Li Heng has been looking at Kong Sheng deeply. His gaze was deep and penetrating, as if he wanted to see through every inch of Kong Sheng's thoughts. Kong Sheng gradually calmed down, anyway, just wait and see what happens. The emperor secretly went out of the palace to see him, and he must have a deep meaning.

The corner of Kong Sheng's eyes swept over the emperor.

Li Heng's physiognomy was a little older than his actual age, and behind the majesty was an invisible tiredness, which not only showed that the emperor's health was worrying, but also that he was currently in a state of anxiety.

"When you entered Beijing yesterday, I will know." Li Heng was silent for a long time, and finally opened Chrysostom. His voice was low and trembling slightly, but Kong Sheng was shocked when he heard it.

The news of his entry into the city yesterday should not have spread, and the speed of the officials could not be so fast, and the emperor left the palace in advance to wait in Xinghuafang, undoubtedly firmly grasping his whereabouts, and his eyes were all over the city. This contrasts with a reality that surprised Kong Sheng, the seemingly old emperor in front of him was not as incompetent and cowardly as recorded in the history books, and his control of Chang'an City was beyond the imagination of many people.

"Yes." Kong Sheng only replied with one word, without denying it or explaining too much.

"You went to King Zhao's mansion, I wanted to go out of the palace to see you last night, but I was stopped by Li Fuguo, an old thing." Li Heng smiled and waved his hand casually: "Okay, Fuguo, you step back first, and I will say a few words to the Kong family Xiaolang." ”

Li Fuguo didn't dare to slack off, and immediately got up and walked backwards out of the private room, closing the door tightly for the two of them.

Only Kong Sheng and Li Heng were left in the room, and the atmosphere became dull and depressing.

"Kong Sheng. You have made meritorious contributions in Henan. The capture of Luoyang and the expulsion of An Qingxu shook the world even more. But I didn't reward you for your meritorious deeds, have you ever complained about me? Li Heng said lightly.

Kong Sheng bowed down: "Don't dare!" ”

Kong Sheng said in his heart, aren't you talking nonsense? Even if I complained, could I still say it to your face? Crazy?

Li Heng stared at Kong Sheng deeply, his eyes sharp: "You don't dare." Whether you believe it or not, the reason why I didn't give you a reward, took away your military power, and summoned you to Beijing was just to meet you. ”

Kong Sheng was silent.

"On the same day, Sima Chengzhen and Guo Ziyi wrote a book to recommend, saying that you are famous in civil and military affairs. It can be of great use. To tell the truth, I didn't take it to heart, just to give Guo Ziyi a face, so I sealed you a Bapin county order and asked you to go to Henan to take up your post. ”

"However, it wasn't long before you impressed me. Your good news in Henan has come one after another, and you have a place in my heart. Especially when you captured Luoyang and shook the government and the opposition, I finally decided in my heart. You are indeed a young hero who comes out of the time and is worthy of a great responsibility. ”

"You have no foundation in the court. Moreover, your youthful success has aroused a lot of suspicions, and I think that you must know your situation today. ”

Li Heng said this, looking at Kong Sheng quietly.

Kong Sheng bowed down: "The ministers go to the country to face difficulties, just for the people of the country and the world to live and work in peace and contentment, as for personal honor and disgrace, it doesn't matter." ”

Li Heng laughed: "Kong Sheng, don't say such high-sounding words in front of me, I have heard too many such words, since I met you in private today, I avoided the court, I just want to talk to you from the bottom of my heart." ”

"I've actually had a lot of tests for you. If you go straight to Chang'an after taking Luoyang, no matter how great your merits are, I may not hesitate to reward you, but I will never see you. On the way back from Fengxiang, I heard that you were stationed in Luoyang and did not continue west to Chang'an, so I finally made a decision, and this is where we are today. Li Heng's voice was soft, but his gaze was deep and deep.

Kong Sheng secretly said that he was lucky. If it weren't for Sima Chengzhen's reminder, he would probably have been carried away by the victory at that time, and led his troops to the city of Chang'an, with the aura of a man who made the greatest contribution to the suppression of rebellion and the restoration of the country, but he became the object of suspicion of the emperor and the Manchu Dynasty.

"There is no doubt about your literary prowess. Since you have accumulated military exploits and led the army to fight, there is no problem with riding and archery martial arts. But what I value is not your literary talent and martial arts, but whether you can know whether you can advance or retreat, and whether you are young and ambitious. Li Heng smiled slightly: "You didn't disappoint me, so I will go out of the palace today to see you privately." ”

Li Heng's words made Kong Sheng a little foggy and couldn't figure out the edges. He didn't know what the emperor had in mind, and he went out of the palace to see him secretly, which was not as simple as praising himself a few words.

"I have been the prince for 18 years, **** is worried, frightened, and sleeps all night in the office. I didn't expect that the days after I ascended the throne were actually even more difficult than when I became the crown prince. When I was the crown prince, I still had many henchmen around me, but as an emperor, I really became a loner, the civil and military of the Manchu Dynasty, the prince's clan, the subjects of the world, and thousands of people faced me alone, I was cold in the high places, and I was restless in sleep. ”

Li Heng got up slowly, and Kong Sheng had no choice but to get up and stand on one side.

"I put down the rebellion and restored the country, turned the tide, and wanted to recreate the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, to be the ruler of the ages, and never dared to slack off in governing the country. But after all this time, I realized that I couldn't do much on my own. My goal is ambitious, but I can't stretch my hands and feet. ”

Li Heng talked eloquently, Kong Sheng's eyes gradually became brighter, and he faintly guessed the emperor's true thoughts.

"Above the court, there are conflicting interests, there are many factions, and there is no one to trust in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty. And even if he is my prince, what he wants is nothing more than the supreme imperial power in my hands, and no one stands here quietly and listens to my heartfelt words. ”

"Everybody is calculating, and I'm exhausted and exhausted. I live in the deep palace, and countless pairs of eyes are staring at me in secret, and I sometimes wonder how many days I can sit on the throne. ”

Kong Sheng's face tightened, and he bowed down.

"So, I don't want to go on like this, if I want to do great things and achieve great things, I must remove all the obstacles that stand in my way." Li Heng stared at Kong Sheng with blazing eyes: "Do you understand my words?" ”

Kong Sheng took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "The minister understands." ”

"I don't want you to get involved in the dispute between the DPRK and China, I need a trusted confidant who can be absolutely loyal to me, can you reassure me?"

Kong Sheng sighed in his heart, the emperor said for a long time, complained for a long time, and turned a half-corner, in fact, to put it bluntly, he was still worried that he was being set aside by the ministers and the clan, and there was no real power in his hands, and at the same time, he was based on the rebellion, and the sense of insecurity was extremely deep, and now he was still in Chang'an, and the emperor began to lay out to strengthen the power in his hands, eliminate dissidents and suppress meritorious ministers, including the prince's clan that posed a threat to his throne.

Kong Sheng bowed down: "The minister is willing to do his best for the Jiangshan Society, and then he will go to the soup and go to the fire!" ”

Kong Sheng's words are actually still somewhat "technical", what he said is to serve the Tang Dynasty and not to serve Li Heng, the emperor, but in Li Heng's eyes, Jiangshan and Sheji are his imperial power, which makes no difference.

Li Heng laughed: "Get up." (To be continued.) )