At noon the next day, Xiao Ju, the prince of Southern Qi, brought good news to Wei Ran.

Hengzhi invited Wei Ran to meet him in his mansion at the time of Youshi.

Wei Ran was slightly happy in his heart, but seeing that Xiao Ju's face did not have much joy, Wei Ran understood, bowed his head and said calmly to Xiao Ju: "His Royal Highness the Prince, you can rest assured, my Wei family has been loyal and good for generations." The prince's affection will never be forgotten. I have nothing else to ask for in this life, but to be able to create a great cause with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and unify the mountains and rivers. ”

Xiao Ju looked ashamed, he couldn't imagine that Wei Ran would be so straightforward. Then Xiao Ju bowed his head and returned the salute, which flattered Wei Ran. Wei Ran hurriedly grabbed Xiao Ju, and even said that it was not necessary.

But seeing Xiao Ju pulling Wei Ran into the inner hall, he then said: "Although I am the prince of Great Qi, I am only a few years older than my virtuous brother. I now intend to officially marry my virtuous brother as a brother of the opposite sex, one with glory and one with loss. On the other day, we rode to the north, showing our long-cherished wishes, and I didn't know that the virtuous brother could afford to be a brother. ”

Wei Ran excused himself again and again: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has tormented Wei." ”

Xiao Ju said: "Being a brother is by no means an impulse, when the virtuous brother was in the Northern Dynasty, I knew the name of the virtuous brother." The virtuous brother has now entered my great qi, which is a fortunate thing for my great qi. Today, you and I are brothers, and we will never lose each other for the rest of our lives. ”

Then he pulled Wei Ran to kneel down together, and Wei Ran was also hot in his heart. Then bow down.

The twenty-first year of the Great Qi Emperor

A historic scene took place in the inner hall of the prince's mansion,

Throughout his life, Wei Ran has never forgotten today's oath.

Qianyuan Hall of Chang'an City

"Your Majesty, the crown prince and the ministers have arrived outside the palace." In the Qianyuan Hall of the Northern Qin Dynasty, Yuan Jian was lying on the dragon couch. Since the fifteenth year of the Great Cause, after the sudden illness of Yuanmi, his physical condition has gradually declined, and now, he has not been able to get out of bed and walk around for two months

"Prince Xuan" Yuan Jian gently spit out three words, as if he had exhausted all his strength.

Not long after, the crown prince Yuanzhi entered the Qianyuan Hall and knelt down in front of the collapse of Yuanjian.

"Pull the curtain open." Motomi said slowly, and then coughed heavily.

The chief eunuch hurriedly opened the imperial curtain, and Yuan Jian slowly turned his head and looked at Yuan Zhen who was kneeling on the ground with loving eyes: "Emperor, raise your head." ”

Yuan Zhi dared to raise his head, and saw that Yuan Jian on the dragon couch was already full of white hair, and his face was gloomy. Yuan Zhen couldn't help but step forward and hold Yuan Jian's hand and shouted, "Father"

Yuan Jian gently raised his right hand and stroked Yuan Zhen's head: "My limit is approaching, I and Wei Xian, Li Tai and others started from Bingzhou, all the way to the south and the north, and surveyed the north, so that there is a great Qin foundation." It is difficult to fight the country, and it is even more difficult to defend the country, not to mention that the mountains and rivers have not been unified now. After you succeed to the throne, you must be close to the virtuous and far from the minister. At this point, Motomi coughed violently and spat out a few mouthfuls of blood.

Yuan Zhen was about to call the imperial doctor, but Yuan Jian waved his hand gently: "Prime Minister Min Guan is now in control of the court situation, and I supported Min Guan at the beginning to check and balance Du Zheng, but I didn't expect Du Zheng to suddenly die, and Min Guan took advantage of this to monopolize the government." I have reserved an edict, and after you ascend the throne, Xuan Wei Zhi will enter the court as the great Sima, the general, and lead the whole country to help you balance Min Guan, but helpless. Motomi sighed slightly.

"After I leave, you can let your queen mother listen to the government, and ask your queen mother for her opinion on everything." Motomi thought for a moment and said in a low voice.

Yuan Zhen was puzzled: "The queen mother is the younger sister of Prime Minister Min, so wouldn't it be a monopoly on Prime Minister Min." ”

Yuan Jian shook his head: "I understand the queen, only if you sit in a stable position, your queen mother can be in power." So she will definitely help you sit firmly on the queen, as for Min Guan," Yuan Jian sneered: "Although Min Guan is a talent, he has been expanding day by day, and if he is smart, he will keep a low profile, if he continues to swell." ”

Motomi glanced at the saber hanging from the head of the bed and said, "When a man's ambition reaches its peak, it is when he perishes. I've got a hand for you, and you're waiting. Let the rest of the ministers in. ”

Subsequently, Min Guan, Li Tai and other ministers entered one after another. Yuan Jian looked at the ministers and said: "I have been a horse all my life, and now the old disease has recurred, and there is no medicine for the medicine. After my death, the crown prince ascended the throne immediately. Min Guan, Li Tai, and Lin Cong assisted the government, and ordered Pengcheng Wang Yuanshan to enter Beijing as the Great Sima, and supervised the Chinese and foreign military. And the queen will listen to the government. ”

Min Guan was shocked: "Your Majesty, the king of Pengcheng guards the former capital of Yecheng and dominates Hebei, so you can't move lightly." ”

Yuan Jian glanced at Min Guan coldly: "I have made up my mind, and I have made Zhao Youzhi, the commander of the Changqing Dynasty, the general of the left guard, to lead the forbidden army and be responsible for the defense of the Beijing Division." ”

"The ministers take the order." Seeing that Yuanjian's mind had been decided, Min Guan had no choice but to accept the order.

"After I die, I'm afraid that Nanqi is ready to move. I already know what Prime Minister Min said before, and I decided to transfer the troops of the thirteen states to Huaibei, Wancheng, Xichuan, and Xuzhou to deter the Southern Qi, and at the same time, the Changqing Dynasty was the official history, and the author Lang Suwei was the deputy envoy, and the envoy was sent to the Southern Qi to negotiate peace, and the three princesses, the princess of Zhaoyang, were promised to the prince of the Southern Qi, and the two sides made an alliance with each other. After Yuan Jian finished speaking, his body became more and more uncomfortable: "Zhong Aiqing go and prepare, let the queen and the concubines and others come in." ”

Shortly after Min Guan and others withdrew from the Qianyuan Palace, the bells rang in Chang'an City.

In the sixteenth year of the Great Cause of Northern Qin, Emperor Wu of Qin died of illness in Chang'an

The next day, the crown prince Yuan Zhi became the emperor, changed the Yuan Changzhi, and granted amnesty to the world.

Nanqi Jiankang

Wei Ran came to the Great Sima Mansion as promised, and Hengzhi had already been waiting in the hall for a long time.

Wei Ran saw that although the people in the hall were dressed in civilian clothes, they were burly, and their eyebrows were heroic, and they must be undoubted.

Wei Ran bowed to the ground: "Grass people Wei Ran, meet Da Sima." ”

Heng Zhi stepped forward and helped Wei Ran up: "Why should Wei Gongzi be polite, I have always admired Dingnanhou, and I have seen his son today, as if I saw the shadow of Dingnanhou." Then Wei Ran was seated, and the two sides talked happily and exchanged a few words of greeting. Heng Zhizhi changed his words: "I don't know why Wei Gongzi is looking for Heng." ”

Wei Ran secretly scolded the old fox in his heart, and then said: "In the past few days, the grass people will enter the palace to meet the saint, but my mother and I came to Jiankang alone, helpless, and we don't know everything about the court. Evergrande people are also northerners, so I came to visit, and I hope that Evergrande people can dial one or two. ”

Hengzhi secretly scolded the little fox in his heart, and said: "Wei Gongzi said that he was joking, who in Jiankang doesn't know that Wei Company currently lives in the Prince's Mansion, and with the prince here, will Wei Gongzi still not know about the court disputes in my dynasty?" ”

After Wei Ran heard this, he thought that Hengzhi was really as straightforward as the rumors, so he no longer tested: "I don't know if the goal of the Evergrande people is to compete in this temple, or whether they want to cross the Yellow River and return to Hebei one day." ”

After listening to it, Heng stared at Wei Ran deadly, as if he wanted to gain insight into all Wei Ran's thoughts.

Wei Ran was not afraid, just looked at Hengzhi quietly.

Then Hengzhi said: "It is my lifelong wish to set foot on my homeland in Hebei one day. What does Wei Gongzi mean by this. ”

"Now above the court, Lu Xiang and the southern scholars are in power, and the northern wealthy families who have moved south are gradually declining. The south has long since changed the dynasty, not in the post-dry period, the southern scholars have lived in the south for a long time, and they have no enterprising heart for the northern land, and now they are suppressing the northern wealthy families everywhere above the officialdom. One day, let alone fight back to the north, it is still unknown whether it will be able to gain a foothold in the south. Wei Ran said lightly.

When Hengzhi heard this, he also nodded silently, then waved his hand back and asked, "Since Gongzi Wei already knows, then it must be a good strategy to let the prince meet today." ”

"My father was the governor of Huaibei and stationed in Shouchun, although he was now harmed by traitors. However, there are still many cronies in the Huaibei Army. Wei Ran said slowly: "In the past, after my father sent troops from Pengcheng to capture Shouchun, he successively captured the cities near Shouchun, so that the two Huai battlefields in the Southern Dynasties only left Hefei Wancheng Xiaoxian and other cities, unable to control the Huai River, even if there is a natural danger of the Yangtze River, but for a long time, Hefei will definitely lose." ”

Hengzhi nodded slightly, and then ordered someone to get the map, Wei Ran said: "If Northern Qin sends troops from Pengcheng to cut off the rescue channel from Huaiyin Guangling to Hefei, and then Shouchun sends troops, the army will besiege Hefei." The Northern Qin cavalry continued to sweep southward, and once the cavalry seized the ferry, it would be useless to send troops from the direction of Jiankang and Huiji. ”

Listening to Wei then continued's description, the expression on Hengzhi's face became more and more exciting, and he couldn't help but say: "Wei Gongzi is young, I didn't expect it to be so good." ”

Hearing Hengzhi's compliment, Wei Ran couldn't help blushing, remembering that before leaving the door today, Weber asked him how he planned to persuade Hengzhi. Then he analyzed the current situation for Wei Ran, and Wei Ran was surprised that Weber would have such insight. Weber just said lightly that he had talked to Wei Xian and Wei Zhi for two generations, and had heard them analyze the situation between the two Huai.

Thinking of this, Wei Ran did not doubt him, and said: "My father guarded Shouchun and never attacked Hefei. It is to hoard grain and grass and train the fleet of sailors, along the Huai River through the fertile water into the Yangtze River, completely cut off the passage between Jiangnan and Lianghuai. ”

After hearing this, Heng couldn't help but be in awe: "Wei Houye really deserves to be the Northern Qin Tiger." ”

Wei Ran was silent, and then asked: "Wei is a little talent, Heng Gong will see if Wei can serve under Heng Gong's account." ”

Seeing Heng straightening his brows, Wei Ran then said: "Now Xiao Luan, the son of Lu Guifei, is also an adult, the Lu family is the largest wealthy family in the south, Lu Ke is now in power, even Heng Gong can only temporarily avoid the edge, and the prince is also sitting on pins and needles every day." Even if the crown prince ascends the throne, he will not be able to gain a firm foothold without the support of the Jiangnan Shi clan, and now he can only rely on the northern wealthy clans. ”

Wei Ran carefully observed Hengzhi, and saw that Hengzhi's demeanor had already moved, so he added: "The prince promised that once Henggong is willing to help the prince stabilize the court situation, after the prince successfully ascends the throne, he will definitely swear to the Northern Expedition, if the Northern Expedition is successful, he will divide the homeland of Yecheng to Henggong, so that Henggong will not lose his loyalty to the king as a minister, and the filial piety of the ancestral hall will not be lost for the son." At the same time, it is guaranteed that Xiao Yin, the son of Concubine Heng, will be a free prince for a lifetime. ”

Hengzhi got up after hearing this: "Is what Wei Gongzi said true?" ”

Wei Ran also stood up straight: "A gentleman is hard to chase after a horse, my Wei family is a loyal martyr, and Heng Gong doesn't have to be suspicious." ”

"Come on, bring my treasured osmanthus flowers." Heng Zhi exhaled fiercely.

"Osmanthus Piao is a good wine that I have treasured for many years, brewed by the predecessors of the brewing master of Wujun Qingmeizi, and now there are less than three altars in the village, you and I drink this wine together." Then Heng went directly to the wine jar handed over by the next person and drank it directly.

"Wei Gongzi, please!" Hengzhi handed the wine jar directly to Wei Ran: "A soldier should be as arrogant as a cloud." ”

Wei Ran then picked up the wine jar and drank it all.

"Good amount of alcohol! What a guts! Hengzhi looked up to the sky and laughed, and then looked at Wei Ran: "Wei Gongzi said, how do you need this father-in-law to help you!"