The emperor's words, like a steel knife, were inserted in Qiu Yizhi's heart one by one, how many history books he had read with Zhong Li Kuang, of course, he knew that the emperors of all dynasties and dynasties were the most taboo for his military officials to form a party for personal gain.

Among the people who feasted a few days before Qiu Yizhi, there were generals who guarded one side, ship owners who shocked the world, famous people who were famous in the government and the opposition, fierce generals who had experienced a hundred battles, the world's first martial arts masters, and the big businessmen who were rich in the world, so it was no wonder that the emperor was suspicious when such a group of people gathered around him.

Thinking of this, the cold sweat on Qiu Yizhi's forehead couldn't stop flowing down, and his knees could no longer support his weight, so he immediately knelt on the ground and said: "Your Majesty, these are the minister's old friends, and everyone hasn't seen each other for a long time after a big war, so they gathered together, just to talk about the friendship of the past, and never talk about anything unspeakable." ”

Emperor Zheng Rong replied: "You are my confidant, if I can't trust you, I don't know who else in the world can believe you." I say this just to remind you to be cautious in what you do, you are a conspicuous person, and every move you make, I don't know how many eyes are staring at you. After the banquet that day, Li Shengjie listened to your call again and went to Lin Shuhan's manor as a guest, this matter is also there, right? ”

Qiu Yizhi thought that Lin Shuhan's "Bansong Village" inside and outside was a person he trusted, and he would never easily leak out anything to discuss, but he didn't expect that the emperor, who lived in a simple place, actually knew everything about this matter.

Zheng Rong saw Qiu Yizhi nodding lightly in acknowledgement, so he continued: "I just said, you are a person who can let go of my heart, I have such a favor, you can't live up to me, right?" ”

This is a question without suspense, Qiu Yizhi kowtowed a few times on the ground, and said: "It is difficult for the courtiers to forget their lives and deaths, and it is difficult to repay the emperor's kindness." ”

"I don't want you to repay you alive or dead, I asked you before, asking you to go to Lingnan Road to lead the troops, how did you think about it?" Zheng Rong asked.

Hurry up and ask here, even if Qiu Yizhi has a hundred unwillingness in his heart, he can't refuse.

He was about to reluctantly agree, but he heard Zheng Rong say: "I know that you don't want to go to Lingnan Dao, and I don't want to force you to go." I have discussed with your master Zhongli, if you really don't want to go, you can transfer Zheng Sen to Lingnan, and you can go to Youyan Road for him. That's where you grew up, and it's a return to your hometown. ”

Qiu Yizhi was stunned when he heard this, and was about to answer, but Zheng Rong continued to say aggressively: "What? Youyan Dao, you don't want to go? The old Youyan Mansion still sends people to guard and maintain it over there, and it can be regarded as my Longxing land. There's no room for you over there? ”

Qiu Yizhi didn't expect Zheng Rong to say so ruthlessly, he was already sweating profusely in fear, put his face on the ground, and said: "The emperor commented on the ministers like this, so how can the ministers deal with themselves in the future?" Please also ask the emperor to point to the place where to go, whether it is a place of smoke and miasma in the south, or a place of bitter cold in the north, whether it is on the knife mountain or under the oil pot, the minister does not dare to have the slightest complaint. ”

'Humph!' Don't dare to complain at all', just say this to you, it is an unforgivable sin! Zheng Rong's tone was as cold as a thousand years of ice, "If you don't dare, that's what you mean in your heart." I have good intentions, but you have resentment, which in itself is a great sin. ”

Qiu Yizhi didn't expect Zheng Rong to evaluate himself like this, and he was so frightened that he forgot to say anything to apologize, and only kept kowtowing on the ground.

But I heard Zheng Rong say in a tone that was as hard as pig iron: "You probably think that I am punishing crimes for no reason, and you sigh with emotion, 'Accompanying the king is like accompanying the tiger', and I am afraid that I, the big tiger, will eat you in one bite, right?" Hum! I am a dragon, a true dragon, not a tiger who has just descended from the mountain. I don't want to eat you, I want to save you. ”

Qiu Yizhi heard this even more vaguely, he was so dignified, and there were so many resourceful, martial arts, and heroic friends around him—except for the emperor in front of him—who else could harm him, and who else did he need to rescue?

After thinking about Zheng Rong's question, he immediately dispelled all the doubts in Qiu Yi's heart, and at the same time threw him into the bottomless deep courtyard.

I only heard Zheng Rong ask: "What's the matter with Wen Lingjiao, you can tell me clearly." ”

Qiu Yizhiman thought that Wen Lingjiao's matter with him was only known to the closest people, and it would never reach the ears of others, especially the emperor.

Zheng Rong saw that Qiu Yizhi, who was originally sharp-toothed, was dumbfounded by his own question, secretly laughed, and said, "What? You don't even remember your confidante? Do you want me to give you a heads-up? ”

"No, no, no." Qiu Yizhi said continuously, "This Wen Lingjiao used to live with the minister. It's just that because this Wen Lingjiao is the holy daughter of the Tianzun Sect, he is afraid that she will follow the sect leader Wen Honghui to do evil again, so he keeps her by his side to prevent her from committing crimes again. ”

This is already Qiu Yizhi's most evasive and trivial rhetoric, and of course he can't pass Zheng Rong's side with such an explanation.

But I heard the emperor ask: "Then I ask you, when the identity of the cult leader Wen Honghui was revealed, you specially went to me to explain the truth of the matter." Then why did Wen Lingjiao not mention such a big thing? What are your intentions? ”

The water on Qiu Yizhi's body seemed to turn into sweat and evaporate from his face, body, hands and feet, and it was already dripping on the ground.

Qiu Yizhi sweated all over the place, and when he heard that Zheng Rong didn't continue to ask, as if waiting for his answer, he said: "The minister has no intentions. It's just that this Wen Lingjiao is not evil in nature, when the emperor was in trouble, he also made efforts, and I remember that the emperor also intended to save her life. That's why the ministers ......"

"Clever words!" Zheng Rong ruthlessly interrupted Qiu Yizhi's words, "Since you intend to protect her, how many times have you corresponded with me, this matter can be brought up in an essay, why have I never seen you mention this matter?" It's clearly to hide it from me! I see that you grew up, how can you not see this trick? But if you don't repent, and you're still messing around today, it's an unforgivable sin! ”

Wen Lingjiao's status in Qiu Yi's heart was no lighter than that of Emperor Zheng Rong, and she still lowered her head and said: "Although Wen Lingjiao was once a cult saint, she has decided to break away from the cult. When Wen Honghui was exposed, Wen Lingjiao also made it clear that he wanted to break off with his brother. Before Wen Honghui rebelled against Lingnan King Zheng Gui, he was almost cornered, but thanks to her ability to stand up, he was able to save his life. Therefore, the minister was reluctant to report her whereabouts to the imperial court. ”

Zheng Rong sneered: "According to your meaning, do you know that if I learn the news of Wen Lingjiao, I will inevitably blame her, so I deliberately concealed it?" ”

Qiu Yizhi is a quick-witted person, and he knows that if he answers a "yes" word, he is guilty of "deception"; If you answer a "no", then it will be difficult to justify your previous words, and it is also a "crime of deception".

In a dilemma, the arrogance in Qiu Yi's heart suddenly rose, and he said with a stiff neck: "Yes." Chen Qiuyi's crime is heinous, and he also asks the emperor to surrender his guilt. ”

Zheng Rongmo said that after ascending to the pole and becoming the emperor, even when he was the king of Youyan, he had never heard anyone confront him in front of him like this, and he was stunned by the word "yes" of Qiu Yi, and he didn't know how to respond.

But Zhong Likuang, who had been silent for a long time, said: "Qiu Yizhi, is this the attitude of talking to the emperor?" Are you taking advantage of yourself? ”

This reminded Zheng Rong - this Qiu Yi's contribution is very great, just in the process of quelling the rebellion of the Lingnan Palace, Qiu Yizhi has made a world-class contribution, if it is because of Wen Lingjiao's matter, he will be punished, and he will inevitably fall into the notoriety of rabbits and dead dogs, and birds hiding their bows.

So Zheng Rong thought for a while and said, "For the sake of you being honest today, I won't punish you." And it depends on how well you do things, and your merits are more than your faults. And I went to Youyan Road to defend the northern frontier, and after I made meritorious contributions, I was promoted. ”

Qiu Yizhi was bent on retiring to the countryside, and today he was frightened by the emperor like this, and he felt that he would inevitably end up with the king, so he replied: "The minister doesn't dare." The crime of the minister is heinous, even if the emperor is unwilling to punish, the minister has no face to stand on the temple. He also asked the emperor to remove all his ministers from all his posts, reduce his posts to the people, and set the rules straight. ”

Zheng Rong sneered and replied, "Do you know what you think?" It's not that I can't forget Wen Lingjiao's demon girl, and I just want to find an opportunity to stay with her in the people. If I really reduce you to a pauper, will I not just fulfill your wish? ”

As he spoke, Zheng Rong personally took out a beautifully sealed box from a cabinet leaning against the wall of the house, opened the box and took out a piece of music from it, and handed it to Qiu Yizhi: "Oh, you read it carefully." ”

Qiu Yizhi took the concerto, held it in his hand, and read it carefully.

I saw that on this yellow satin-like delicate paper, a very handsome and chic fly-headed small block was written, and the first sentence was a sentence: The minister Han is loyal to the king, and the king of Bohai is Dali, I wish His Majesty the Son of Heaven a long life and a prosperous country!

It turned out that this letter was written to the emperor by Dali Khan of the Bohai Kingdom.

This Dali Khan was a powerful man in the Bohai Kingdom in the northeastern part of the Han Dynasty, and he was an expert in warfare, but he could not write such an article - this piece of music was not surprising, it was the handwriting of Cai Wenchou, a strategist he kept under his account.

This Cai Wenchou is also a generation of celebrities, but because his ancestors participated in the reform of the Constitution, he was liquidated after the failure of the reform, not only was he demoted and removed, but even his descendants, including Cai Wenchou, were not allowed to take the scientific examination. Cai Wenchou was talented and could not serve the country, and by chance he was caught by Dali Khan, so he lived in the far north.

Although Cai Wenchou is outstanding in writing, he can play official articles such as the emperor's recital, but he has no room to show his talents, that is, he just talks about things step by step. However, it also revealed two important messages - first, the Turkic power continued to grow, and the dispute and conflict with the Bohai State were getting better and better, and Dali hinted that the imperial court should send a large army to join forces with him and strike a severe blow at the Turks in order to maintain peace in the north; Second, Dali also heard about the rebellion in the Lingnan Palace, and said that he would resolutely stand on the side of the imperial court, and would rather give up fighting with the Turks for the time being, and was willing to send cavalry south to fight with the imperial court to quell the rebellion.

Here, the first thing, Qiu Yizhi knows; The second thing he had heard about was the first time, but the rebellion in the Lingnan palace had been put down, so there was no need for him to go south to help in the war.

Qiu Yi looked at this recital, and at the same time thought about the reason why the emperor read it to him, and after thinking about it, he only felt that the emperor wanted him to know that the situation in the north was getting worse day by day, and only by sending a reliable and capable person like himself could the situation over there be stabilized.