Inside the Imperial Study.

Yang Zhong, the prime minister of the Li State, sat opposite the emperor.

It's not how much power he has, it's that the other party understands his age. I found a chair for him to sit on.

"Who do you think did this?"

The emperor smiled, poured a cup of tea and handed it to Yang Zhong.

Maybe that's how the two usually communicate.

Yang Zhong took the tea and did not thank him for the first time. Instead, after thinking about the emperor's questions, he answered them together.

"Thank you, your majesty for the tea. Weichen guessed that it was either the sixth prince or the remnants of the Li family. ”

"Your thoughts coincide with mine."

The emperor took a sip of tea and nodded.

Then he touched his beard, and his gaze gradually drifted away.

Looking at the other party's thoughtful appearance, the things in front of Yang Zhong's eyes began to flicker.

In the end, in front of him, a young man who looked somewhat similar to Sima Liang appeared.

That person's gestures were exactly the same as the emperor in front of him.

It's just that between words, he often asks middle-aged Yang Zhong.

Obviously, it should be the scene of him and the emperor planning when they were young.

Your Majesty is getting more and more powerful, and you don't need to ask me anything. Yang Zhong was a little sad.

The emperor did not notice the change in him, but was seriously thinking.

In the end, he regained his sharp eyes and looked at Yang Zhong, who was distracted.

"I want you to investigate clearly. Is it Xiaoliu, who took the initiative to participate. If he hadn't taken the initiative, this matter would have been easy to do. If he really has the heart and sits in the position, it will be troublesome. ”

The emperor's order brought Yang Zhong back to reality.

He looked at the old emperor, and thought of the other party's appearance at the beginning.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After smiling, Yang Zhong gave up his hand like every previous time.

Perhaps sensing what the other party was thinking, the emperor sighed.

"You're a decade older than me, but you're an only child in your twenties. It should be the age when I hugged my grandson to raise my life, but I was still with me in the court. You're not going to blame me. ”

Yang Zhong, who noticed the change in the emperor's words, his eyes were a little moist.

His old face folded together, and he smiled and looked at each other.

"Without Your Majesty, how can there be the Yang family today, how dare Weichen blame you. Moreover, His Majesty's marriage of the princess to the dog is already a great gift. Your Majesty doesn't need to feel indebted to the ministers. ”

"I forgot, we are in-laws, and I have seen each other."

The Emperor smiled, then grimaced.

"It's a pity that there has never been a good candidate for prime minister, who can make you retire. Coupled with the remnants of the Li family, it has gradually become a climate, and you are afraid that you will have to stay in Zhongdu for a few more years. ”

"Weichen's hands are stained with the blood of the Li family, how can he retreat with his whole body. Since they want to settle accounts after the autumn, Weichen naturally has to accompany them to the end. Wechen wants to see if they have accumulated 20 years of savings, or if we wait for the monarchs and ministers to plan deeper. ”

"Okay, okay, I didn't expect you to be such ambitious."

The Emperor walked up to the other and patted the old bones of the other party.

"Let's meet them again."

"Your Majesty light, Weichen can't bear it."

"You old fellow."

……

The laughter of a pair of old monarchs and ministers came from the imperial study.

At this moment, in the Prince's Mansion.

The other pair of young ministers were sad and at a loss.

"Your old father, did you really go to your father's side to ask for sin?"

"Prince, this matter cannot be hidden from His Majesty and my father. Xin'er also said in the letter, don't hide it. ”

Although he was also a little flustered, Yang Yu looked calmer than the prince.

"What the little sister said, this palace can understand. But I think it could be later. Let's at least find out before we tell you. Otherwise, this matter will be taken away by my father. It's going to be a big deal, and it's not going to be delved into at all. ”

"Prince, the minister thinks what Xin'er said is right. I'll just wait for the external investigation, and it's best not to get involved. ”

"Wouldn't such a plan be in vain? If the second child is in the northwest and makes some military achievements, I really can't suppress him. ”

The prince's expression was a little displeased, and his words were also irritated.

Seeing that the other party was so angry, Yang Yu couldn't persuade him.

I had to bring tea and pour water, hoping that the prince would calm down.

After walking back and forth, coupled with sighs, the other party gradually recognized the reality and calmed down.

Seeing this, Yang Yu walked to the prince's side again and handed over a piece of information.

"Originally, the situation was a little troublesome, but after the fifth prince entered Pingnan. There are basically only three possibilities left. Ignore the second prince of the border for the time being. The remaining two options are actually much the same. ”

Listening to the other party's words, the prince frowned.

Then open the intelligence and check it out.

After reading it, the prince's expression changed rapidly. First surprised, then confused, then incredulous, and finally swallowed.

"The worst fears have happened. thought that compromise could be exchanged for support, but I didn't expect these people to still think about the sixth child. No, it may be that from before the inauguration of the domain, it was the bureau set up by the old sixth. ”

"I'm stupid when I take the money. And those people's words, why did I listen to them? ”

The prince's chagrin all fell in Yang Yu's eyes.

He knew it was useless to regret it. The most important thing now is how to deal with Sima Liang or the person behind the other party.

"Prince, don't think about it. Let the six princes take Yancheng, and the ministers also think it is a good deal. If you really want to blame, blame the minister for not investigating clearly. ”

The prince looked at the other man's face.

Then, he turned his head and closed his eyes and sighed.

After a moment of silence.

The prince regained his usual indifference and began to plan.

"You're right, there's no point in worrying about that right now. Now the attitude of the sixth child is the most important. Although his words have little credibility, they can still dominate some situations in this matter. ”

"I want to come to the Six Princes, and I will return to Yancheng today. Xin'er should be staring, and after a day, there should be news coming. Yang Yu replied.

The crown prince nodded in affirmation.

"Come to Xin'er, let us inform Your Majesty of this. I think I want His Majesty to help deal with those people. Then we can actually wait and see what happens, or take the opportunity to plan the five princes in Pingnan. ”

"Old five?" The prince was puzzled.

"Yes, Prince, Pingnan is not a good place right now. It's easy to get in, but it's not so easy to get out. Don't miss this opportunity. ”

The prince, who understood what the other party meant, smiled instantly.

"I can't move, the sixth man behind the intertwined roots. Let's teach you a lesson, the fifth is still okay. ”

"Although it was used by my father to balance the palace, this old five really regarded himself as a character. I don't want to think about it, the only ones who really have a chance to succeed to the throne are the second child who is favored by me and my father, and the sixth child who is blessed by blood power. From beginning to end, he was just a poor pawn who was used by his father. ”

When it comes to the five princes, the prince's contempt is not expressed.

Even Yang Yu on the side couldn't stand it anymore. I thought: They are all brothers, although they are the great enemies of the throne, but they will not be counted like this.

I thought that the prince would stop after venting for a while.

But he seemed to have found an outlet and buried the five princes endlessly.

“…… The bloodline of the barbarians waited until the Mobei was defeated. After I succeed to the throne, you will go with your mother to the place where birds don't lay eggs in the northwest. ……”

Watch the momentum intensify. Yang Yu spoke to stop it.

"Prince, let's think about the current situation first."

Hearing the other party's persuasion, the prince noticed his own situation.

"My heart, alas. Sooner or later, it will lead to catastrophe. Yang Yu, you will persuade more in the future, so that this palace can get rid of this bad problem that is easy to be dominated by emotions. His tone was full of remorse.

Yang Yu looked at the other party. I thought: It's not the first time, I can change it early.

But he only dared to say it in his heart.

On the surface, Yang Yu still nodded, and at the same time showed the appearance of listening carefully to the teachings.

"Ministers should be kept in mind."

Time came to night.

Sima Liang looked at Xiao Shunzi with complicated eyes.

Since the other party entered the room, he has been kneeling on the ground, silent.

Although Sima Liang didn't ask anything, Xiao Shunzi disappeared for three days and two nights, and there should be a lot of important information to report.

But the other party looked like he was admitting his mistake, which made him beat a drum in his heart. I thought: Just come back safely. But Xiao Shunzi is like this, it can't really be his ghost.

Thinking of the possibility, Sima Liang sighed.

Because his eyes have been looking at Xiao Shunzi. When he reached for the teapot, he accidentally touched it, and it was a little hot.

"Oops."

"Your Highness, it's okay."

Sima Liang looked at the other party's concerned expression and blew his hot hand.

"It's fine. Xiao Shunzi, don't you have something to tell me? Thinking about what should have happened in these times when they disappeared. ”

Xiao Shunzi sighed and looked at Sima Liang at the same time.

"Your Highness, I am guilty. I didn't do what you told me to do, and the people I sent are gone. I don't have a clue what to investigate. I am truly ashamed of your highness's expectations. ”

"That's it?" Sima Liang was puzzled.

Staring at Xiao Shunzi's slightly evasive eyes, he knew that the other party must have hidden something.

"I still can't hide it from Your Highness. The bodies of those who disappeared, found. Before he came back, he was disposing of the corpse. ”

"Huh? The bodies are all disposed of? Sima Liang was surprised.

"Yes, all 12 people who disappeared have been found. We disposed of the bodies properly, leaving no traces. ”

Xiao Shunzi looked at Sima Liang with a puzzled expression, not understanding why the other party asked knowingly.

All the bodies were found and disposed of?

Then Liu Dongyang told me the floating corpse in the river, who is it?

Could it be that Xiao Shunzi really doesn't know?

Sima Liang was a little confused.

He stared into Junko's eyes, wondering if the other party was lying.

"Are you sure you're all disposed of?"

"I'm sure, I've checked every corpse. There was only one fatal wound on the corpse, and it was thought that after being controlled, he was killed directly. ”

Seeing that the other party didn't want to fake, Sima Liang temporarily believed the other party.

He turned his head to think of the people who had been killed.

"Then my identity, is it exposed?"

"No, those twelve don't know who sent them, and they didn't even meet with me. Originally, it was the first time we met in Pingnan City. ”

According to what Xiao Shunzi said, I won't be implicated in handling it cleanly. Then this Pingnan incident has nothing to do with me. Sima Liang thought secretly.

However, he felt that Junko's answer was still a bit flawed.

"Then why didn't you contact me when you found the body? And do you know about the floating corpses in Pingnan City? ”

Xiao Shunzi looked at Sima Liang with a sad face.

"I want to contact you, but it's a bit far away. In addition, the situation is urgent, and I thought about disposing of these corpses and came back. I didn't send anyone to inform you. ”

"Far?" Sima Liang was puzzled. I thought: Pingnan can get to Yancheng in two hours, and the carriage only takes half a day. Is it far away?

Junko nodded.

"After the preliminary investigation in Pingnan was inconclusive. So I took the rest of the people and searched along the riverbank. It took a day and a night to finally find his whereabouts. The location of the discovery is far away from Pingnan, and it is almost close to the middle capital. ”

"Outside the capital?" Sima Liang exclaimed. I thought: how did I run away?

"yes, I think it's weird too. However, due to the fact that the matter is relatively secretive and there are dead people, I don't dare to do more investigations. After disposing of the body, he came back hastily. ”

Xiao Shunzi's answer can indeed round out what he said.

But Sima Liang's doubts were not only not solved, but worsened.

If what Xiao Shunzi said is true, then Liu Dongyang's news is not fake. That is to say, Pingnan and Zhongdu are dead.

Who is the person who died in Pingnan?

And who was that, killing two groups of people?

Sima Liang felt that his head was a little big.

This unexpected situation made his original calculations useless.

After everything was puzzled, it turned into a sigh,

Sima Liang looked at Xiao Shunzi, who was kneeling on the ground, drenched in the rain, and his face was tired.

Looking at this person who had been with him for so many years, he still decided to trust the other party.

"Forget it, you've worked hard. Let's go take a hot shower and change your clothes, and be careful if you get sick. And tomorrow you won't have to do anything, so take a good rest. Of course, you don't have to come to see me. ”

Sima Liang's gentle words made Xiao Shunzi, who was originally cold, feel hot from his heart.

He knelt on the ground and saluted earnestly.

"Your Highness."

"Let's go, you don't have to open the door."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Xiao Shunzi left the room with a grateful face, leaving Sima Liang alone in the room.

This situation, this scene, this person, this rain.

made Sima Liang feel like he was back to that day ten years ago.

"It's just Xiao Yao." He muttered to himself.

There was a sound of footsteps.

"Your Highness, how did you find out it was mine?"

Hearing the other party call her name, Xiao Yao looked surprised.

Bang dang.

The teacup in Sima Liang's hand slipped to the ground.

"Ah, why are you really here?"