Since the failure of the Yuan family's rebellion, Dugu Zhen has become extremely cautious, although he is secretly supporting Li Yuan, but his meeting with Li Yuan has also become extremely secretive, Dugu Zhen knows very well, it is likely that Yang Guang has set up a secret agent in the Dugu family, once his contact with Li Yuan is known to Yang Guang, the Dugu family will cause a catastrophe, and Li Yuan will also be deposed, making their plan fail.

But contact is indispensable, Dugu Zhen can only use various excuses to meet with Li Yuan, and today's full moon wine for his young son is one of his excuses.

In the secret room, the two sat down, Li Jiancheng stood behind his father, Li Yuan was still in Taiyuan a few days ago, and yesterday he entered Beijing to prepare to participate in the debriefing, Dugu Zhen glanced at Li Yuan's slightly swollen and dark eyes, which was a manifestation of excessive wine.

"You have to be careful not to really become a drunkard."

Dugu Zhen persuaded him earnestly: "Actually, as long as you keep your timidity and prudence, he will not suspect you, you are so uncharacteristically addicted to wine, but it will make people suspect that you have a purpose, do you understand what I mean?" ”

Li Yuan smiled bitterly, it was not only Dugu Zhen who persuaded him, he was addicted to wine, his mother and wife were extremely dissatisfied with him, he sighed and said: "That's actually not what I want, my uncle's advice, I will remember." ”

Dugu Zhen smiled, and glanced at Li Jiancheng again, meaning to let him control his father, Li Jiancheng nodded, Dugu Zhen stopped mentioning the matter, and turned the topic to business, "You asked Shimin to talk a few days ago, saying that there is something to find me, what is the matter?" ”

Li Yuan's spirits perked up, and he immediately said, "It's about Yang Yuanqing in Fengzhou." ”

Dugu Zhen nodded, "You go on!" ”

Li Yuan pondered and said, "I think Yang Yuanqing will be our great enemy in the future, didn't my uncle find out?" ”

"You're right, in the past, I just thought he was powerful, but he actually held the imperial examination in Fengzhou, and pulled Gao Gong out, which will give many officials psychological hints, this is a very clever political means, from this incident, I think that he is really terrible, but then again, he is also the backbone of the overthrow of the Sui Dynasty, and he can also be used by us."

Li Yuan shook his head, "It turns out that I thought the same way, but now I find that he is simply waiting, waiting for the opportunity like us, he will definitely not stand up and overthrow the Sui Dynasty first, and at the same time, maybe he still expects us to do it for him, and it is almost impossible to use him." ”

Dugu Zhen paced slowly in the room with his hands behind his back, pondering, for a long time, he stopped and said: "He is still useful, at least he can attract Yang Guang's attention for us, after the news of his imperial examination came today, the whole dynasty was in an uproar, Yang Guang specially asked Wei Ji for questioning, which shows that Yang Guang cares about him very much, which is beneficial to me." ”

Li Yuan hurriedly explained: "I also know that Yang Guang's attention to him is beneficial to us, I mean, can we weaken him as much as possible on the premise of maintaining this advantage, such as Gao Gong, I think it must not be used by him." ”

Dugu Zhen nodded, he agreed with Li Yuan's opinion, Gao Gong's prestige was too high, and staying with Yang Yuanqing was indeed a big threat to them.

"I will deal with this matter, in addition, I want to remind you again, you are not allowed to recruit private soldiers, it is too dangerous, with Yang Xuangan's lesson, Yang Guang has extremely strict control over the recruitment of county soldiers in various places, once he knows, you will be finished."

Li Yuan sighed, "Yang Yuanqing recruits tens of thousands of troops, he doesn't care, as long as we recruit a few hundred people, we will be unlucky, what is this?" ”

"Humph! Do you think he doesn't want to care? He is beyond the reach of the whip, and Taiyuan cannot be compared with Fengzhou. ”

"But I'm worried that in the future, when there is an uprising, I will recruit those peasants who have no training, will they be able to fight against the elite Sui army? Just like Yang Xuangan, what if you have an army of 200,000 in your hands, you will be defeated in a battle, uncle, if you want to succeed, you must have elite soldiers in your hands, a real army, not those homeless people. ”

Dugu Zhen smiled slightly, "Do you think I can't think of it?" The reason why I did everything possible to place you in Taiyuan actually has a deep intention. ”

Li Yuan was stunned for a moment, and looked at Dugu Zhen puzzled, Dugu Zhen comforted him with a smile, "After Yang Liang's rebellion, the troops stationed in Hedong are basically Guanlong's soldiers, and the middle and high-level officers of the hundreds of thousands of government soldiers in Hedong are at least half of our Guanlong nobles' house slaves, as long as you raise troops, I can mobilize other Guanlong families to support you together, not only that, but the Zhuang Ding and fake slaves in our grange add up to tens of thousands of people, not to mention the money and food savings that you can't even think of, so I let you not worry at all, You just have to sit firmly in your Taiyuan position. ”

Li Yuan nodded silently, today Dugu Zhen finally said it thoroughly.

…….

Li Yuan didn't stay in Dugu Mansion for long, so he said goodbye and left, and the carriage walked on the empty and silent street, and the night was dark.

Li Yuan has been silent, the moonlight penetrates through the gap in the car window, shining on Li Yuan's slightly pale face, his eyes are complicated, I don't know what he is thinking?

"Father!"

Li Jiancheng on the side said in a low voice: "I think the Dugu clan has sinister intentions, he uses us as a tool to seize power, as his puppet, once the seizure of power is successful, will the Dugu clan ......?"

Li Yuan showed a sneer for a while, "Maybe he has this idea, but how can I, Li Yuan, be at his mercy?" ”

Speaking of this, Li Yuan said to his eldest son seriously: "To learn to be patient, we need the support of the Dugu family now, we must not turn against them, he uses us, why don't we use him, just to see who can use it to the end, you have to remember my words, in the future, I will slowly let you stand alone." ”

Li Jiancheng nodded, and said: "Father, we don't have to think about Yang Yuanqing's matter, I feel that the Dugu family attaches more importance to him than we do." ”

"That's true, with Dugu Zhen's eyes, how could he not see Yang Yuanqing's threat, let him think about it, let's not ask."

The carriage moved faster and faster, and soon disappeared into the dark night.

……

The next morning, Dugu Zhen hurriedly walked into the side hall of the Xuanzheng Palace, the eunuch Li Zhongliang greeted him, Yang Guang in the pursuit of the Shu King Yang Xiu escaped the case, executed more than 100 guards and eunuchs guarding Yang Xiu, but Li Zhongliang escaped because he found a substitute for the ghost, Yang Guang did not suspect him.

"Dugu Xiangguo, please wait a moment, the Holy Lord is receiving Wei Siqing."

Dugu Zhen nodded, it is estimated that it is still for the imperial examination of Wuyuan County, in fact, he is also here for this matter today.

"I'll just wait a while!"

Dugu Zhen walked into the main hall, Li Zhongliang saw that there was no one left and right, and said in a low voice: "I still have some news, is Dugu Xiangguo interested?" ”

Dugu Zhen glanced at him quickly, Li Zhongliang's face had a sneer and a greedy gaze that could not be concealed, after he was silent for a few months, he couldn't help but reveal his greedy nature again, Dugu Zhen was extremely disgusted with this person, but now he still needs to use this eunuch, he needs to get information about his palace, and some news is very valuable.

"You wrote a note, and it should be given to you, and there will be no less."

Li Zhongliang was overjoyed, and nodded again and again, "I'll send someone tonight!" ”

……

In the imperial study, Yang Guang was listening to Wei Ji's reply from Honglu Temple, about the children of the Wei family in the two high schools in Wuyuan County, Yang Guang was very worried that the Guanlong clan had also begun to support Yang Yuanqing, and he had to find out about this matter, and there was no ambiguity.

"Back to Your Majesty, the minister went back to check on these two people last night, Wei Shiming, who was admitted to the eighth place, is the fifth son of Wei Xun, the younger brother of the minister's family, born to a concubine, and Wei Xun himself did not enter the office, he was sick, and he has been living in the old house of Duling in Chang'an to recuperate, and the minister rarely sees him, the minister really does not know about this matter, and he has ordered someone to rush to Chang'an to question him last night."

"What about Wei Lun, who took the first place in the exam?" Yang Guang asked coldly.

"Wei Lun's minister also found out, he is the son of the Wei family's return to the northern branch, and the relationship is even more remote, and he makes a living from farming."

Wei Ji was telling Yang Guang that although these two people were the children of the Wei family, they were both partial concubines, and going to Wuyuan County to participate in the autumn examination had nothing to do with him, nor did it have anything to do with the backbone of the Wei family.

Yang Guang's face softened slightly, what he was concerned about was whether it was the Wei family's arrangement for these two people to go to Wuyuan County? From the perspective of their identity, although it is possible, it is unlikely, especially the Wei family will not arrange for the children of the Northern Branch, but Yang Guang is still uncomfortable in his heart, because Yang Yuanqing's move is a hint, implying that the Guanlong clan is also supporting him, which will cause many Guanlong clan to misunderstand.

"I can believe that the Wei family did not support Yang Yuanqing, but you must spread rumors about this matter, and you can't let the world misunderstand, and also, how is the Wei family going to deal with these two disciples?"

"The minister must spread rumors according to His Majesty's intentions, about these two sons, the minister discussed with some clansmen last night, and decided to deal with them severely, not to participate in the clan sacrifice for three years, and ordered them to leave Wuyuan County."

Yang Guang's original intention was to let the Wei family drive these two children out of the family and not recognize them as Wei's children, but in this way, the Wei family would be divided, and it would cause some Wei's children to support Yang Yuanqing.

"I know, I'll do what you want."

"Obey the order!"

Wei Ji bowed and retreated, Yang Guang was really a little troubled in his heart, in fact, he was not worried about Yang Yuanqing's expansion of military power, and Yang Yuanqing held the imperial examination, but he attached great importance to it, this is a political move, a sign of Yang Yuanqing's independence, which Yang Guang can not tolerate.

At this time, a eunuch reported at the door, "Your Majesty, Dugu Xiangguo is here, ask to see Your Majesty!" ”

"Announce him in!" Yang Guang sighed helplessly, he hated Yang Yuanqing's imperial examination, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

After a while, Dugu Zhen walked in and bowed, "Minister Dugu Zhen see Your Majesty!" ”

"Dugu Aiqing, what are you anxious to see me?"

"Back to Your Majesty, it's about Gao Gong."

Yang Guang's spirits perked up, which was also something he was extremely angry about, Gao Gong dared to help Yang Yuanqing, he was simply tired of living.

"You say!"

"Your Majesty, you must not let Gao Gong assist Yang Yuanqing ......."

Before Dugu Zhen finished speaking, Yang Guang interrupted him, "This I know very well in my heart, I only talk about your strategy." ”

"Your Majesty, the minister suggested that Your Majesty re-summon Gao Gong to the court as an official, and the minister believes that with the importance he attaches to his reputation, he will not dare not come."

Yang Guang squinted and pondered for a moment, this is a good way, Gao Gong's three sons are all officials in the court, unless he doesn't want his son's life.

Yang Guang thought about it again, then nodded and agreed, "Yes, since he likes to run the frontier, I will appoint him as the doctor of Silitai, and go to appease the Lingnan and Jiaozhi barbarians for me!" ”