The Southwest Ancient Road, on a vast grassland.

Banzha and Yifeng, as well as Liu Yi and Xiugu, have already left the army far away, the five thousand soldiers and horses of the Shenwei Legion are resting in the distance, and Benqian Fire Monkey and others are also watching them from afar.

Originally, Ben Qian was very worried about their safety and had to follow him, but after Yifeng explained the benefits in her ear, she didn't insist, although she cared about Yifeng, she didn't want to embarrass him.

What's more, although she didn't know why the prince wanted to hunt down Xiugu, this matter could only be faced by Xiugu herself.

However, these people, including Yifeng, never thought that Ben Qian's father, as the prince of the Wei family, was also a person who belonged to the three iron laws of the Wei royal family, and if she knew all this now, then the outcome might not be the same in the future.

Perhaps, this is the real joke of fate.

At this moment, Banza glanced at the Shenwei Legion behind him, stopped, and said to them with a smile: "Don't be so serious, I am an old acquaintance with you, especially with General Liu, who has been protecting the prince side by side for many years, although there are not many contacts, but after all, they have worked together for so long, and they can be regarded as friends." ”

Yifeng was surprised at how quickly his temperament changed, he was still shouting and killing them in the valleys of Southwest Prefecture before, but now he actually recounted the old without blushing, thinking that he had been by the prince's side for a long time, and he was already familiar with the way of change.

However, since he put down his face, it was naturally difficult to refuse, so Yifeng said: "General Laojiaban trekked back and forth, and he really didn't want to go. I don't know if the prince is safe and sound during this time? ”

Banza nodded and smiled: "The prince has always been fine. However, there has also been a change in temperament. Thinking about it, General Liu knows best, the crown prince has been established as the successor of Emperor Wu since he was a child, and he has been favored and honored in every way. However, this vigorous war of Buddhism and Taoism to destroy the law put the prince, who was deeply involved in Buddhism, in an embarrassing situation, and he was ridiculed, neglected, and even abused for the first time in the imperial court. ”

Yifeng said: "Even so, the prince's status is honorable, who has such a bold son and dares to abuse him?" ”

Ban Zha smiled: "You don't understand this, above the court, there is a group of officials who specialize in finding faults, and they will not hesitate to say things that they are not used to, and they say it loudly, without any scruples, and they don't even look at the face of Emperor Wu." ”

"Oh?" Yifeng was not familiar with the affairs in the imperial court, and said suspiciously: "Aren't they afraid of death?" ”

Banzha shook his head with a smile and said: "Buddha, for them, death is an alternative honor, a shortcut that can make them famous in the annals of history, they are imprisoned by a certain part of Confucianism's speech, and it is the top courtesy to leave the name of the person who reads the book in history, and they regard being killed without fear of power as a rare opportunity in this way, and it makes their blood boil, and they follow one after another." ”

Yifeng nodded, remembering that when he was in Junzhou City, those imperial historians and other officials were desperate to advise at the south gate of Emperor Dawu's palace, and at that time, the crown prince Wei Huang also mentioned this kind of thing.

Banza continued: "After this turmoil, it is impossible for a person not to change. In particular, General Liu ······"

When he said this, he looked at Liu Yi with his eyes.

Liu Yi was expressionless and nodded.

Ban Zacai said: "Especially after General Liu eloped with the Seventh Princess, the prince's temperament has changed a lot, from the previous approachable to very cold, and deliberately alienated many people who were originally close to him. Many times I heard him muttering to himself that there was no one to be trusted, and his expression was very sad. ”

Liu Yi sighed, but did not speak, and remained silent. Xiu Gu quietly stretched out her hand and held his hand, Liu Yi shook his head at her slightly and smiled bitterly.

Yifeng thought further, he now knew why Emperor Wu was so suspicious. Originally, the reform of Buddhism was also what Yifeng wanted to see, but when Emperor Wu was implementing, the increasingly fierce resistance of Buddhism touched Emperor Wu's rebellion, so he thought that the power of Buddhism had threatened him, and disobeyed his orders, so he dared to rise up and resist, vowing to cut the grass and eradicate the roots, so he started this large-scale and vigorous war of Buddhism and Taoism.

It turns out that this kind of suspicion is exclusive to the Wei royal family. From the moment they are born, they are destined to carry a lot of things, and when those things they love are lost, and the things that are lost are irretrievable, they will doubt life and everyone around them.

Because they have too much, they will lose more than others, and their suspicions are naturally heavier than anyone else.

Judging from the words and deeds of the crown prince, this suspicion will only get heavier and heavier, and it will reach its peak at the moment of his accession to the throne, which is their inevitable fate, and if they want to wear the crown, they must bear its weight.

Yifeng shook his head, temporarily shook these thoughts from his mind to the bottom of his heart, buried them, he looked at Banza, and asked the most important sentence in his life: "Don't say these useless things, what I told you before, after you and the prince reported, what is the prince's attitude?" ”

That's the key of the keys. From the time when Master Nanzong Temple established the plan before Master Hong's death, to the battle of Qingping Town in Yunzhou, to the battle of Bema Canyon in Southwest Prefecture, and the battle of the Southwest Ancient Road in Mizhou, from beginning to end, he was moving towards that set goal.

But the most important thing is that this goal is not nailed, but a living person to cooperate, without his recognition and cooperation, then this war of Buddhism and Taoism to destroy the Dharma will fall into a more difficult situation, and Yifeng will also face an embarrassing choice.

If it really comes to that point, then he can only choose to continue to lead the Buddha Dao to defeat the Dawu Army, and then force Emperor Wu to abdicate and let the crown prince succeed him.

But the difficulty is that this is a bit of a bully's hard bow, the prince's non-support and non-cooperation will inevitably make the wind that dominates this palace drama fall into passivity, and there will be more uncertain factors at that time, and everything planned can be ruined at any time.

But Yifeng really thought too much this time, in the face of the supreme throne that was close at hand, someone pushed himself behind his back, and also declared that he was not responsible, and all the consequences were borne by the person behind him. What are you waiting for?

When Banza told Wei Huang about this, Wei Huang thought so.

But unlike others who would be ecstatic if they were in such a situation, he thought it deeper than everyone else — he refused to take a stand.

As the main person in this plan, Wei Huang's ideas must be different. In his heart, the current situation, whether it is the situation of the imperial court in Junzhou City, or the battle situation in the states of Dawu Kingdom, has changed dramatically from when Yifeng first came to Junzhou.

First of all, most people carried out a resolute policy of slaughter because of Emperor Wu's Golden Dragon Order. Secondly, with the passage of time, the attitude of the hundred officials in the court has gradually undergone subtle changes in Buddhism and Taoism, and the stalemate in the war situation has made the voices of support and opposition to the war begin to show signs of polarization, and now it is tightly suppressed because of the strong dictatorship of Emperor Wu Yu.

In general, for the annihilation of Buddhism, the court of the Great Wu Kingdom is not monolithic, and there are also various voices, and the situation is now unclear. Although he supports Buddhism, after talking to his father Wei Yu last time, in addition to telling him the three iron laws of the Wei royal family, Wei Yu has also fully explained the reasons for resolutely annihilating Buddhism, and hinted to him half threatening and half vigilant not to do disobedient acts.

The incident of delaying time for Baoxiang Temple in Junju Castle had already made his father very dissatisfied, and now that the situation is more complicated, the decision is not so easy to make.

Since the development of things is far from being seen, he rashly expressed his position, if it is leaked to Emperor Wu Wei Yu, what will he think when he is about to be forced into the palace? And what will be done? What are the consequences?

And, in this way, what will happen if Yifeng and the others are defeated? If he doesn't express his position, after they are defeated, they can be called self-inflicted, and in the end, as long as he waits patiently, then the throne under Emperor Wu is still his own. If they express their support, it is inevitable that after their plans are shattered, they will not drag him into the quagmire, so as to blackmail or beg him to find a way to live for them.

Who can be sure that Ichifeng will succeed?

Therefore, refusing to take a stand is the best option.

Only by successfully ascending the throne by unscrupulous means can he really make a powerful decision, no matter what he says now, the authority is in Wei Yu's hands, and it will be useless to make any statement.

I have to say that the prince is the prince, and he has been able to stay in this position for so many years, and he is also free to use the way of power and strategy, and has accumulated a lot of depth. Seeing that someone sent a good thing to the door, although he was moved, he would never promise it arbitrarily. This concentration and endurance are by no means beyond the reach of ordinary people.

And Banza took the order of the prince Wei Huang's complex and esoteric but unclear emotions, and rushed over to meet Yifeng in the starry night.

What does such an order look like? How will Yifeng feel when he hears it?