February 13 of the 11th year of Emperor Shaojing.

It has been ten days since the embarrassed Fengzen team returned from the Shulong Mountain Range, but the negative emotions such as "depression", "panic", and "confusion" that came with the team are like floating objects pushed by the big waves to the bend of the river, accumulating more and more, stagnating, and slowly emitting a stench called "chaos".

Although all the people in the imperial capital who knew about this matter tried their best to cover up the secret: however, when three of the heads of the five great families of the current dynasty could not return on horseback by themselves, when the emperor of the current dynasty, who had always looked down on the world, also lost the invincible momentum that enveloped him at the previous moment, and when every one of the people who accompanied the enshrined Zen was like a castrated stallion, it was not difficult for people who did not know everything on Chengjing Peak at all, and it was not difficult to guess what had happened.

Not to mention.

The news from the Yuntai lineage, like wildfire sweeping across the earth, has already spread the news that "Emperor Shaojing's assassination is equivalent to a wasted person" all over the world.

From Jinzhou to Songzhou, from Mingzhou to Yuanzhou, from Longhu Mountain to Lianyin Temple, from Langya Manor to Longtianbao in the East China Sea, the leaders representing different forces are nervously thinking and analyzing, hoping to choose the best and safest path for their family before the arrival of the seemingly inevitable troubled times.

The strong seek to carve up, the weak try their best to protect themselves, and every "self-confident and capable" person also begins to be stupid, from thinking about whose door to join, to testing the space for profit, the Spring and Autumn Drama has been staged countless times in the past four thousand years, and the curtain will be opened again, different people begin to run around the world, and they are united in vertical and horizontal, lobbying and taking refuge, and the intricate schemes begin to be put into practice, and the enthusiastic generals begin to rub their guns and tie their horses, and the place that is predicted to be there will not be a fight for the time being ushered in a group of immigrants who think they are prophets. Those who do not have the ability or determination begin to voluntarily give up "freedom" and "wealth" and take refuge in the powerful forces that are close to the left.

In ten days, there have been more than 100 large households in the territory of the Qu Zou Qiu family and pledged allegiance, and the same thing is happening in Langya and the East China Sea.

The most reassuring thing is that the people of northern Hebei, the first area to fall into chaos, have begun to gradually calm down, and with a sense of schadenfreude, they have begun to prepare to taste what they have experienced as a bystander, and will spread out the taste of the world with a scale of ten times and a hundred times.

The era when the ambitionists regarded it as an opportunity was something more terrible than anything in the hearts of ordinary people, who accounted for more than ninety percent of the entire population, and the ancient adage of "it is better to be a dog of peace than to leave the people in chaos" has been picked up again, and it has been handed over to countless faces with bitter smiles, sadness, helplessness, or indifference.

The door to troubled times has been opened for everyone...

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Dijing, the eastern suburbs, the night, the bright moon is full.

The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, and in the cold sky, only the North Star and a few Liao Liao are still insisting on flashing to the sky, not only can not make people recall the grand occasion of the starry sky, but it seems more and more lonely and desolate.

(Li family, where should we go?) ）

When thinking like this, Li Xianfeng relaxed his control over his body for a while, and immediately felt a stinging pain surging up, and he was busy pressing down, but he couldn't hold it back, his body trembled violently a few times, and coughed out heavily.

In the cold night, this cough spread far away, and every child of the Li family who heard it shrank back, not daring to speak, silently enduring the slightest cold in his body.

"Daddy..."

The low voice couldn't hide the uneasiness that came out of it, and the girl sitting beside Li Xianfeng hadn't even reached the double ten, and her innocent face was mixed with worry, and she hadn't experienced much of the wind and frost in the world.

"Dad, let's go in, it's windy, your body..."

"No, I can't go in yet..."

Gasping, Li Xianfeng waved his hand and tried to sit up a little, trying to look as majestic as possible.

"At least, you have to get an answer..."

Among the five masters, Li Xianfeng, who was the first to be knocked down by Xuanwu, was the most seriously injured, even more miserable than Emperor Shaojing, no matter how hard he tried, in the end, he could only face the reality that unless he applied some secret methods that cost him life or limbs, it would be impossible for him to exert more than forty percent of his original strength.

Fortunately for the emperors, he understood that this was only a temporary phenomenon, and after refining all the fist strength that was still entrenched in his body, after all the injuries were recovered, he would be able to regain his strength, or even, after experiencing such a life-and-death situation, he might be able to go to the next level.

Unfortunately, however, he himself also knew that an injury like this would not be able to heal in less than a year unless a miracle occurred. And to ensure this speed, you must also put down all family affairs and meditate on yourself for at least three months.

A year, in peacetime, it doesn't matter, but now...

The Li family Ding is not prosperous, passed on to Li Xianfeng's generation, there is only one son and one daughter under his knees, none of them have achieved great success, although there are two brothers, they are only mediocre cultivation below the middle of the seventh level, although there are many protégés in the officialdom and military circles, but Li Xianfeng, who has always been suspicious and unkind, has no virtue, and when there is a real change, it is difficult to say how useful it is.

Politics, intrigue, wealth, connections... All of these are very important things, but in the present world, there is nothing more important than strength, when a family proves to be unable to protect itself, then no matter how many resources it has accumulated, it will only become a beautiful bait in the eyes of others.

In the past three days, there have been no less than ten cases of people asking for meetings, asking for advice, or directly provoking the peripheral forces of the Li family under various pretexts, although each case has been dealt with quite perfectly, but for Li Xianfeng, after every such thing, his gray hair will add a few more stems.

He understands that this is just those who have not yet "grasped" the patient verification, and he understands that every time he deals with things, there are countless pairs of blazing eyes in the dark to examine themselves and analyze them carefully.

(When the answer is reached, what position will the Li family be placed in?) ）

With a wry smile, he understood that this answer was meaningless at all, and the experience of "beating the water dogs" and "falling into the well" could only be regarded as "common sense" in any family that could survive for more than a thousand years.

(Hate, if I had known that I would be today...) ）

Any veteran family that can live in the temple for more than a hundred years is well versed in the truth of the virtual and the real, and the capital that will be seen by others will definitely not be the whole capital, and in most cases, it will not use the strength of those pressing the bottom of the box, but the problem is that no matter what kind of strength, there must be a commander who can perfectly operate it to make its sense.

However, the Li family, at this moment, has not.

Always convinced that the "second power" is like a potential "traitor", Li Xianfeng is always careful to prevent the emergence of such characters, from strength to wisdom, he always strictly controls all the details, watching the growth of each clan's children, vigilant every elder and general, and paying attention not to let anyone grow to the point where he can dominate the same family, with his efforts, since the first establishment of the family name, the "Jinyuan Li family" has indeed spent more than ten years of considerable peace and tranquility, but at the same time, Where no one is paying attention, a shadow that cannot be repaired is also quietly growing.

It's not that no one notices that kind of crisis, but ...

"Every hunter can also fight dogs, but if you want to hunt bigger prey, you should have the courage to fight tigers!"

"Or does the head of the family himself not have the confidence to be the king of the tiger?!"

The fierce questioning, the consequences can be imagined, the crazy young man from the side was violently reprimanded and suppressed, and finally was driven out of the Li family and removed from the family tree.

Although, when he was still a teenager, he was already regarded as a martial arts genius in the Li family, who was known for his spells, once in a thousand years, but when weighing the importance of "talent" and "order", Li Xianfeng finally resolutely chose to maintain the "order" thing, just like back then, he rejected Li Bing, who was willing to return, with a "resolute" attitude...

All along, Li Xianfeng never doubted himself, "Ten disciples who follow the 'order' will be more beneficial to the family than a 'talent' who is arrogant and self-serving." It was his principle that never changed.

However, at this moment, facing the cold night sky and stroking his violently trembling chest, Li Xianfeng began to doubt his judgment for the first time.

"Principles are good, but no principle is above all, remember, you are only a 'man' and not a 'saint'..."

Many years ago, the advice of his friends did not make Li Xianfeng pay attention to it, although that kind of exhortation also caused him to take some actions, some "tolerance" that he did not give Li Bing, but in his heart, he didn't care, he only regarded it as a casual throw, and never hoped for a possible return.

(Now, my friend, I hope you're right...) ）

Panting, Li Xianfeng grabbed the white towel beside him, covered his mouth hard, and his shoulders shook violently.

(Even if it's only for three months, even if it's just a one-time shot, as long as it shows the outside world that the Li family still has a powerful guardian...) ）

"Daddy..."

There was no way to peek into her father's heart, and the worried girl could only slowly beat her father's back, worried, but couldn't think of anything to explain.

Then, the sound of the flute, like a heavenly sound, oozes out of the night.

Temporarily distracted by the beauty and ethereal nature of the voice, the girl did not notice Li Xianfeng's reaction.

Suddenly squeezed the white towel in his hand, Li Xianfeng's body became stiff, he was proficient in the rhythm of poetry and books, and he had only heard a few notes of it, and he had already heard its melody.

JIANG Youbian.

Jiang Youbian, the son returns, not me. I don't think so, and I regret it later.

Jiang Youzhu, the son of the return, not with me. No, I am with, and then I am also.

Jiang Youtuo, the son returns, and I don't have to live. If I don't pass, its howl will also sing.

His face changed several times, and the green tendons in his hands appeared, Li Xianfeng's face was blue, as if he saw the proud and noble young man again, and he slashed out with a sword, but he didn't hurt any of his own clansmen, but just abandoned the sword gloomily and went away with wine.

I still remember that it was dusk, and his drunken song was faintly heard in the smoke and dust all the way.

No, I will regret it later!

If I don't pass, its roar is also a song!

(Can't you forgive me?) ）

Wheezing, Li Xianfeng bent his body down, and in the gloom, the injuries in his body seemed to be in conflict again.

The next moment, his eyes suddenly glowed with excitement!

The sound of the flute suddenly changes, high-pitched into the clouds, and the sound is sad and angry!

He is separated, and he is the seedling. The line is vigorous, and the center is shaky. Those who know me say that I am worried; Those who do not know me say what I want. Who is this?

He is separated, and he is the spike of grass. The line is vigorous, and the center is drunk. Those who know me say that I am worried; Those who do not know me say what I want. Who is this?

He is separated, and he is real. The line is vigorous, and the center is like choking. Those who know me say that I am worried; Those who do not know me say what I want. Who is this?

(This is, Huang Li, it's Huang Li...) ）

Shouting silently in his heart, Li Xianfeng seemed to see the figure of the arrogant young man again, who was scolded and waved away, which was once regarded as "arrogant" and "rude".

Those who know me say that I am worried, and those who do not know me say what do I want?

Hello sky, who is this!

(Mu Xian, it's my fault, it's me who blamed you and forced you wrongly...) ）

couldn't control himself anymore, Li Xianfeng bent down, buried his whole face in his hands, wantonly indulged his feelings, and let tears wash down with "remorse", regardless of the girl who was already at a loss on one side.

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In the darkness, on the tall tree, the white-clothed, fairy-like swordsman sighed, clinging to the piccolo, silently staring at the huge mansion in the darkness, without saying a word.

(Mussein, why...) ）

Not far away, with a touch of sadness, the luxurious woman who always decorates herself with seven-colored satin rarely has no decoration, and her plain clothes stand in the middle of the night.

(I've already said I'll never care about them anymore...) ）

"That thing, he can't do it."

A low voice that seemed non-human, with a strange vibration, sounded from the darkness, and patted Qiong Feihua's shoulder.

"For a Great Xia man, the family and surname are seared into the soul from the beginning, whether he admits it or not, he can't give up, whether the family accepts him or not, he can't let himself really forget..."

"'Under Heaven'..."

Whispering the code name of the man behind him, Qiong Feihua didn't say a word, no matter whether it was strength or wisdom, this man was their leader, but this did not mean that he had enough say on every issue.

In particular, ironically, this man, like the swordsman who was in the middle of the night wind, was a man who had left his family.

No, or even more intensely, compared to the swordsman who can still keep the surname "Li", even the "surname" has taken the initiative to abandon him, the act of "leaving home" is also a personal active choice, but the details of everything are not clear even the four people of the "Ice and Fire Ninefold" who lived and died with him.

"Anyway..."

There was a strong will in her voice, so that Qiong Feihua couldn't help but turn her head to look at him, but she only saw the corners of her mouth that were extremely sharp and sharp, and her sharp eyes that exuded a trace of "yin qi".

"'Family affection', like 'love', will make men do things that they know are wrong..."

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When Li Xianfeng was worried about the future of the Li family, in the western part of the imperial capital, a slightly smaller than the Li family, but also a vast and magnificent mansion, the same sleepless owner, was holding his hands, silently bathing in the moonlight.

(What's next?) ）

(Such an opportunity may not be able to happen once in a thousand years, but the current Heishui Wanyan family really doesn't have enough strength to play this game...) ）

(It's a shame that Xiang Ren would choose to join the prison at such a time...) ）

(Obviously, he told him to try to maintain his strength in order to wait for Hou Zhongyuan's opportunity, Fu Long, how did he do it... ）

Frowning, with a thoughtful and unfathomable expression, when the head of the military department of the court, the Xia official Da Sima, the head of the Heishui Wanyan family, and the Wanyan Qianjun, fell into contemplation.

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In the middle of the imperial capital, in a simple mansion that is quite inconspicuous in appearance, the owner who looks equally inconspicuous is leisurely tasting wine and admiring the moon with several strategists.

"There is no one who will not die, there is no family that will not decline, there is no dynasty that will not end, and there is no peace that will not be interrupted, so instead of frowning for the future, it is better to enjoy the flavor of Mingyue wine now."

"After all, no matter how beautiful something is, once it is covered with blood, it will always lose its original deliciousness."

Leisurely said such "irresponsible" words, when the Taibao, the head of the Sun family of the Dongjiang River, Sun Wuzhi raised his glass to the moon and said with a smile: "In short, there is wine today and drunk today, princess!" ”

The head of the house expressed such a attitude, of course, the guests could not be disappointed, with their own thoughts, the guests raised their wine glasses in a mess.

"But, Taibao."

There have always been people who are regarded as "ruined" because they are "too serious", and even if the head of the family has made such a statement, there are still undead strategists, hoping to fulfill their responsibility of "admonishing".

The emperor was seriously injured, the world was shaken, and seeing that another round of order reorganization was just around the corner, the enterprising and responsible strategists were of course unwilling to be seen as inactive, although the lord seemed to have such a negative attitude, they still couldn't help but want to finish their words.

The world is in turmoil, and it is good for anyone to have the opportunity to chase the deer, and it is good to sit quietly and wait to cooperate with any new master, but even then, before discerning Allah, it should be appropriate to work on whether they will have a better future.

The temptation of putting the artifact of "the world" in his palm and putting the "emperor" under his body is simply a spell that no one can resist, and I don't know how many people will put everything on it when the chance is very small, and gamble on a future, but whenever he hears this proposal, Sun Wuyi always shows a tired expression, waving his hand and refusing to say anything more from the strategists.

"The emperor's surname... That thing needs to be blessed. ”

Holding the wine glass in the palm of his hand and turning it slowly, Sun Wudi slowly said his opinion: the Dongjiang Sun family, which is still a short family, is one of the most important families in the current court, and this kind of glory is the limit of the Sun family, and if you want something bigger, then you should work together with the whole family to slowly accumulate blessings for the "future".

"In short, I am a very unproductive head of the family, the current wealth has made me very satisfied, my biggest dream is to be able to survive this wave of wind and waves safely, at least, but also to leave a net worth to be a rich man, right?"

His eyes narrowed into two coins, and Sun Wuji, who was a little "obsessed" in appearance, was a vivid portrayal of the words "no ambition", but... If you can only understand the people who speak on the surface, you are not qualified to sit around this small table at all.

"Safety" and "at least stay" are the central messages he wants to convey to everyone, which means that with the current strength of the Sun family, it is not enough to personally participate in the battle for the "world", and the reckless investment will only make the family's accumulation in vain, but it is better to pass on the signal of "no desire" in exchange for the relative goodwill of other forces.

The attitude was quite clear, but compared to the incomparable golden temptation, this indication did not seem to be sufficient, and after calculating the chips in his hand, there were still strategists who had to speak boldly.

"The second master now has such a power..."

Being able to say the word "second master" openly shows that the strategists at this table are the core members who have the most trust from Sun Wu, but even so, immediately, they all began to regret it.

The mildness suddenly turned into a chill, and the smile on his lips froze instantly, and at that moment, what emanated from Sun Wuyi's body was a chill that was even more pressing than "winter".

Then, with a relaxed smile, he brought the glass to his mouth and poured the crisp liquor into his stomach as if nothing had happened.

"It's okay, he was expelled from the Sun family by my own hands, so I don't think he can remember having my brother."

"What's more, although he has unparalleled strength, he is just a child who doesn't know how to control himself."

Sighing, Sun Wuyi's expression seemed to be infinitely emotional.

"The fact that a commander with a million-strong army came to assassinate His Majesty alone may make the sergeants more supportive, but those who really hold the power will lower their expectations of him because of this."

"Fortunately, I insisted on expelling him at the beginning, otherwise, today's Sun family may be unimaginable..."

Speaking derogatory words, Sun Wuyi's eyes still flashed with sparks that no henchman could see through. The spark, which had nothing to do with the person in front of him, was ignited by an old man many years ago.

"It's okay, he really shouldn't have been born in our grandson's family."

"He is a giant bird, a giant bird that lifts its wings to the sky and sings the clouds, if he is born a hundred years later, he may lead the Sun family to achieve the emperor's cause? However, the current Sun family is still too weak to support his flight. ”

"Therefore, you must drive him away and let him fly by himself, only in this way, when he falls, he will not let the entire Sun family bury him."

"I'm old and weak, such a dirty job can only be handed over to you, no violation, hard work for you..."

The wind stirred, whipping up small dust tornadoes on the walls, whirling and extinguishing.

Smiling, Sun Wufu threw the wine glass back on the table, stood up, squinted, and looked at the bright moon that was so round that it was almost wooden.

"The wind has blown over..."

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"Sun Taibao is a smart man."

Standing in the dark hall, after listening to the report of his subordinates, Zhong Da did not move, and simply said this.

"Knowing the three words of advance and retreat, in fact, few people can really understand it."

"It is worthy of being a person who claims to never choose a dangerous path, and at a time like this, there is indeed nothing safer than this position."

"Smart people... This is the definition given by his father-in-law to Sun Wuji? ”

Four or five steps behind Zhong Da, lying on a small case, it was Zhong Qin, the head of his three disciples, holding a pen, not knowing what he was writing.

"In other words, the father-in-law thinks that you don't have to think about him?"

"Yes."

Zhong Da said: "Sun can't be put in the game of competing for the world, and he represents the Sun family to stay out of the matter, in this way, even if Sun can't be destroyed, the Sun family can still maintain enough capital to continue the family's wealth." ”

"And if Sun can't really be proud..."

When the word "proud" was spoken, Zhong Da's voice stopped slightly, and he paused obviously before he continued.

"At that time, as the emperor's blood family, the Sun family can still get the most generous benefits, no matter how many dragons the people of Yuntai have, the first to get the title of the land, but it must still be Sun Wuvio."

"Hmm."

Nodding, Zhong Qin said again: "The Li family can also be erased?" ”

Zhong Da said lightly: "Yes." ”

"Li Xianfeng is seriously injured and difficult to recover, if Jian Xian doesn't go, I'm afraid he won't be able to survive these few months, and the Li family below can only work hard to protect themselves, and they don't have the courage."

Zhong Qin sighed, lifted his pen, dipped himself in a dish of red vermilion sand on his right hand, and wiped a stroke on a plain paper in front of him, and erased the word "Li".

There were originally five lines of text on the paper, from top to bottom, in order: Cao, Liu, Sun, Li, and Wanyan. At this moment, the word Sun Li had been erased, Zhong Qin bit the pen in his mouth, tilted his head to look at the plain note, and his expression was very serious.

After being silent for a while, Zhong Qin pursed his lips and said, "Wanyan Qianjun can also be removed, right?" Although the Blackwater army is strong, it is now being dragged by the Xiang people and cannot be separated. ”

He said, "It's a person, do you want to think about it?" ”

Zhong Da sneered: "The sea has been immeasurably quiet for many years, and in the end it is moving again. ”

He also said: "As long as King Wude is in one day, Xiang Ren will not worry about it for a day, and he will not care." ”

Suddenly, he said: "Actually, it doesn't matter if King Benwude is not there. ”

"As long as Xiang hasn't learned to spend the night under the tiles, he can never be omitted."

Zhong Qin was slightly stunned, and suddenly had a look of understanding, and said respectfully: "Gonggong Xie pointed out." ”

Zhong Da waved his hand and did not speak.

After a while, he said, "Heishui finishes the Yan family... Let's erase it first, but we still have to be careful, send more people, and be the most capable. ”

"It's hard to predict where the 'dragon' thing will fly..."

Zhong Qin agreed, and also wiped a stroke on the word Wanyan, and said, "Father-in-law... Father-in-law? Seeing that Zhong Da didn't answer, he stopped talking.

Thinking silently, for a while, Zhong Dafang slowly raised his head, squinted, looked out from the half-hidden hall door, and completely devoted his gaze to the seemingly endless darkness.

"There are only two left."

"Cao Zhi, Liu Zongliang, among the two of them, who will have the courage to do the 'world's first plan'?"

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Emperor Jingdong City, Liu's house.

As the founding hero of the country who has shared the glory and disgrace with the current emperor's family "Kaijing Zhao family" for many years and intermarried for many generations, the mansion that the Liu family has divided will naturally not be small, and as one of the most powerful families today, the mansion of the Liu family is certainly not bad.

The total area is more than 500 acres of land, which even includes the entire original mountain and a small lake, although such a scale is far from being compared with the Yuzhong Lingxiu, the continuous mountains of the Wang family "Langya Manor", it is not as strong as the East China Sea, looking at the ocean of the "East China Sea Dragon Heaven Castle" The growth and openness of the world, but in the imperial capital of this laurel rice bead, such a scale of mansion is the first luxury in addition to the Forbidden City.

From front to back, there are a total of eight houses, although the number is not much, but when each house is large enough to accommodate thousands of people without feeling crowded, the luxury and grandeur of the ancestors of the Liu family can be seen.

The distance between the sixth and seventh houses is the largest, and there is a blue stream flowing softly, with thousands of willows and bamboos on both banks, strange flowers and rare grasses, forming a green garden about thirty steps wide, although there is no visible protection on both sides, but everyone in the Liu family also knows that if you don't get the approval of the head of the house, Liu Taibo, you want to stroll in it... That might be a good option for suicide.

In the bamboo forest, on the side of the stream, two people are walking.

The old man who was walking forward with a cane, wearing a very ordinary coarse cloth clothes, his snow-white hair was not combed too well, and the unkempt overflowed from the front of his ear and forehead, almost covering both of his eyes, he was old, his movements were already very slow, and his eyesight was not good, although he had a cane with a thousand knots in his hand, he still stumbled on the colorful cobblestone road paved by the stream, and the steps were high and low, if it were not for the purple-clothed girl on his side to hold carefully, he would have fallen down a few times.

The two of them paced slowly, tracing the stream up, gradually bypassing a forest tree, and saw a small garden.

The garden, with bamboo fences crossed, the garden gate is also made of several bamboo poles, very rough, and this wealthy mansion is very unlined, but this crane hair rough old man seems to be quite compatible.

There are two hand-cut wooden planks hung on the garden gate, swaying in the evening breeze, and from time to time they also hit the bamboo door.

On the white surface cut out, two sentences were inscribed, which were written in black ink, and the font was also very extensive, and the tendon frame was not very particular, but the tone was very large, but it was:

The self-enclosed peach orchard is too ancient, and it wants to plant a big wooden pillar for a long time.

When I looked closely, the ink had all been submerged in the wood, and the subtleties had cracked, as if I had been writing for an unknown number of years.

The old man looked at the front of the garden, stood still panting, raised his hand and wiped the messy hair on his forehead, squinted at the two planks, suddenly smiled, moved his shriveled lips and read it twice, and said, "What a big breath! ”

"When I was young, I really didn't know how thick the sky was!"

The purple-clothed girl smiled softly and said, "When the teacher said this, is he dissatisfied with his father, or does he think that my student is too unqualified?" ”

The old man smiled and said, "The girl is just fast-talking." But he didn't say any more.

The two of them had already walked to the front of Xiaoyuan at this time, and the people inside heard the voice, pushed the door out together, and said respectfully: "Mr. is back." ”

The old man stopped, waved his hand, and said, "I know." Ignoring a few people, he walked straight in, and the purple-clothed girl smiled apologetically at a few people, and also bypassed the side of several people, and went with the old man.

The people looked at each other and were speechless for a while.

Counting from left to right, these four people are Tang Bing, Dongyuan Gong, Xia Huang Gong Cui Guang, Qili Ji Wu Shi and Jiaoli Mr. Zhou Shu, collectively known as "An Liu Sihao", they are usually considered to be the highest thinkers of the "Peishang Liu family", and together with their strength, they can influence Liu Zongliang's decision-making and the direction of the Liu family... At least, in the eyes of outsiders, that's how it is.

In the entire Liu family, there are always more than 100 people who know the existence of this old man, but among them, more than ninety percent of them think that this old man is a generation of yarrow who has a great relationship with the Liu family.

Tang Bing, Cui Guang, Wu Shi, Zhou Shu, Yun Feiyang... and, two people who, like them, are "not surnamed Liu".

The old man has a strange temper, and he has always acted without saying a reason, a few months ago he suddenly said goodbye, did not leave a word, and only took away the purple-clothed girl.

In the past ten days, in response to the possible turmoil in the world and the direction that the Liu family can choose, the high-level of the Liu family has held more than one secret meeting, but, in the face of multiple temptations and threats, no one has enough courage to throw the last dice, although all the arrangements and efforts of the Liu family in the past ten years are almost all moving in that direction, but when the "opportunity" really comes, everyone, every person who has a personal stake in it, but can not be cautious and careful, can not go to that at will" Final Decision".

It's not that they're cowardly, it's that the consequences of that "choice" are too serious: success will swallow everything, defeat will be doomed, and no one dares to play that kind of game.

This afternoon, the old man suddenly returned to the house, the four of them were naturally overjoyed, and immediately rushed to his residence to pay respect, but the old man did not know, he actually took the girl to the garden to play, until the middle of the night to return, Liu Zongliang was also bitter that the old man had been waiting for a long time, and wanted him to come back, to discuss the future strategy, but it was also strange, to see that when the sky was nearly dark, he suddenly beat his horse and left, only said that he was going south to the headquarters of the Liu family, and there was no superfluous explanation, so he went, and the four of them were even more worried in their hearts, and they didn't know what it meant.

(Seeing that it is a chaotic situation, if Ming Gong and Mr. are out of harmony at this time, it will not be a good thing...) ）

Worried, but unable to do anything, the four of them quietly guarded outside the Hou Garden with a helpless wry smile, not daring to go or enter.

Fortunately, the old man didn't seem to have any intention of embarrassing them, and after a while, he only heard the garden gate, he had turned out again, stood by the staff, looked at the four people, and after a while, suddenly said: "How long has Gong Liu been gone?" ”

Tang Bing was slightly startled, and arched his hand: "Ming Gong walked when it was almost dark. After thinking about it, he said: "Ming Gong is in a hurry, so..." was stopped by the old man waving his hand, and said with a smile: "Good walk." ”

When the four of them were stunned, the purple-clothed girl smiled softly and said, "The teacher's meaning is that my father is walking in line with the teacher's intentions, which shows that my father already knows the teacher's intentions, so he has to make this trip." ”

The girl's voice was soft and soft, very good, as if a clear jade spring was slowly pouring into a silver platter, and there was no smoke at all.

I saw the old man roll his eyes to the sky and said, "Since Liu Gong has returned south, it shows that he has made up his mind." ”

"I went to April, visited four states and nineteen prefectures, and finally confirmed what I suspected and really grasped the secret."

But he didn't continue, and suddenly said: "The matter of northern Hebei, Zhou Gong has been negligent." ”

Zhou Shu has been sitting on pins and needles since he appeared, and when he heard him speak, he hurriedly said: "Zhou Shu is confused, and he is careless for a while...", but like Tang Bing, he was stopped by the old man waving his hand.

The old man was stunned, and said with a smile: "I can't blame you, I was the first to go." ”

"Tianji Kid's intentions are really terrifying, 'Five Bulls Open Mountain' was originally an old plan of the soldiers, but his use like this is unpredictable, amazing, really amazing."

He praised in his mouth, but his face was not moving, and there was no expression at all, and the girl always smiled lightly, and there was no expression beside him.

The old man looked at the four of them and said, "In your opinion, what is the urgency at the moment?" ”

The four of them glanced at each other, and Tang Bing arched his hand and said, "When it's Sun can't." Yuntai has always been strong and strong, at this moment to take Jizhou first, there is no trouble, and then snipe His Majesty, morale is greatly boosted, if the grain and grass are enough, I am afraid that there will be changes after the autumn. ”

The old man sneered and said, "Nonsense! ”

He also said: "If this is the case, what will Liu Gong do when he goes south?" ”

He also said: "Princes, Sun has been unable to defend southern Hebei for ten years, and has never invaded the south on a large scale, what is the reason for that, have you figured it out?" ”

Tang Bing was slightly stunned, and thought: "What is there to think about, the north of Hebei is not solid, if the military affairs in the south are unfavorable, an edict arrives, it will be difficult to go to the belly and back to suffer the enemy's worries, but the north of Hebei is bitterly cold, Shengjing City is strong, if the strong army is captured, if it is urgent, the army enters from the pass, the same is a two-sided attack, of course Tianji Ziwei will not make such a move..."

"What really makes Sun unable to scruple with the Tianji boy is not the Gongsun family in northern Hebei, but Hanzhou!"

"To put it bluntly, it is the 'Langya Wang Family' and the 'Quzou Qiu Family' that are sealed to the east and west of Hanbei respectively!"

"Although these two families are only sealed by 10,000 households, if they have the heart, they will do their best, and within three months, they will not want to live in Hanzhou!"

The four of them looked at each other, but they were not convinced.

"Filial piety king" Wang Siqian, "Confucian sage" Qiu Yangming, such a name, is no one can ignore, in the four of them discussed the general trend of the world after that, of course, it has been discussed more than once, in their minds, the position of these two people has always been ambiguous, Qiu Ao and the two families are famous for "only loyal to the emperor, not a surname", has been the case for thousands of years; Wang Siqian has a good relationship with Sun Wu, if it is said that the two will do their best to snipe Sun Wu, it is really hard to imagine.

"The teacher doesn't mean that they will fight."

Smiling slightly, the purple-clothed girl spoke again.

"It's that in this case, Hanju will not be able to fight."

If you do your best, Yuntai Mountain can of course destroy the two Qiu Wang families together, but before they reach the main force of the emperor's family, they will pick up two of the eight extremes of heaven and earth at the same time, and that kind of thing is not something that Tianji Ziwei will do.

"Therefore, it is unlikely that the Yuntai Army will be too fierce in the territory of Hanzhou to collect food and replenish troops, and it is even less likely to launch a decisive battle without scruples."

The two armies are fighting... That thing has always produced a lot of white bones, throwing tens of thousands of acres of good land into barrenness, no matter what, there may not be many farmers in the whole world who have the courage to cultivate in the exchange of arrows. And even if the two families try to remain neutral, they can't help but express themselves when their traditional interests or the interests of their followers are harmed.

"For the same reason, the imperial army will also have some scruples."

If it is said that Sun Can't be unwilling to offend the two families, the emperor family will have more reason to show favor to the two families, especially the Qiu family, who has been serving as the "inheritance of the emperor's throne" for thousands of years.

"Therefore, the Yuntai army will go south this year, but the first place to start a bloody battle will not be the central part of Hanzhou, but the northwest of Sangbei and maybe even Qinzhou."

"Sangzhou? If that's the case..."

With a sense of surprise, the four of them passed their eyes to each other, and what the girl said was a possibility that they had not thought of at all.

"Yes, the area that first comes into contact with the Yuntai army should be the Cao family's traditional sphere of influence, and it will definitely be just a regional battle, and even Sangnan will probably not be affected."

"In that case, there won't be too much chaos, there won't be a lot of refugees fleeing, there won't be too many displaced people to recruit."

"Therefore, there will not be any farmers who can be summoned and gracious as you imagined, nor will there be a large number of heroes and wise men who go south because they are unwilling to follow Yuntai, do you understand?"

The last sentence was scolded by the old man angrily, and looking at his appearance, it was even more like waving a cane to beat the four people.

Sweating profusely, the four of them couldn't speak, and they all bowed their heads.

Seeing the four of them like this, the old man seemed to lose some anger, paused heavily on the ground a few times, and said: "Fortunately, Liu Gong is an understanding person, otherwise, he would not have gone south at such a time!" ”

Tang Bing's heart had already become a mess at this time, and when he heard the old man talk about it, he was still a little confused, and said, "What does Mr. mean...?" Suddenly, the ground was shocked, and he lost his voice: "Taiping Dao!" ”

The old man smiled and said, "There is still something to teach." ”

Fang Dao: "In the next few months, the Yuntai army will slowly move south, but Taiping Dao will definitely fight with the two states of Songming, with the ability of those local defenders, I believe that at most in June, at least half of the two states will change their surnames to Taiping!" ”

He said in a deep voice: "As soon as the chaos appears, you can take advantage of the fire, the strategy you have drawn up is correct in the details, but you have made the wrong place to implement it, understand?!" ”

The four of them wiped the beads of sweat from their foreheads, bowed down and said, "Mr. Candle, I'll wait for you." ”

Tang Bingnai was the eldest of the four, thought about it, and said: "But, sir, if there is a change in Taiping, then it seems that there should be some changes in Weijinzhou, in that case, how should the Heishui Wanyan family be evaluated?" ”

When the old man heard him ask, he smiled and said, "That's a good question." ”

"But you don't have to worry about the affairs over there, just concentrate on the affairs of the Central Plains."

He muttered and sneered: "Tianji boy, Zhongda Lao'er... One by one, the abacus is good, but the world is so big, and the wisdom is so knowledgeable, do you really think that this flower world is sent by God and only your Guigu family is the master? ! ”

He sneered and whispered, the four of them listened to it, but they didn't understand what Guigu Yunyun meant, and they didn't dare to ask more, and when they were about to leave, Tang Bing suddenly remembered and asked: "Sir, what is the plan over there in Jinzhou, maybe make it clear, teach me to know something?" ”

The old man laughed and said, "Of course. ”

Amidst the laughter, the girl smiled and said, "I'll deal with it over there, and I'll leave tonight." ”

The four of them were slightly startled, and Tang Bing couldn't help blurting out: "Third Miss...", but when he saw that the woman's eyes were suddenly like a knife, he felt a chill in his heart, and he couldn't speak.

The girl's eyes froze, and as if a spring breeze was blowing on her face, as her smile swept over the faces of the four people, she said: "I have eaten and drunk white food in the house for many years, and I myself often feel embarrassed. ”

"At this time when everyone is doing their best, it's time for me, a person who is not surnamed Liu, to make a little effort."

The corners of Tang Bing's mouth twitched, and finally said, "But, Third Miss... The current Golden State is in chaos, although you have a great mind, Miss Three, but you go west alone, or..."

Suddenly, a cold and emotionless voice said, "I'll go with my sister." The voice was very close, coming from a few steps behind the others.

The four of them turned around in shock, but who was there?

The old man coughed and smiled, "You're almost late." ”

As he spoke, a slender figure paced out of the bamboo forest dozens of steps away, and arched his hand: "Mr. Liuchi Leijian." ”

(He's back, too...) ）

Trembling, the four of them turned back together, and although it was extremely uncomfortable to turn their backs on the man, compared to that, looking directly at the red gold pupils, which were even more terrifying than beasts and crazier than nightmares, would trigger nightmares after midnight.

The girl smiled and said, "Lei, you seem to have lost weight again?" ”

The man snorted coldly and said, "Give you half an hour, clean up quickly, don't teach me to wait for a long time." ”

The girl rolled her eyes, shook her head, and smiled: "Are you also a little brother?" "But in the end, I still turned around and went into the garden."

(Alas...) ）

Sighing in his heart, Tang Bing didn't dare to reveal his wry smile, and suppressed it in his heart.

Flowing wind, flowing red thunder... In those big clans with both wealth and power, and in those families where every "marriage" is bound to be a "business", it is not uncommon for people like them to never be able to recognize their ancestors and return to their ancestors, and they cannot "surname Liu", but like the two of them, while being resolutely refused to return to their ancestors by Liu Zongliang, they can also get sideways to the most confidential core of the Liu family, and can get the best education and the best training examples that the Liu family can give, but it is really a strange thing that has never been heard of.

In particular, when comparing them with those who were "surnamed Liu", although they were loyal to the Liu family, the thought similar to "no way" still couldn't help but flash in Tang Bing's heart.

(Why, the two of them are not "people with the surname Liu"?) Obviously, as long as Ming Gong says a word, it's fine... ）

Tang Bing, who was contemplative, was interrupted by the old man's words, put his cane on the ground, looked around at everyone, and the old man said in a deep voice: "Finally, I have one more sentence to say." ”

"This time, the plan is not to seek the division of one state and one government, but to strive to show our loyalty to the emperor while accumulating strength."

"Remember you, and remember your glory at this moment, and from this moment on, you have become part of this great plan that will surely leave a name in the books of history."

"No matter if you succeed or fail, you can also leave a name."

"Ladies and gentlemen, from this moment on, the Liu family's plan of 'coercing the Son of Heaven to order the princes' has officially been implemented!"

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"So, that's it?"

There were seven people sitting around the table, in addition to Cao Zhi, there were Cao Wenyuan, Cao Wen and Cao Gongda, Cao Zhongde, Cao Bodao, Cao Fengxiao.

After the return of the self-sealing Zen, Cao Zhi knew that there was a chaos at this time, and he hurriedly recalled Cao Zhongde and Cao Fengxiao, and secretly ordered Cao Yuan to let Cao Zhongkang and the two of them must hold the military power in their hands, and held the Sangbei Yecheng, and ordered Cao Gongming to sneak out of Beijing, to the north to contact several local forces that were closer to the Cao family, and launched all the tigers and leopards, half of them were stationed in the manor outside the city, and half of them entered the palace to protect them. It is hoped that the most advantageous path can be found in this mess.

After seven days of deliberation, there was finally a consensus, so the core personnel were convened today to inform them of the next step.

"Still, I don't think it's likely."

Frowning, Cao Wenyuan slowly said his opinion.

In the meeting just now, Cao Zhi asked everyone to make preparations, return to Sangbei to arrange, and meet the onslaught of the Yuntai army after the summer, and according to the worst plan, that is, Yuntai Mountain may pour the main force here, and the request given to everyone is only to try to save strength when that situation arises, and withdraw the main force from Sangbei.

From Jizhou to the south, the first to bear the brunt is known as the world's first pass of the Great Wilderness Pass, guarded by the giant peak, choking the throat of the entire Jizhou Xiongguan, in history was the boundary between the land of Daxia and the northern aliens, has witnessed countless blood and fire disputes, is also the world's well-known dangerous land, but... Many years ago, that level had fallen into the hands of Sun Bufu, although the imperial army had tried to recapture it more than once, but it never succeeded, and only fulfilled the countless achievements of the Yuntai army in vain.

In addition to the Great Wilderness, of course, there are many roads in and out of Jizhou, but all of them are rugged paths, or intermittent in the mountains, which are not the team of people and horses can walk.

After the customs, the three avenues from the south are taken from Hanzhou, and a horse Pingchuan, the most beneficial army, and if you take Sangzhou, you have to cross the northbound mountain range from north to south: from the territory of Qinzhou, across the entire Sangzhou, extending to the south-central part of Hanzhou and the end of this mountain range, by Zhuoguang, single fox, Mingming, Danxun mountains continuously, the mountain is high and steep, has always been a limit of the east and west border, that is, the empty guests want to go is not a big easy, not to mention the army of people and horses?

"The more north you travel to the west, you can indeed receive the effect of a surprise attack, but compared to that, if you lose, the consequences are too embarrassing."

"The northbound eight crosses are all dangerous, if there are thousands of troops stationed there, it will be difficult for 10,000 people, the morale of the Yuntai army is at the peak at the moment, no matter how much persuasion, why bother to take this risk?"

Listening to Cao Wenyuan's words, Cao Zhongde's eyes flashed, and he said with a smile: "The northbound eight crosses are indeed a natural danger, but that thing can't stop the Yuntai army." ”

"At the beginning, Li Bing and his people did evil to Yuntai Mountain, and as a result, the entire Meishan was uprooted overnight, although thousands of soldiers of the Yuntai Army claimed to be attacked by the desert, but afterwards, who had ever found the traces of their military horses stationed on the desert?"

"You mean, there's another way in the northbound mountains?"

can be the head of Jiuquer Cao, Cao Wenyuan naturally doesn't need others to point out the words to Dominia, and he has already realized it.

"Hmm."

Nodding, Cao Fengxiao added: "Although we don't know, but it is by no means the same as nothing, the Yuntai army has been established in Jizhou for more than ten years, and it must be devoted to the enterprising strategy of all roads, and the mountains to the north are uninhabited, if they really find anything, it is difficult for outsiders to know." ”

After a pause, he had a cold light in his eyes and said: "Moreover, the Yuntai Army's choice to go north from West Vietnam will definitely not be for any surprise attack, but as a last resort. ”

"Hanzhou, there is never such a good time!"

Speaking of an analysis similar to that of the old man of the Liu family, Cao Fengxiao and Cao Zhongde complemented each other and clarified their opinions to everyone, that is, due to the current situation is unclear, Yuntai Mountain will not put the main force on the front line of Hanzhou for the time being.

"Of course, this situation will not be long, in such a whirlpool, everyone will have to express their position sooner or later, but, before that, in order to show that he has the strength worthy of others to follow, Yuntai Mountain must first make some progress in Qinzhou and even Sangzhou."

Hearing such an analysis, everyone's faces were a little difficult to look at.

Qinzhou is bordered by the grassland in the north, half of it is a desert and wild mountain, that's it, Sangzhou is known as a place where businessmen gather, the land is fertile and the water is beautiful, there are big rivers in Sangbei, boats and horses are all profitable, Sangnan has hundreds of miles of good cultivation of good rivers, known as "eight hundred miles of Sangchuan", it is the world's well-known granary fertile soil, the Cao family has been operating here for many years, the interests are extremely heavy, at this moment I heard that the army of Yuntai Mountain will be the first to take this place, are a little shocked.

"No, it doesn't matter, the people of Yuntai Mountain will raid Sangbei at most, but they will not take the Sangnan Prefectures, as long as we are prepared, there will not be much loss."

With a smile, Cao Zhongde relieved everyone's knots.

As mentioned before, the northbound mountains are natural hazards, which are by no means conducive to the advance of the army, especially the heavy grain and grass, and it is even more difficult to cross the mountains and mountains.

"The number of troops coming here will not be too many, and there will be no supply in a short period of time, everything will be self-raised, and at the same time, it must not be too invading the people, so as not to lose the support of the people at the beginning."

"In our opinion, the limit of what Yuntai Mountain can mobilize and dispatch will not exceed 20,000 people, and if they can't quickly raise supplies on the spot, they can switch to war for a few months at most."

"In order to prevent changes in the frontal Hanzhou front, the imperial army will not send the main force here, and at the same time, it is impossible to quickly replenish the military strength from behind, and the Yuntai army does not have the strength to strengthen the south."

"The biggest possibility is to build a city in Sangbei, use it as a base to slowly expand, and when the frontal battle opens, the army of this city can run for the strange army, and if the imperial army wants to appease Sangbei first, it is a taboo to divide the army before the battle."

"So, we're good to go."

Smiling, Cao Zhongde's eyes flashed like death, and every word he spoke seemed to be carved from his mouth with a quick knife.

"You don't have to ask for war, just respond with the words 'strong walls and clear fields', and you can be safe."

Hearing the words "strong wall and clear field", Cao Gongda and Cao Bodao trembled slightly, and they both had unbearable looks, Cao Gongda said: "Instead of this, why not send the army into the mountain first, check the road, and then send it to the military department, please put heavy troops in Babi, if you have gains, can't you resist the enemy outside the mountain, so as not to lead the war into the mulberry?" ”

Cao Zhongde said with a smile: "Fifth brother has always been a Buddha's heart. ”

"But, in this world, where can you hide from the flames of war? It's just a matter of time or time. ”

He sneered again: "If we don't teach the people of Yuntai Mountain to enter the mulberry, how can we openly set up a banner to copy the army, and how can we take advantage of the fire?" ”

"If we don't take this opportunity to expand our strength, how can we have the capital to carry out our father-in-law's 'No. 1 plan in the world'?"

"The world's first plan" came out of the six words, everyone was shocked, Cao Wenhe stood up, pressed his hand on the table, leaned forward, and hissed: "Father-in-law, you... You've finally made up your mind?! There was a look of horror in his expression, but he was also very happy.

"Hmm."

Nodding slowly, Cao Zhi slowly got up, raised his hands weakly, pressed them, and his eyes swept around, and everyone quieted down.

He seemed to be tired, but in Liu Cao's eyes, he could feel that the colorless blazing flames were burning in his chest to the point that they could not contain it, and they had begun to shoot out from his body.

… It is a fire that has been burning for thousands of years, called "ambition", and it has always been known how many troubled times it has created and how many legends it has achieved.

"Wu'er!"

The voice was not very loud, but it was extremely majestic, and when Cao Zhi spoke, everyone was not free and lowered their heads.

"I hereby formally tell you that my will has been decided."

"The Cao family's plan, since then, will be determined for a period of three years, and the potential strength will be sought by him."

"Those who conspire will help the Son of Heaven and order the princes!"

The word "help", everyone was stunned, but when they saw Cao Zhongde and Cao Fengxiao all smiling, they knew that it was all a plan, so they were speechless, but they were all curious: How did the word "coercion" in the original plan be replaced by the word "help"?

In the silence, there was a sudden ringing of the bell, Cao Wenhe frowned, flashed up, and reprimanded: "What's the matter, come in!" ”

I saw a subordinate of Cao's Mansion running in embarrassment from a hundred steps away, still panting in his mouth, and panting as he ran: "Return, go back to the fourth master, the military department has come to visit the mansion!" ”

Cao Wenhe was suddenly shocked: "What is he doing?" Cao Fengxiao had already smiled and bowed to Cao Zhi and said, "Congratulations to my father-in-law, he is finally here." ”

Cao Zhi bowed slightly, sat down steadily, and waved his hand: "Please come in." ”

…