulfill the last fate of mother and daughter." I was supposed to come back yesterday, but last night, someone delivered this letter. The slave maid didn't know whether it was true or not, so she had to enter the palace early this morning and present this letter to the Queen Mother. ”

Gongliang Rongruo wrinkled his eyebrows and said, "What about the person who sent this letter?" ”

"The messenger was a five or six-year-old boy who said that someone had given him a string of sugar gourds and asked him to bring the letter. Nothing is known except that it is a young man. ”

Gongliang Rongruo stared at the line of ink on the paper with a solemn expression, and after a long time, he raised his head and said, "What does the queen mother think of this?" ”

Empress Dowager Wan's eyes were as sharp as a sword, "The mourning family is not sure, but the air will not come to the wind!" ”

Gongliang Rongruo understood what she meant, and said hesitantly: "But the fifth child's personality, the queen mother knows, and she has never had any ambitions, so it shouldn't be like this." ”

Empress Dowager Wan said coldly: "People are subject to change, and having no ambition yesterday does not mean that there is no ambition today or tomorrow." It is better to believe that it is there than to believe that it is not. ”

Gongliang Rongruo said with an ugly face: "If it is really as the queen mother said, then the minister is now handing over the military power to him, won't he lead the wolf into the house?" ”

Empress Dowager Wan sighed and said: "If this letter had been sent two days earlier, the mourning family would not have agreed to the emperor handing over the military power to him." ”

Gongliang Rongruo pondered for a moment, and hesitated: "It's better for my son to give an order now, take back the talisman in the fifth child's hand, and choose someone else as the commander." ”

Empress Dowager Wan shook her head and said: "The expedition is going to go tomorrow, it is too late to change the commander at this time, and if it is spread, it will make the people of the Song Kingdom feel that the emperor has changed his order and reversed his word." Moreover, if he is really rebellious, the emperor will undoubtedly tell him that we already know his thoughts. When the time comes, the dog jumps over the wall, which is even more unfavorable to us. ”

"What the queen mother said is very true, but the 180,000 army falling into the hands of the fifth child really makes the sons very uneasy."

Empress Dowager Wan took the tea offered by Xiao Shunzi and said coldly: "The mourning family is not, but now that the north is in danger, he should not do anything out of the ordinary before driving Wu Guojun out." I am afraid that after victory, I will support the army and refuse to return the military power. Although our Song State has a million soldiers, under the civil war, the national strength will inevitably be greatly depleted, and it is difficult to suppress the ambitious Heshe and Xia States. ”

Gongliang Rongruo also said coldly: "It's a shame that for so many years, I and the queen mother have taken care of their mother and son in every way, and they are such wolf-hearted dogs!" ”

Empress Dowager Wan said again: "Does the emperor feel that his language has become different from before. ”

Gongliang Rongruo thought about it carefully, shook his head and said, "Looking at the words and deeds of Lao Wu in the court on weekdays, there is nothing abnormal. ”

Empress Dowager Wan shook her head slightly, "That's not what the mourning family is referring to. ”

Gongliang Rong was puzzled and said: "Then the queen mother means ......"

Empress Dowager Wan took a sip of tea and said indifferently: "The mourning family asked Sanbao to check some things, it should be coming soon, wait a minute." ”

"Yes." Although Gongliangrong was puzzled, he didn't say anything, and waited with the Empress Dowager Wan in the Xingde Palace. After about a stick of incense, there was a knock on the door outside the hall, and after Xiao Shunzi stepped forward to take a look, he bowed down and said: "Empress Dowager Qiqi, Your Majesty, Sanbao is asking to see you outside." ”

"Let him in." With Empress Dowager Wan's words, a middle-aged eunuch walked in, it was the eunuch Sanbao, the leader of Ningshou Palace.

Sanbao walked to the hall, knelt down and said, "The slave greets the Queen Mother, and the Majesty!" ”

"Get up and talk about it, what's the answer."

"Yes." Sanbao said respectfully: "The slave was ordered by the Queen Mother to ask a few formation masters, and they all said that they had never heard of the Sancai Formation, and they had never seen any records in the book. ”

After signaling him to step aside, Empress Dowager Wan said: "Those few formations, the emperor knows, each of them has studied the formation for decades, during which I don't know how many books on the art of war have been read, but no one knows the Sancai formation, doesn't the emperor think it's strange?" ”

Gong Liangrong said thoughtfully: "The queen mother is saying that the three-talent array obtained by the fifth child is not as simple as he said?" ”

"Three people are in a formation, three or three get nine, and turn into the power of nine, that is to say, 180,000 soldiers, if used properly, can exert the great power of 540,000 soldiers. How can such a formation be unheard of, unless it ......" Empress Dowager Wan said with a cold expression: "It has just been created!" ”

Gongliang was stunned for a moment, and then said: "This is impossible, although the fifth child has a little understanding of the formation, it only stops there, and he is absolutely unable to create such a formation." ”

Empress Dowager Wan said coldly: "Except for the Sancai Array, the ten wooden oxen used to transport grain are not simple things. If it weren't for these, how could he get the support of the ministers of the DPRK and China, and even the elder brother of the mourning family helped him speak. ”

"Regarding those wooden cows, Erchen also asked Lao Wu, and he said that it was done by a mechanic surnamed Xiao."

"The array mage, the mechanism master, all of a sudden all gathered around him, it's not a coincidence that two words can explain it."

After a period of silence, Gongliang Rongruo said with a cold gaze: "Someone is making plans behind the fifth child, intending to seek the throne of his son!" ”