"Okay, Wu Zheng, are you the emperor and the king of Luoyang in the past? Could it be that my Great Wu Huo Dynasty will lose in the battle for the prince? Empress Dowager Jing said sharply while leaning over to Wu Zheng.

"A lesson from the past, I hope Your Majesty will think twice about the country!" Wu Zheng ignored the words of the Empress Dowager and admonished directly.

I only heard the "plop" He knelt on the ground and added: "Your Majesty, if what I say is not in line with history, the minister is willing to apologize to the emperor with death, and the queen mother's actions are indeed not a clear move." ”

As he spoke, his voice was low, and no one could hear the last words.

……

If it weren't for the princess of Changle County who solved the predicament in time at a critical juncture, how could the queen mother, who was about to explode that day, let go of this subordinate who dared to directly attack her authority?

The result of that banquet was that the emperor issued two edicts in a row, the first of which was to exempt Huo Yong from the Hajj and all powers in Beijing, and he was demoted to Luoyang, and he was not allowed to enter Beijing during his lifetime; The second way is to canonize Li Ji's son Huo Zhi as the crown prince and break Huo Yong's dream of coveting the prince.

Since then, Wu Zheng has often accompanied the emperor. Whether it was a hunting trip or a southern tour of the Nanjiang River, Huo Gang had to pull Wu Zheng up, and he also privately worshipped Wu Zheng as his own master. Whenever there is a major change or Dafa in the court, he must first ask Wu Zheng's intentions. Under the court, there seems to be no distinction between them and ministers. Huo Gang also often feels, "Win the hearts of the people in the world and protect the people, and the country and the people will be safe; Listen to the words and do good deeds, and Dawu will prosper. I have a sign, such as a mirror, every time I encounter something difficult to decide, ask the mirror? ”

He still clearly remembers that after the banquet that day, Prime Minister Zuo Zhou Zhi waited for Wu Zheng in front of Sima Palace. Zhou Zhi was sincerely appreciative of Wu Zheng's courage and courage today, and invited him to board his own car and make an appointment to work together to smear Wu's liver. While the two colleagues were talking about their interests, a sharp sword swirled and struck the groom in the neck.

Four years later, Wu Zheng once again won the emperor's admiration for his extensive wisdom and firm stance.

Under the calm surface of the Great Wu Dynasty, in fact, the ministers are ambitious, especially Huo Yong, although he has been demoted to live in Luoyang, Xiyue for a long time, but Changjun has never had his bottom line, but whenever there is any wind and grass in the court, even if Changjun comes to report when the secret report comes, Huo Yong will run out with clothes and shoes without wearing.

Yang Tian was once the son of Yang Guang, and Yang Guang was under Huo Yong. Although Yang Guang and Yang Tian are father and son, Yang Tianzhi's temperament is just the opposite of his father, when Yang Guang raised the army to the county, Yang Tian was also the deputy marshal, but in the end, the Great Wu Imperial Court won the whole picture, one of the important reasons was that Yang Tian rebelled against his father's will and secretly sent someone to send a letter to Huo Gang. Therefore, after Da Wu rebelled against Yang Guang, although they were like siblings, their father was killed, and their son was named a lieutenant by his father and stayed in Beijing to work.

Yang Tian secretly made friends with Huo Yong in private, Huo Yong wanted to protect the country in order to chaos, so he actually married his daughter who was 18 years younger than Yang Tian to him, and Huo Yong also knew that his daughter was unwilling in his heart, but this was also his only hole card in the end.

From the day Yang Tian rebelled against Yang Guang, Huo Yong knew from the bottom of his heart that this person was not a gentleman, but a villain among villains. Anyone who had a good personal relationship before, who would dare to mention the word Huo Yong in Changjun now, but the only one who still remembers him is this wolf in sheep's clothing-Yang Tian. But no matter what, after all, Yang Tian is still his son-in-law.

……

Both the government and the opposition knew very well that Yang Tian was manipulated by Huo Yongzhi, including the arrow that pierced Wu Zheng, which was also planned by Huo Yongzhi.

And the government and the opposition, hundreds of officials and the emperor, in the past four years, everyone has been reluctant to support Jing Ji as the queen. She is stingy, mean, bitter and impetuous, and she is in the palace all day long, either counting down the minister, or finding fault with the palace maid, without a little motherly demeanor. But Yang Tian wanted to go to that winter morning full of taste, and he didn't know that the sky was high and the earth was thick enough to advise the emperor to quickly establish Jing Ji as the queen, and the emperor knew that how could a rude person like Yang Tian have such an idea? Then he pointed his head at the king of Luoyang, and when he heard the name Huo Yong, the emperor was furious, and despite the dissuasion of Wu Zheng and the empress dowager, he wanted to abolish the crown prince Huo Yong and set up Huo Wu, the king of Hui, as the crown prince.

Wu Zheng knew that if Jing Ji could not be favored, the position of Prince Huo Yong would be lost sooner or later, and the canonization of Huo Wu was a matter of today and tomorrow, so he stood with the emperor almost without thinking. He knows very well that if he doesn't walk with the emperor, even if he seems to be a master today, he won't know whether his head will fall to the ground tomorrow or copy all over the house. But from the bottom of his heart, he still thinks that Huo Yong is not suitable to continue to be the prince, not only because of his own lack of virtue and talent, but more importantly, because of his own cowardice.

"The minister thought that King Hui was smart and clever since he was a child, with extraordinary talents, and behaved properly, and became the crown prince, which is the hope of the country." His direct advice made other ministers puzzled, but the emperor praised Wu Zheng from the bottom of his heart. Wu Zheng didn't expect that this would further deepen the resentment between him and the King of Luoyang, but he didn't regret it. He also often thinks: I would rather offend thousands of people than offend the emperor, not only the emperor is the ninety-five, but more importantly, what he said, to a certain extent, determines the life of his entire family. After all, if you compliment the emperor, at least in the future, your children and grandchildren will not be able to suffer.

Wu Zheng's generous speech, like iron, was also deeply shocked in the minds of other ministers, and everyone watched the general trend and said in unison with Wu Zheng in the court: "Abolish the prince, establish the king of Hui, rejuvenate the great Wu, and An Minbang." As a result, the court discussion of the abolition of the crown prince changed greatly with the emperor issuing three edicts in a row.

"The emperor's edict: Prince Huo Yong, who has no heroic temperament by nature, has no way to govern, but he is a relative of the royal family, and he is immediately named the king of Dongguan; Starting tomorrow, no resistance is allowed, if you do not obey, you will be abolished as the king of Luoyang, Xiguan. Lihui Wang is the crown prince, Mrs. Li Tian is the queen, and Wu Zheng is the right prime minister and Hui Wang Taifu. Chin this. ”

"Emperor Zhaori: Wu Xiong, the son of Wu Zheng, has fulfilled his duties since he performed his duties, and is now specially named Tai Lieutenant. Degraded Yang Tian as the deputy assassin of Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan. Chin this. ”

"The emperor's edict: The abolished prince Huo Yong has a cowardly temperament, but as his mother Jing Ji not only did not lead correctly, but did the opposite, let it develop, and in the reign, he was perverse, resentful and resentful of hundreds of officials, I have been warned repeatedly, but I do not think of repentance. From today onwards, if you enter the cold palace, you will not be allowed to see it in this life and this life. Chin this. ”

Lord Jing, please make it clear who is responsible for this crazy assassination? Who dares to murder the minister in Changjun, ruin my heart, and mess with my court?

Jing Fan knew in his heart, but he didn't dare to jump to conclusions too early. Suddenly, hearing that Xia Guan was so suspicious, a thought flashed through his mind like a flash of lightning, his heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and cold sweat broke out on his head. He shouted to the deputy commander of the forbidden army: "Quick, you outflank King Gong's mansion with twenty people." He added emphatically: "The others guard the Wu Mansion, and this captain goes to the Zuo Prime Minister Zhou Zhifu to report." ”

The so-called Prince Gong's Mansion is Huo Yong's mansion, and since Huo Yong was demoted, it has been permanently sealed. But judging from Jing Fan's experience in solving cases, these assassins have not gone far, and if they are not mistaken, Prince Gong's Mansion is the biggest focus.

With that, he galloped out of the door, mounted his fast horse, and galloped away......

Before he arrived at Zhou Zhifu, he heard a rapid sound of horses' hooves behind him from a distance.

"Lord Second Lieutenant, Lord Second Lieutenant, Minister Li Zhi has been assassinated", and the other person quickly whipped up again: "Lord Second Lieutenant, Minister Zhou Shaofu has been assassinated." ”

In just a dozen minutes, more than a dozen ministers fell in a pool of blood.

One night in Changjun is not yesterday,

A sharp sword pierces the sky.

Heads fall into pools of blood,

The corpse was lying on the ground.

It was a long-term premeditated assassination, with such clear goals and the same means that even the location of the head seemed to have been carefully planned by the mastermind.

At three o'clock, Chaoyang Road was full of forbidden troops, and on Haidian Street and Chang'an Street, the army was also rapidly gathering.

When Jing Fan accompanied Zhou Zhi to appear in front of Wu Zheng's mansion with all his arms, several old ministers of the court also came one after another to announce the results - all the victims were ministers who supported King Hui as the crown prince. Under the snow, Zhou Zhi's face was as pale as earth, and his face was pale. Zhou Zhi didn't expect that overnight, the Great Wu Imperial Court lost more than a dozen loyal and good ministers, and he said in a low and powerful voice: "In the world of Great Wu, how can thieves make waves?" Second Lieutenant Jing listens to orders! ”

"Prime Minister, here!"

"Quickly order you to order people to go to King Gong's Mansion, and order all city gate divisions to guard strictly, and never let these people have a place to hide filth and dirt."

"Prime Minister, this lieutenant has asked people to go to Prince Gong's Mansion."

"Deputy Right Forbidden Army Commander, you take a group of people to strictly guard the city gates with the city gate divisions, and never let a thief slip through the net."

"No"

The commander of the right forbidden army was just about to leave, but he heard a sound of horses' hooves in his ears, and in a moment, Yanwei Liu Tong had already come to Zhou Zhi.

Zhou Zhi said in a low and powerful voice: "The situation is embarrassing tonight, I hope that the ministers will return to the mansions as soon as possible to wait, and when the assassins of Prince Gong's Mansion are brought to justice, I will definitely sit in the court to try the rebellion, and let them confess to the secret operator, can you?" ”

At this time, the left and right internal histories who were responsible for the security of the Anling area of Changjun also arrived one after another, and Zhou Zhi didn't know where the anger came from, so he was furious for a while, and strictly ordered them to post a list of assassins in the whole city of Anling County, Changjun County, to prevent thieves from sneaking into the countryside and endangering the people.

"Liu Tong," Zhou Zhi said solemnly.

"The subordinates are here" Liu Tong arched his hand and walked in front of Zhou Zhi.

"After you catch the assassin, you quickly find a painter among the people, then you go with me to the trial, then let the painter draw the true face of the assassin, and then you quickly send someone to Xiguan Luoyang to post a portrait of the assassin's true face in the streets and alleys of all sizes. Can you do it? ”

"Please rest assured that the prime minister is loyal to the court, and the prime minister is the deputy chief beam of the country. I will never give up the life of the prime minister. Liu Tongfei blushed and said.

"Prime Minister, why do you want to put up the image of an assassin in Luoyang Prefecture, Xiguan, I don't know?" Liu Tong scratched his head and asked puzzled.

As soon as Liu Tong's voice fell, a trace of complexity flashed in the eyes of the ministers, and everyone looked at each other for a while and laughed. Suddenly, the ministers were talking.

"This villain who specializes in sycophants is a two-headed snake, saying hello here, and bad over there."

"Who would have thought that next time, he would rely on who he would slap on the back?"

"What are the ministers all talking about? Don't hurry up and go to your own duties. Zhou Zhi scolded with a dark face.

When officials from all walks of life have been ordered to leave, it is already a moment. Usually at this time, it is the time for Zhou Zhi to freshen up and prepare for the court. But in the face of this sudden turn of events, he looked at the vast snow, coughed lightly, and sighed: "Strange snow falls from the sky, there must be a big plan." ”

In the future, he had time to change his court clothes, so he hurriedly rode his horse to Changle Palace......

Li Tian's face has been covered with flying red recently, and every time she sees the ministers of the DPRK and China, she has to come forward to say hello, just like before.

Li Tian was originally the daughter of Zhou Zhi, and Zhou Zhi is a native of Yongzhou, Dongyue, according to local tradition, if she is a daughter, she has her mother's surname; If it is a boy, with his father's surname, and because his mother is surnamed Li, her surname is Li, and her nickname is Tiantian. It is said that when Li Tian was four years old, he became a poem in seven steps; When he was eight years old, he memorized the "Classic of Mountains and Seas"; When she was fourteen years old, she wrote verses to it, and no one in the Western Wu Kingdom could say the next sentence. Because Li Tian was too smart, and his father Zhou Zhi was the prime minister of the two dynasties, he was loyal to Dawu, so in the 12th year of the first emperor, the first emperor gave Li Tian to marry Huo Gang. But when Li Tian married Huo Gang, Dawu already had a queen, and now the general trend has changed, she finally trampled on her opponents one by one and stayed in Zuole Palace in one fell swoop.

She has read thousands of books of poetry, but as any girl is jealous, she is no exception. Although she is the emperor's side wife, in her foreground, Ji is Huo Gang's wife, and she is always careful about what she does. But now it was different, the moment she finally saw the Governor of the Internal Assassination Army, Yan Wu, beat Jing Ji into the cold palace in front of her, she was half happy and half worried, she felt a short period of guilt in her heart for Yang Tian being degraded, but this mood was quickly washed away by the worship of the palace ladies and the indescribable joy in her heart. Compared to the queen who is above 10,000 people under one person, don't say that she was demoted by one or two people, even if she sacrifices an army, what is it? It's just that Yang Tian, who originally wanted to ascend, he didn't understand why he stumbled? Why did he instigate him to mention compliments for Huo Yong in front of the emperor, in fact, they were all traps preset by Li Tian, and as for Huo Yong's plot to let Yang Tian compliment Jing Ji, it was just chaos, but who would have thought that he would fall into Li Tian's trap.

The emperor had an epiphany, and after Jing Ji's second daughter was born, the queen mother named her Huo Su, and a year later, under the emperor's insistence and persuasion, the queen mother agreed to change Huo Su to Yin Guohua. Yin Guohua was five years younger than Huo Wu, and when Huo Wu was six years old, when he saw Yin Guohua for the first time in the West Flower Hall of Changle Palace, he liked her very much, so whenever Huo Wu had free time, he would go to the West Flower Hall to find Yin Guohua.

At this time, when the snow was falling, Huo Wutong and Yin Guohua, who was listening to Wu Zheng's lecture together, had a whim, and after dark, they ran together to a bamboo forest at the east end of Chaoyang Road, because Huo Wu had promised Yin Guohua's sister to take her to see the first snow of this winter.

……

By the time they returned to Li Tian's palace at dawn, the news of the killing of more than a dozen ministers had already spread throughout Changjun Anling.

Early in the morning, when he rode through Chaoyang Road under the service of the forbidden army, he saw that Chaoyang Road, Chang'an Road, and Haidian Road were all forbidden troops, and he knew that there was a change in the court. He pretended not to know anything and asked the driver of the car, but he couldn't get the point. When he left Wu Zheng's mansion, he didn't see Yin Guohua's sister, who usually arrived first.

"Mrs. Wu, why haven't you arrived yet?" Huo Hui asked with his hands behind his back.

The fear on the driver's face had not yet subsided, and he hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Prince, Prime Minister Wu was assassinated last night, and more than a dozen ministers were also assassinated, so ......"

"The Great Huo Dynasty is Lang Lang, how can you allow a few thieves to run rampant?" Huo Hui said, and turned around and walked out.

The driver hurriedly followed: "Your Highness, where are you going?" ”

"This palace is going to the Xuanzheng Palace, and ask my father to allow this palace to arrest the assassin." Huo Hui put her hands on her waist and said angrily.

When the driver of the car heard this, he was anxious, walked a few steps, and fell in front of Huo Hui: "Your Highness, Taiwei Wu repeatedly told him every time he was leaving, if he was not there, he must persuade you not to take a step out of the Taifu Mansion, and now, Your Highness, you are in a dilemma." ”

Huo Hui glared at the driver of the car fiercely, waved his hand, but had no intention of going back, and continued to shout outside: "Sedan chair and waiting, this palace is going to Changle Palace!" ”

The charioteer got up from the ground and followed King Hui's footsteps and shouted, "Your Highness, Your Highness, by all means! If you leave, if the emperor asks about it, how can the slaves afford it? Your Highness, Your Highness ......" But he still watched King Hui board the sedan chair and go to Changle Palace......

Changjun Anling was not last night,

Wake up to the events of the world.

One wave just flattened and another,

Then the world is peaceful?

Dozens of ministers died overnight in Anling, Changjun, and the court was in horror. Although Huo Gang showed a calm and calm appearance in the face of many ministers, this big case, which had never been seen since the establishment of Emperor Taizu, still made him feel uneasy in his heart. As soon as the court meeting ended, he asked Gonggong Wei to send Jingfan, Zhou Zhi and Li Wei to the Xuanzheng Palace to discuss matters.

When Jing Fan tremblingly presented the last scroll of bamboo slips written by Wu Zheng to his colleagues and the imperial court, Zhou Zhi shouted outside the palace, "Prime Minister Wu!" Oh my God, return me Prime Minister Wu! Then he sighed and closed his eyes. He choked in his throat and said, "Old Wu! Lao Li! Lao Huo! In the future, we will be separated by a world, and we will no longer be able to give advice to Dawu! ”

Zhou Zhi, Jing Fan, Li Wei and others naturally linked everything that happened in front of them with Wu Zheng's assassination case a few years ago, and Jing Fan even pointed his sharp edge at Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan.

At this time, Gonggong Wei came in to report that he had caught a few strange-looking people in Prince Gong's mansion, and after interrogation, he was the murderer of the assassins.

Huo Gang was extremely angry, picked up Shang Fang's sword casually, and shouted: "I want to break the corpses of these chaotic ministers and thieves into ten thousand pieces, and break the corpses into ten thousand pieces", as soon as the words fell, Huo Wu was so angry that he fell into distortions.

However, the leaders of the assassins, Liang Guang and Gong Ce, took advantage of the fight between the forbidden army of Prince Gong's Mansion and their subordinates, escaped from the capital and went to the direction of Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan.

As soon as the matter involved King Liang of Luoyang Prefecture, Huo Gang was embarrassed, and the Queen Mother sat behind the court, which was like a wall that made him feel tricky. But how can such a big case be turned into a big one? If the murderer is not caught, more lives will be harmed. was hesitating, but he heard a childish voice from outside the hall: "Father, the son is willing to go to Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan to capture the murderer!" ”

The ministers looked back, only to see Huo Wu enter the Xuanzheng Hall with a high spirit, Huo Gang was angry, waved the sword in his hand, and rebuked with a displeased face: "Bold Hui'er, my father didn't call you into the palace, why did you come here?" When the words fell, Huo Gang's heart was shocked, and he thought: "The prince who is worthy of being the king of this king, although he is still young, his spirit is not inferior to the martial god - Seinfeld, in fact, he is a little angry, but he is very happy in his heart." ”

Huo Wu knelt on the ground: "Father, the child is here, I feel that I am not full of blood, I am a big Wu Langlang, how can I allow a few thieves to make trouble, please let my father allow me to go to Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan to capture the murderer." Huo Wu's words fell, the ministers clapped their hands and applauded, and Zhou Zhi shouted: "King Hui, although he is young, his spirit covers the sky and the moon. ”

"A child, what can you do...... Huo Gang flatly refused, "The whole court is a loyal forbidden soldier, you are young, you don't know the depths, don't go back to your mother's palace as soon as possible!" ”

"What's wrong with the child, Kong Rong made the pear ...... at the age of three" Huo Wu's eyes revealed stubbornness and confidence, "Child, when I was in Wu Taiwei's mansion, Wu Zheng Taifu often taught children, the former general Ganluo sent an envoy to foreign neighboring countries at the age of ten, and the children were all nine years old, and they were only one year old with Ganluo, why didn't you let me lead troops to capture the thief?" ”

"You little hairy boy!" Huo Gang glared at him in surprise, he didn't expect Hui'er to refute these people, "It's not what it used to be, this case is serious, it's definitely not my play, you, above the court, can't ......"

"The minister of the humerus, the death of the assassin, is bearable, who is unbearable! As the crown prince, the child should shoulder the heavy responsibility of the country, and he should also share the worries of his father and the emperor and eliminate harm for the people! ”

This scene made the driver of the car who had just run to the door of the Xuanzheng Hall very anxious, for fear that the emperor would be angry and blame himself. He hurriedly knelt outside the door and said in a low voice: "Your Highness, I heard that this case involves King Liang of Luoyang Prefecture, and he is your own brother......"

"What, bold, who gave you the guts, who gave you the guts," Huo Gang said sharply.

"What about Uncle Huang? Can the imperial uncle do whatever he wants without the court? Wasn't the initiator of Mrs. Wu's stabbing arrow case also the younger brother of his father? Huo Wu raised his voice.

"Then what is the Queen Mother's ......?"

"This ......" Huo Wu scratched his head, not knowing how to answer this question that even the emperor felt embarrassed. He couldn't think about it so much, his limited experience couldn't face the complex reality, and he couldn't understand why his father, who was the Ninth Five-Year Emperor, had to look at his grandmother's face for everything.

At this time, Li Wei also understood what he should do. He couldn't see his nephew's position shaken in the slightest, so he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, this matter can be handled by bypassing Taiqing." ”

Huo Gang suddenly had a trace of blood on his face, and he looked at the ministers calmly.

Regarding the things that touched the emperor's emotions, Zhou Zhi's words were more tactful: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that what Lord Li Wei said is not a lie. Lord Li Wei meant that when the facts of the case were not yet clarified, don't alarm the Queen Mother first. Maybe this matter has nothing to do with King Liang of Luoyang Prefecture, and it will be better to return King Liang to innocence at that time. At this point, Huo Gang's tense face finally loosened a little.

He turned around and looked at Huo Wu, although his face was still childish, but in the face of such a shocking case, he was not afraid. In an instant, Li Tian's dream of being pregnant came to mind.

It was one day after they lived together for two months, Li Tian told the emperor that there was a dream at night, under the scorching sun of Lishan, a red sun rushed into his arms, and suddenly a golden light jumped out of the red sun, and soon came good news from the imperial doctor, saying that Li Tian was pregnant. Perhaps God destined him to inherit the heavy responsibility of the Great Wu lineage, over the years, Zhou Zhi has always unconsciously revealed his appreciation for King Hui when talking about the two princes.

Yes, from the ancestors of the emperor to the emperor Wu, which one did not come from the cusp? Huo Gang finally decided to let the prince go to Luoyang Prefecture with Zhou Zhi and Li Wei.

"Then according to Hui'er's play! Jing Fan, Li Wei, stepped forward to obey orders. ”

"Quickly order you to lead 5,000 men and horses to camp outside the city of Luoyang Prefecture first, Zhou Zhi will enter the city with the edict to capture the murderer, all actions can not be shared with King Liang, the prince will be accompanied by Zhou Zhi, and then travel."

……

This is the coldest day of the year in Luoyang Prefecture, Xiguan, and the wind blows from the southern mountain of Lingtai every day, sweeping across the plains, freezing the surging river into solid ice. Only the hunting banner told the eastbound team that there was wolf smoke emitted from the beacon tower in front of them, and the war was ahead. Yesterday, they also held a huge opening ceremony on Chaoyang Road in Anling, Changjun, and today they have galloped outside the Lingtai Han Pass on the road between the two mountains.

Huo Wu's car walked in the middle, the prince wearing a fox fur and holding a charcoal hand stove was snuggling up to Zhou Zhi's side, his active personality and eyes that had not yet departed from childishness were very restless, and he wanted to open the curtains from time to time. At this time, Zhou Zhi always humbly persuaded him as a courtier, and with the gentleness of the elders: "It's too cold outside, Your Highness should pay attention to your body, and you must not dare to get caught in the wind and cold when you go a thousand miles." ”

King Hui was very disappointed after hearing these words, scratched his head, bored the hand stove to make a buzzing sound, and even glared at Zhou Zhi angrily, and complained: "What kind of world, should the prince listen to the prime minister, or should the prime minister listen to the prince?" ”

Zhou Zhi saw King Hui's dissatisfaction and resentment, and in the face of this prince, who was much older than his peers, Zhou Zhi did not understand, but just smiled with a gentle attitude, instead of always having a serious face like Wu Zheng.

Looking at Zhou Zhi who was deep in thought beside him, Huo Wu had an indescribable feeling in his heart, strange! "Why, my father is the emperor, but why do I have to listen to the opinions of the queen mother's grandmother? So why? There are some things he says, his father doesn't allow it, and why, if Taifu Wu Zheng says it, his father is convinced? I'm thinking about these things that I can't sort out like rattan in my mind. ”

"Report, Zhou Xiang, Li Yi, the general of the letter, will greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince outside the gate." The former army first Sima said.

Huo Wu had already been suffocated, and as soon as he heard that the general guarding the pass was waiting outside, he immediately put down the hand stove and jumped out of the car. "Your Highness, be careful." Zhou Zhi panted as he got out of the car.

Huo Wu looked at it, this Lingtai Hanguan is really dangerous, the peaks and peaks on both sides are stacked, straight into the clouds, the mountain forest is deep and the road is passing, Xiguan Yuehan is built between these two mountains, just like a fierce tiger, standing on the thousands of miles of galloping road.

Huo Wu scratched his head and said with a blank expression: "Prime Minister Right, I heard that Lord Taifu Wu Zheng said, 'Did the emperor break through from here to defeat the Huns?'" ”

"What Your Highness says is the truth. At that time, the emperor advanced and retreated in these three ways, and then took the world of Great Wu. ”

After hearing this, Huo Wu couldn't suppress the excitement and curiosity in his heart, and shouted: "The miraculous skills of the first emperor, the heroic picture of the first emperor, is what I want to learn." ”

"Yes, His Highness's move to go out of the palace to capture the murderer this time is indeed a very human move, and you will definitely make a difference." Zhou Zhi coughed lightly.

"In that year, the first emperor made an alliance with the king of the Huns, and the first to enter Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan was the king. At this time of the year, after the emperor led his army to break through Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan, he made three chapters of the law - 'death to the murderer, wounding and stealing to the crime', which became a good story. ”

Huo Wu listened attentively on the side, his eyes were shining, and his young heart thought of the future, and he would definitely be as majestic as the first emperor, so he blurted out his temperament: "Big husband, I want to be a big husband!" ”

"In the future, this palace must sweep away internal and external troubles and create the third great Wu prosperous era." Huo Wu added.

Zhou Zhi turned his face and stared at Huo Wu, he was wearing a fox fur, with a round of white fur sewn on the side, two green dragon heads embroidered on the two cuffs, a dark robe inside, a brown leather belt around his waist, a tiger head shackle, black combat boots, his little face was blown red by the wind, he was very handsome, he was suddenly excited about the prince's fierce ambition.

Just as he could see it, Huo Wu suddenly tugged at his sleeve and muttered, "Then according to what the prime minister said, is this palace considered an inspection this time?" ”

Zhou Zhi laughed out loud, "Your Highness......" He really didn't know how to answer.

"Prime Minister, Wu Zheng is the left prime minister, you are the right prime minister, then he is my teacher, you should also be right? So, what else do you not understand? Huo Wu tugged at Zhou Zhi's sleeves and whispered.

Zhou Zhi hurriedly arched his hand and said, "Your Highness forgives your sins!" If a minister is not a sage, how can he know all the things in the world? After speaking, he squatted down and hugged Huo Wu in his arms, and whispered in his ear: "The emperor is alive, Your Highness needs to be cautious in speaking in the future." ”

Huo Wu frowned and pondered for a moment, nodded as if he understood and seemed to be a little ignorant: "This palace listens to the words of the right prime minister." ”

But Huo Wu still couldn't hide his nature, seeing the vast mountains and the banner hunting on the Lingtai Hanguan, there were many swords and guns, and the soldiers guarding the pass were all in good spirits, and the lineup was strictly organized, and the excitement that had just been calmed down by Zhou Zhi was suddenly restless again. He stepped forward and waved his hand to greet the soldiers, and the immature Tongyin rode the cold wind, echoing between the two mountains: "The soldiers have worked hard!" ”

"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Welcome Prime Minister Zhouzhi!"

……

The echo of immaturity echoed in the mountains for a long time, reaching the distant sky.

Seeing this, Zhou Zhi was shocked, and thought, at a young age, where did you learn this? Before his thoughts could turn around, Li Yi had already stepped forward to salute, but Huo Wu waved his hand and said, "General Li, please—get up—"

"When the palace was studying in the Taifu Mansion, Prime Minister Wu once taught me that when the first emperor Lao Jun went to Xiyue to inspect the eastern part of the Guan, the general of the Hanguan at that time, Cao did not bow to the armor, but marched and saluted. The first emperor not only did not blame, but praised him as 'the first fierce general of Hanguan, the brave general of Great Wu'. Teacher Zhou Zhi, should this palace be like this? ”

Zhou Zhi nodded frequently and motioned to Li Yi. Li Yi arched his hand and said: "Your Highness, by all means, General Cao Bu is the first fierce general of Great Wu, how can I compare with him as a nobody." ”

Huo Wu patted his sleeve and added, "General Li Yi, this is a bad word. Since the retreat of the Huns, they have not dared to enter the customs for more than 30 years, why? It's not that Wu Xiyue has General Li Yi in the Hanguan. ”

Li Yi arched his hand and said: "Although Li Yi is not as good as General Cao, Li Yi's loyalty to Dawu can be seen by the sun and the moon. The minister thought that 'it is better to lose people's heads than to lose an inch of land'. ”

Before Li Yi's words fell, Huo Wu clapped his little hands that were red from the cold, and Zhou Zhi also clapped his hands. Seeing this, the generals clapped their hands one after another.

Seeing this, Huo Wu clapped his hands vigorously while shouting: "Generals, hard work, I thank you on behalf of myself, our warriors of Great Wu." ”

Zhou Zhi clapped his hands and thought in his heart: "King Hui, at a young age, he has such a bearing. It's amazing! He thought of the birth of King Hui, the rising sun, the birth of the golden dragon, and the emperor's weather! ”

When passing through the corridor composed of soldiers, Zhou Zhi asked Li Wei and Jing Fan about the time when they passed the customs, and Li Yi said that five days had passed. Zhou Zhi's hanging heart was slightly relieved, according to this itinerary, if the road conditions are better, when the prince arrives in Luoyang Prefecture, Xiguan, there will be a military camp or something, everything should be arranged properly. At this time, Zhou Zhi patted his sleeves and let out a long sigh......

……

As soon as he entered the barracks, Huo Wu pondered and asked, "Teacher Zhou, you said that Lord Jingfan and Master Li Wei, I don't know how they investigated the case?" ”

Zhou Zhi looked at King Hui and said, "Your Highness, the minister thinks ......" Suddenly, he stopped abruptly at the end of his mouth.

"What, what opinion does Prime Minister Zhou have to hear?" Huo Wuli stood up from the rattan chair.

Zhou Zhi was speechless and arched his hand: "Your Highness, can we take a walk outside the camp?" ”

"Good"

The remnant sun shook on the mountain, Zhou Zhi pulled King Hui out of the camp gate, the two looked at the city head of Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan two miles away, Zhou Zhi shook his head in surprise, and looked at the city head of Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan speechlessly.

Xiguan Luoyang Prefecture is indeed not like the capital cities of other candidate states - the height of the city tower is much lower than the Changjun Anling Tower, but the scale of its tower is not inferior to the Changjun Anling Tower. In front of Xiguan Luoyang Prefecture, the city tower is towering, the city wall is magnificent, and the suspension bridge is high. On the head of the city, the flag on the left is written "Huo", and the flag on the right is written "Liang", looking from afar, the shadow can see the shuttle of the patrol team on the head of the city, as if this is a microcosm of Anling in Changjun.

Zhou Zhi stroked his beard, sighed and said, "If King Liang doesn't cut it, the court will be chaotic; If Luoyang is not cut, it will become a big disaster! ”

A few years after the defeat of the Seven-Nation Alliance, there has now been a storm of more than a dozen ministers being killed...... Zhou Zhi's eyes were full of melancholy, and his thoughts gradually turned to this expedition to Luoyang. He knew that at the age of 70 this year, he might be the last time he would put on a battle and command the three armies. The reason why the emperor entrusted himself with the heavy responsibility of capturing the murderer was entirely because there was no young loyal minister in the court who was too trusted by the emperor. Doesn't the emperor know that he is good at military affairs and not good at managing political affairs? Obviously, the emperor offended the queen mother because of his shortcomings in some aspects......

If you want to say that you are okay, since you were in power, you have not offended anyone, and Wu Zheng was assassinated not long after taking office, Zhou Zhi felt sorry for Wu Zheng from the bottom of his heart, but ......

The sky was very overcast, and the clouds over Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan were swept by the cold wind and flew over his head. He looked up, only to feel cold beads of sweat on his forehead. Oh! It was snowing again, Zhou Zhi looked at the snowflakes falling all over the sky, he covered his hands, took a breath of heat, looked up at Xiguan Luoyang Prefecture in the snow, and said to himself: "This Jing Fan and Li Wei, I don't know if you have started to investigate the case, have you already captured the murderer?" ”

A pair of hands tied a cloak for him from behind, and when he looked back, it turned out to be his son, Zhou Jian, a lieutenant in the official residence.

"Father, it's snowing, why don't you go back to the camp?" Zhou Jian said lightly.

"Jing Fan and Li Wei are young, I'm afraid they will have an unexpected...... Zhou Zhi was halfway through speaking, and suddenly scolded harshly: "Zhou Jian, because my father didn't let you come, why did you disobey your father's order." ”

"Plop" Zhou Jian knelt in front of Zhou Zhi and cried: "Father, you are seventy years old, you are out of the house, I am worried about you." ”

Zhou Zhi stroked his beard, looked up to the sky and smiled: "I have a number, my life is determined, and my son has filial piety." ”

……

"Father, you don't have to worry too much about Jing Fan and Li Wei, Lord Li Wei, although I don't often contact him, but Jing Fan, Lord Jing has always been capable, and besides, they have been summoned by the Great Wu Imperial Court, but King Liang didn't dare to do anything." Zhou Jian looked in the direction of Xiguan Luoyang Prefecture and said.

"Having said that, how can my father, as the prime minister of the dynasty, bear a heavy responsibility?" Zhou Zhi looked at Zhou Jian, who was standing side by side with him, and asked, "Oh! By the way, Jian'er, how about what I asked you to do? ”

He was referring to the fact that after the emperor saw that he was old and not very good at governance, he knew that after the incident in Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan, he would also bid farewell to the battlefield, so as soon as he returned to the palace, he asked his son to go to the engineer to buy a thousand armor shields for the funeral.

Zhou Jiandao: "Please rest assured that the child will go to the engineering officer to discuss it on the same day." This time I went back, and the child asked again. But, father, are you overly concerned......

"What's the matter, let's hear it, seven-foot man, why are you spitting?"

"According to the child's opinion, most of the affairs of the court are decided by you, how can the emperor ......"

"Jian'er, the ups and downs of the Huan Sea are not all sinister! For the abolition of the crown prince, the emperor is completely displeased, this time I recommend King Hui, and invisibly offend the queen mother, isn't this a crack? When he said this, he wrapped his cloak, and an indescribable pathos surged to the corners of his eyes, "I am old for my father, life and death, and it doesn't matter what honor or disgrace is, but as the son of our family, the Zhou family will rely on you in the future." ”

When Zhou Jian heard these words, he didn't know what to say, his father was very worried and deeply infected him.

"My father knows that you have always been a human being, and I don't worry about anything from your mother, but with your character, I am afraid that many things in the court and China will be difficult to deal with."

"Father, what do you mean?" Zhou Jian glanced at Zhou Zhi strangely.

"Judging from the fact that your father has been in charge of the dynasty for so many years, you can ask two people when you encounter problems: one is Jing Fan, he is loyal and frank, he once followed his father to quell the rebellion, and he has a very good relationship; The other is ......? ”

"Father, who is the second person?" Zhou Jianhu doubted.

"King Hui," Zhou Zhi said categorically.

"What father? You say Huo Wu? When Zhou Jian said this, tears couldn't help but flow.

Zhou Zhi's tone suddenly aggravated: "The man has tears and doesn't bounce, what kind of tears are he shed!" These tears will flow slowly in the future! ”

Zhou Jian was a little embarrassed and defended: "The child is just fascinated by snowflakes. ”

While speaking, the sound of horses' hooves came from a distance, and Zhou Zhi raised his eyes to look, only to see that in the vast twilight, a team of people and horses galloped towards the camp, and where the team went, there was a blurred snow and dust. It didn't take long for the horse team to come to Zhou Zhi's father and son.

"The lower official came back very late, which made Prime Minister Zhou worried."

"My lord is working hard, hurry back to the account to discuss matters."

"Prime Minister Zhou must be in a hurry." Jing Fan took the hot wine handed by the guard, and howled: "Zhou Xiang, I drank it all, and we will live happily later, how about it?" As soon as the words fell, he drank it all, wiped his mouth, and reprimanded: "Zhou Xiang, do you know that King Liang's old eight is very deep? ”

In the past few days, in accordance with the emperor's will, Xia Guan led people to arrest criminals in the city of Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan, and searched together with Liang Xiang Cao Tian, Neishi Han Yu and others, and more than ten suspects have been brought to justice. Only Liang Guang and Gongce are on the run. ”

"Ah, King Liang, the eighth child, is really calculated." Zhou Zhi took the guard's hot wine and drank it down, then dropped the bowl and reprimanded.

"What is King Liang's attitude towards this matter?" Zhou Zhi cross-examined.

Jing Fan looked up to the sky and sneered, "King Liang was very angry about the assassination of the imperial court officials on the surface, and repeatedly asked Cao and Han to assist the officials, and all the suspects must be arrested without missing a single person. But when the underseer asked about the whereabouts of Liang and Gong, he flickered and talked about him left and right. Someone reported that the two thieves were hiding in the palace of King Liang. It's just that the evidence is still conclusive at the moment, so the officials dare not rashly enter the palace to search. ”

Zhou Zhi listened, his brows furrowed, and he pondered for a long time before saying, "This is difficult." "Before the words fell, Zhou Jian entered the camp." Oh! Lord Jingfan, when did you come? Zhou Jian stood in front of Lord Jingfan and arched his hand.

"Where, brother, you're polite, I've just arrived." Jing Fan took a step back and arched his hand.

"Lord Jingfan, how are you dealing with it over there?" Zhou Jiandao.

"Oh, Brother Xian doesn't know, King Liang's eighth brother is very cunning!" Jing Fan gasped and sighed.

Zhou Zhi grabbed Jing Fan and Zhou Jian's hands, "You two will be the loyalists of Da Wu in the future, and the pillars of Da Wu, we will discuss this matter again, there is always a way." ”

"There is a way to capture the king first, and hit the snake seven inches. If the two thieves are allowed to escape, not only will they not be able to reply to the emperor, but they will also become a big disaster in the future! But this entry into the palace is not child's play, if there is no evidence, it is inevitable that there will be a suspicion of trespassing. ”

"According to the lower officials, since they have served the emperor's will, there is no need to avoid suspicion, and it is okay to search in the palace of King Liang. If Zhou Xiang feels inconvenient, the matter will be handled by the lower officials, and the emperor will blame it, and the lower officials will bear it alone, but please ask Zhou Xiang to pull out thousands of troops. Jing Fan said angrily.

Zhou Jian also said on the side: "The child also thinks that the top priority is to arrest the murderer, and the child is willing to worry about his father with Lord Jing." ”

Zhou Zhiying's eyes looked at Zhou Jiandao: "Listening to Jian'er's words, aren't you a person who is greedy and afraid of things?" He drank the wine again, his cheeks flushed, and his words were full of wine.

"When it comes to loyalty to the emperor and Dawu, the enthusiasm of the lower officials can be learned. Zhou Xiangke remembered that the emperor was in the West Garden, and Jing Ji accompanied him. Jing Ji went to the toilet and encountered a pack of wolves, and the emperor wanted to rescue him personally. It was the lower official who said to the emperor that it doesn't matter if one Jing Fan dies today, another Meiji will enter the palace tomorrow, but there is only the emperor who is in charge of the world of Dawu. If the emperor commits suicide for a Jing Ji, how can he face the Zongmiao and the people of Dawu? Later, the wolves fled. The queen mother was overjoyed when she heard this, and gave the official a hundred catties. When it comes to law enforcement, Xia Guan is as good as Zhou Xiang, but Xia Guan, as a second lieutenant, has the heavy responsibility of being punished, how can he ignore the law of Dawu? If the thief is found, it is better to say, if there is nothing to find but disturbs King Liang, the queen mother will be held accountable, you and I will lose the official matter, and the prince will be affected......"

"Such hesitation, indecisiveness, and mistake is a major matter of catching thieves, and the emperor must be held accountable." Zhou Jian rushed to the road.

Zhou Zhi waved his hand, wanting to speak, but saw Zhong Lang hurriedly coming in from outside the door and said that the prince had arrived. Like the first glance of a long rain, Zhou Zhi's face suddenly brightened, and his heart was much more relaxed, and he said: "Quick!" Fast! Out of the tent to greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. ”

Before everyone could react, Zhou Zhi had already gone out of the account first, dusting again, crowning the whole crown, and brushing his beard, looking serious.

"Ministers and Zhou Zhi greet His Royal Highness the Prince!"

After a few rounds of prayers but no one answered, Zhou Zhi took a closer look through the lights, only to find that in the dark night, Li Wei was carrying a person on his back. He couldn't help but lose his voice and said, "Could it be that the prince is in danger." He stepped forward and asked with a suspicious face, "Master Li Wei, what's wrong?" ”

Li Wei shook his head, went straight into the military tent, gently put King Hui on the couch, and pulled the brocade quilt to cover. Only then did he lift his sleeve and wipe the sweat from his forehead, and smiled tiredly: "What a good nephew." ”

"What?" Zhou Zhi asked puzzled.

"What a good boy, when I just came to the riverside, I saw a child spearing fish, and when I got closer, it was King Hui, so I took him back to the tent, but I didn't expect him to fall asleep while talking to me."

Zhou Zhi said "ah": "I'm scared." ”

Everyone listened to Li Wei's explanation, and the tension on their faces suddenly disappeared. Li Wei took the hot wine from the guards, no longer caring about his appearance, he raised his neck and poured it into his stomach. Seeing this, Zhou Zhi hurriedly beckoned Li Wei to take a seat, and said with a smile: "Looking at Lord Li Wei's expression just now, the number one killer in Luoyang Prefecture City in Xiguan was captured by you?" ”

Li Wei gasped and said: "Don't make fun of me, and ask Zhou Xiang to prepare some wine and food, the little man is about to starve to death." ”

……

During the banquet, Li Wei said: "Zhou Xiang, everything is ready in the city of Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan, welcome King Hui to come and personally supervise the case." ”

"Good!" Zhou Zhi stood up and said.

"Pass my order, set off tomorrow morning, take Luoyang Prefecture in Xiguan, and Gong my Emperor Wu will be on Longwei."