Tao Guangyuan, Shangqing Temple.

Princess Taiping and Xuan Yunzi did not talk in the quiet room as before, but sat in the quiet small willow forest. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the flowers are of course one reason, but more because the things they talked about are no longer a secret to Xue Shao, so there is nothing to hide anymore.

"It's over." Princess Taiping said calmly, "But why do I always have a feeling that it has just begun?" ”

Xuan Yunzi asked, "Does the princess mean that the horse threw himself into the pasture?" ”

Princess Taiping nodded, "I suddenly found out that I didn't know Xue Shao like that. ”

"Oh?" Xuan Yunzi was slightly surprised, "Why did the princess say this?" ”

Princess Taiping said, "We had a few conversations before he sneaked up to meet you. I felt as if he knew everything earlier, even before we did. It's incredible, and I even felt at one point that the colt, with whom I had been married for a few years and had a son and a daughter, was so strange. ”

"Your Royal Highness Princess, have you been overly concerned?"

Princess Taiping shook her head blankly, "I hope so." ”

"As the princess said, since the colt has known for a long time, how has he been feeling lately?" Xuan Yunzi asked.

"He's surprisingly quiet, not nervous at all." Princess Taiping was smiling bitterly, "He will even inadvertently show a look of excitement." I've seen that kind of look a few times, and it was when he was about to lead his troops out on the march. Whenever this look appears, I can't help but think of words like a bloody man, a famous general's demeanor, and a hero, and I think he is the most heroic and charming man in the world. If I have to choose a thousand more times, he will be my only colt! …… But this time, his look made me feel so scared that I didn't even have the courage to face him again! ”

"The colt is hungry for a challenge, and even more so for victory. To do this, he will do whatever it takes. Every time he faces a bigger challenge, the more excited he becomes. Xuan Yunzi said, "Her Royal Highness the princess wants to tell me that what the concubine wants to challenge this time is a powerful opponent he has never encountered?" ”

"My mother."

Princess Taiping's three words can be described as earth-shattering. If it weren't for Xuan Yunzi's extraordinary concentration, his expression would definitely change drastically.

"Who told you?" Xuan Yunzi asked.

"No one told me." Princess Taiping shook her head, "I know it myself. ”

"And how do you know?"

Princess Taiping took a deep breath and said, "Looking at the whole thing now, from Xue Lang entering the palace at night to see you secretly, to Luoshui talking about martial arts, how do you feel?" ”

Xuan Yunzi groaned for a moment with a slight frown, and said softly: "Everything is in order, step by step." ”

"Yes, it's like a well-orchestrated war." Princess Taiping took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "Xue Lang is a general who has experienced many wars, and he always wins. I once asked him, how do you manage to win a hundred battles? He was ashamed to say at the time, because I can always anticipate the enemy's opportunities and carefully plan and prevent all possible accidents in advance. Many wars appear to erupt unexpectedly, with unpredictable outcomes. But in fact, all the winners and losers have long been decided, and no one knows how much preparation the general commanding the battle made before the war - I, Xue Shao, am the one who is best at preparation. There are many wars where my opponent has lost before they even start! ”

"It's definitely not a big deal." Xuan Yunzi said lightly, "I had the honor to participate in the crusade against Bai Tieyu with the horses. I have experienced the brutality of war, and I have seen firsthand the uniqueness of being a general. ”

"How unique?"

Xuan Yunzi replied, "As the princess said, many wars have been fought before the opponents of the horses have already lost. ”

Princess Taiping frowned slightly and was silent for a moment, and said, "At the beginning of the whole thing, Xue Lang didn't go to the court. This is the first time in his life that he has been absent from the early dynasty, don't you think it's strange? ”

"He broke into the palace at night, maybe he was too tired." Xuan Yunzi said.

"Absolutely not." Princess Taiping said, "From what I know about Xue Lang, he is the kind of person who doesn't sleep for days and nights, and he insists on getting things done. Now that he is very busy with many official duties, if he is not special, how can he suddenly stop and sleep all day in the official office and do nothing? ”

Xuan Yunzi was slightly surprised, "In this way, the colt already knew that someone was going to impeach him?" ”

"If he hadn't known it a long time ago, how could he have stayed in the official office for so long, waiting until the evening when Yao Yuanchong came back from the palace to report to him about the court?" Princess Taiping said.

Xuan Yunzi was slightly stunned, Wu Chengsi and these people in the pastoral courtyard were staring at Xue Shao with wide eyes every day, but didn't Xue Shao send someone to keep an eye on them? …… Yes, that's his style of fighting. He already has the most elite scouts in the world, far thousands of times stronger than the bad people in the pastor's house—he knows that he can't be defeated in a hundred battles, so why doesn't he keep an eye on it?

"I used to think he was a braggart, but now I believe what he says." Princess Taiping smiled slightly bitterly and shook her head, "It turns out that before a war even started, the general who commanded the battle had already done a lot of preparations, but we didn't know it!" ”

Xuan Yunzi was silent, this kind of thing is not good for him to chew his tongue and interject.

"You and I know what happened after that." Princess Taiping said, "He took the initiative to go to the pastoral courtyard to surrender, and teased the judge Zhang Zhimo there. At the same time, let his left and right door gods go home and report to me. He knew that I would definitely make a radical move, so he asked Yao Yuanchong to run to stop it, and at the same time brought the purple gold fish talisman. We have been married for so many years, and we have too much tacit understanding with each other. When I saw this purple gold fish talisman, I understood why he had thrown himself into the pastoral home. ”

Xuan Yunzi said: "Is he hinting at you and asking you to bring the fish talisman into the palace to plead with the Queen Mother?" ”

"Yes. It's a bitter ploy. Princess Taiping said, "Actually, Xue Lang knows very well in his heart that my mother has no intention of taking back the military power at all. He just wanted to take advantage of this move to counter Wu Chenghe's provocation against him. But the relationship between Wu Chengsi and my mother is so special that he can't make a direct move. ”

"Yes, it can only be the princess who comes forward to talk to the Queen Mother." Xuan Yunzi said.

"He succeeded." Princess Taiping sighed softly, "My mother was so angry that she almost executed Wu Chenghei on the spot. ”

"The Queen Mother can tolerate fights between her subordinates, but she will never allow these fights to touch her bottom line." Xuan Yunzi smiled slightly, "Wu Chengsi is a little ignorant of current affairs. The Queen Mother granted the horse the right to order him to control the country, which was already under great pressure and took a great risk. He still wants to fan the flames in this matter and even plant the horse, which is tantamount to provoking the strong opposition of civil and military officials to 'Xue Zi Zhenguo' in public. Wu Chengsi thought that he was only dealing with a horse, but he never thought that it was the Queen Mother who offended him the most. Now that he has just been deposed, the Queen Mother is really merciful. ”

"If Wu Chengsi can figure out these truths in advance, then he is not Wu Chengsi, but Xue Shao." Princess Taiping smiled bitterly.

"I have questions." Xuan Yunzi said suddenly.

"I know what you're trying to ask." Princess Taiping looked left and right and lowered her voice a little, "What will happen if my mother really accepts the fish talisman when she gets off the donkey down the slope and asks the pastoral court to interrogate Xue Lang?" ”

Xuan Yunzi smiled slightly, which can be regarded as a default.

"Indeed, this possibility is not impossible." Princess Taiping's expression showed a hint of fear, and she whispered, "Our affairs have not come to a conclusion for so long, and my mother has long been impatient. She even said to me that as a princess, you have enjoyed all the favors of the world since you were a child, and when it is necessary, you should also give a little reward or even make a little sacrifice for this world. This is the destiny you have been carrying since the first day you were born! ”

Xuan Yunzi took a deep breath, "Did the Queen Mother really say that?" ”

Princess Taiping nodded silently.

"I see." Xuan Yunzi suddenly realized, "Your Royal Highness Princess, you are right, this incident is far from over, it has just begun. This time, what Xue Yuma wanted to challenge was neither Xiao Xiao, a cool official like Lai Zixun and Suo Yuanli, nor Wu Chenghe, who had just been deposed after the defeat. And really, it's the Queen Mother herself! ”

"That's right." There was a hint of bitterness in Princess Taiping's expression, "My mother has always tested Xue Lang's loyalty, and this time, Xue Lang has also tested my mother's trust in him. Between the two of them, do they have to guess and try like this? ”

Xuan Yunzi smiled and comforted, "Your Royal Highness Princess, you should know better than anyone else why this is." ”

Princess Taiping could only sigh, because she really couldn't understand it anymore.

——The suspicion and temptation between Wu Zetian and Xue Shao now are really nothing compared to the fighting methods between the two saints back then.

"I was in the palace at the time, and I was so scared!" Princess Taiping said with trepidation, "What if my mother really accepted the fish talisman and didn't punish Wu Chenghe...... The consequences, I really don't dare to think. ”

"At that time, the Luoshui army just started to talk about martial arts?"

Princess Taiping nodded lightly, "Xue Lang commands the battle, and he is really comprehensive. There were many people under his command, but each of them was only responsible for and knew only a small part of them. For example, Duan Feng and Niu Ben only knew that Xue Lang had entered the pastoral courtyard and went home to report the news, Yao Yuanchong was only responsible for stopping the car and sending the soldiers, I was responsible for entering the palace to carry out the bitter meat plan, and Dang Jinbi and Guo Dafeng were responsible for raising the army and practicing martial arts. There are other people who are stalking about Wu Chenghei, those who spy on the pastoral house, those who run errands and so on and so forth, I don't know how many there are! ”

"That's right, knowing yourself and knowing each other is everything, and you can command it step by step." Xuan Yunzi smiled, "This is clearly a war!" ”

"All of us are like beads, all of which are strung together by Xue Lang with a thread." Princess Taiping smiled bitterly, "This time, even I have become a bead in his hand!" ”

"Your Highness, that's a well-intentioned use." Xuan Yunzi said, "The horse is fine, you are fine." You are a family. ”

"Yes, I know." Princess Taiping smiled calmly, "I knew his intentions from the beginning, but I was willing to drive for him." ”

"The analogy that Her Royal Highness said just now is very vivid, everyone is a bead, and they are connected by a horse with a thread." Xuan Yunzi said, "Did the princess ever think about who is the thread?" ”

Princess Taiping was slightly stunned, and immediately woke up, "Guo An! - Only Guo Anhui is the only one who knows everything except Xue Lang! ”

Xuan Yunzi smiled, "I dare to guarantee that Guo An is only responsible for running errands in the center series." He didn't know all of the colt's plans. A general with troops is the best at keeping secrets, but that doesn't mean his military plans don't tell anyone. Instead, he would say, except that no one but himself would know all the inside work. Otherwise, if this person betrays or is captured by the enemy, he will lose! ”

Princess Taiping frowned slightly and muttered for a moment, "Now I'm thinking about it, if the worst happens, my mother decides to take back the talisman and let the pastoral court judge Xue Lang, then Luoshui's military drill ......"

"This will never happen." Xuan Yunzi said with considerable certainty, "Xue Yuma may have prepared for the worst, but he won't let it happen unless he has to." The Queen Mother, even more so will not happen. Because such a result means the destruction of all, including themselves. ”

"War? …… It's horrible! Princess Taiping had palpitations, "It's just a fish talisman on one side, but it can actually trigger a big killing machine that destroys the world!" ”

"The soldier is dead, but the man is alive. Not everyone can control the Purple Gold Fish Talisman. On the contrary, even if some people do not have a fish charm in their hand, they themselves are more effective than the fish charm. Xuan Yunzi smiled slightly and said, "I think, this is why the Queen Mother used the fish talisman to smash Wu Chenghe's head, turned around and took the fish talisman to the pastoral courtyard, and personally handed it back to the horse." ”

Princess Taiping smiled, "Can we also conclude that this scene is also expected by Xue Lang?" ”

"Who knows?" Xuan Yunzi also smiled.

"Xue Lang, it's too bad!" Princess Taiping looked angry and a little proud, and said in a broken thought, "Now even my mother dares to calculate, look at how I clean him up when I turn around!" ”

"The princess is angry, this can't really be called 'calculation'." Xuan Yunzi smiled slightly and said, "There is a tacit understanding between the Queen Mother and the concubine that outsiders can't interpret. They may not be absolutely harmonious with each other, but they will definitely not turn against each other easily. They will not allow anyone to break this tacit understanding. Wu Chenghe, who didn't know the current affairs, recklessly touched this taboo and returned home in an instant. If it weren't for the fact that he was the queen mother's valued nephew, how could the end be so easy? ”

"Then can I understand that this tacit understanding between my mother and Xue Lang is not only the envelopment of mother-in-law and teacher-student friendship, but also the strongest combination of imperial power and army?" Princess Taiping asked.

"Exactly." Xuan Yunzi smiled slightly, "The imperial power and the army, the queen mother and the concubine - that's it!" ”