"Returning to Your Majesty, without the full cooperation of Zhuang Wenzhong, it is impossible to exterminate Li Yuanjia's rebellion with the strength of Weichen alone, and the consequences will be unimaginable, Weichen begs Your Majesty to forgive him. ”

Wu Zetian pondered silently for a moment, and finally nodded, "Well, since you intercede for him like this, I believe that he is loyal to me and allow him to serve his original position."

"Wechen thanks Your Majesty for your kindness In addition, Wechen has something to report to Your Majesty. ”

"What's the matter?"

"It's about the Goryeo Restoration Congress, although Wechen has wiped out the Goryeo Restoration Congress in Luoyang, but they still have a branch in Yangzhou, about more than 100 people, led by the original Xiangcheng County Lieutenant Pei Shunqing, the assassination of the King of Hanoi is what they did, if they don't cut the grass and eradicate the roots, they will make a comeback, and even intensify the threat to the lives of the important ministers of the imperial court, Wechen is willing to lead the internal guards to Yangzhou to kill all the remnants, and I implore Your Majesty for permission. ”

"What about the expandable things?"

After Weichen came back, he immediately started to expand the compilation. ”

Wu Zetian certainly understood Li Zhen's feelings, if Goryeo revived the country's revenge, Li Zhen would bear the brunt of it, and the expansion was not in a hurry, so she smiled happily: "I don't want you to suffer any accidents, yes, I will allow you to ask for instructions."

Li Zhen was overjoyed, "Thank you, Your Majesty"

Coming out of the palace, Li Zhen came to Anyefang Di's mansion, he waited outside the gate for a while, only to see Di Yan come out of the mansion with a smile, "Come to me so soon, you must have some business coming to the door, right?"

Li Zhen smiled helplessly: "You are really a roundworm in my stomach, that's right, I have to go to Yangzhou again, and I have to set off overnight." ”

"What are you doing in Yangzhou again?"

Li Zhen pulled her aside and said in a low voice, "I told the Holy Lord to exterminate the remnants of the Goryeo Restoration Kingdom, but in fact I wanted to meet my master. ”

Di Yan was stunned, Li Zhen didn't think of meeting Master last time she went to Yangzhou, why was she suddenly in a hurry to go now, she asked strangely, "What happened."

"It's hard to say, I'll tell you more on the way. ”

Di Yan glanced at the sky, it was almost dusk, she nodded, "Okay, I'll go back and clean up, and I'll go to the official office to find you later." ”

Li Zhen and Di Yan said goodbye, and then turned around and rushed to the internal guard and foreign office, so that Zhao Qiuniang and Lu Jin each led a hundred people to prepare to follow him south to Yangzhou, that night, Li Zhen led two hundred internal guard warriors to leave Luoyang, and rode to Yangzhou galloping.

Although the extermination of the remnants of the Goryeo Restoration Association was just an excuse for Li Zhen, it was impossible for him to return to Beijing for nothing, and he could not explain to Wu Zetian that there were indeed some remnants of the Goryeo Restoration Association operating in the Jiangnan area, and if they were not killed, they would come back sooner or later.

Zhuang Wenzhong followed Li Zhen back to Yangzhou together, Li Zhen interceded for him in front of the saint, so that he finally escaped, thinking of Wu Sansi's ruthlessness and unrighteousness, and thinking of Li Zhen's great grace to save his life, his heart was full of gratitude to Li Zhen, but the great grace did not say thank you, he did not say anything, but remembered this kindness in his heart

In order not to attract attention, the 100 internal guard warriors were divided into three groups and hurried, and five days later, Li Zhen led the first batch of 30 internal guard warriors to Yangzhou.

At this time, nearly two months have passed since Li Yuanjia's rebellion, Yangzhou has not been impacted, and now there is no trace of any rebellion, and people have gradually forgotten about Li Yuanjia.

They entered Yangzhou City from the West Gate, and Zhuang Wenzhong said to Li Zhen: "General Li, otherwise I will go to see Lin Taishou first and explain the situation, what do you think?"

Li Zhen nodded and smiled: "It's okay, we'll settle down at the Shunfeng Inn near the West Gate, and you will send someone to inform us when you fall." ”

The two broke up, Zhuang Wenzhong rushed back to the state government with two entourages first, and Li Zhen and Di Yan also took thirty brothers to settle in the Shunfeng Inn.

"You can always talk now, right?" Di Yan asked with a smile as she walked into Li Zhen's room.

Along the way, they never had a chance to be alone, and Li Zhen couldn't tell her the reason, Li Zhen nodded, got up and closed the door, and then told Di Yan in detail what the head of the family told him, and finally he took out two jade pendants from his arms, put them on the table and said: "I'm really confused, I suspect that my grandfather's identity is not ordinary, but the head of the family refuses to say anything, so I can only come and ask the master, if this matter is not clear, my heart is hanging in the air." ”

Di Yan held the two pieces of jade in the palm of her hand, stared at them for a moment, she hesitated for a moment and said, "Brother Li, I have an idea, it may be a bit absurd, do you want to hear it."

"You say"

"I think...... Could your grandfather be the Tang Dynasty royalty, do you think it's possible?"

Li Zhen didn't say anything, in fact, he also felt this way, he thought of his Xingtang Club gold medal, why did Li Xian and Li Dan give him a gold medal that only the royal family can have, there is always a reason, is this the reason?

This is also the reason why Li Zhen is anxious to find out the truth, since his master is an insider, why didn't he come and ask his master?

"What, do you think my idea is ridiculous?" Di Yan said as she looked back at him.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because of these two jade pendants, although the dragon and phoenix jewelry is very common in the ordinary people, but it is rarely seen in the nobles or important ministers, which is a great taboo, and these two jade pendants are obviously not ordinary people can have, I am thinking, who will have the dragon and phoenix jade pendant? It can only be given by the emperor. ”

"Maybe it's possible"

Li Zhen sighed, "Everything is speculation now, and I can only understand the truth after meeting Master." ”

Di Yan nodded, and asked again: "Then how do you go to see Master, he is in Wuzhou?"

Li Zhen shrugged his shoulders indifferently and said with a smile: "I plan to find a little clue about the Goryeo Restoration Congress first, and then hand it over to Qiu Niang and Lu Jin to investigate, and I will rush to Wuzhou with you, just think there is a little clue over there."

Di Yan laughed, "No wonder you want to bring me along, it turns out that you want me to be your bodyguard"

At this time, a report from his subordinates came from the courtyard: "General Qiyu, Lin Taishou came to visit"

Li Zhen was also about to go to visit Lin Qing, but he didn't expect him to take the initiative to come to the door, Li Zhen walked quickly to the front lobby, only to see Lin Qing standing in front of the door with his hands in his hands, followed by Changshi Zhao Wenchu, and Duwei Zhuang Wenzhong, the innkeeper was so frightened that his face was like earth, and he stood aside at a loss.

Li Zhen walked out and said with a smile: "Why are you bothering to come too much, just wait for Li Zhen to come and visit." ”

Lin Qing returned the salute and said with a slight smile: "General Li is a distinguished guest, how can you let the distinguished guest stay in the inn, the pavilion has been packed, I have come to ask General Li to move to the pavilion."

The inn is also a temporary rest for Li Zhen, otherwise his two hundred subordinates will arrive, where can the small inn stay, Li Zhen is not polite, nodded happily and said: "Since Taishou invited so sincerely, Li Zhen will be disrespectful." ”

He immediately turned back to his subordinates and said, "Let everyone pack up and prepare to move to the pavilion to live."

Several subordinates rushed away, and Li Zhen smiled at Lin Qing again: "It takes time to move, so it's better for Lin Taishou and Zhao Changshi to come and sit first." ”

Lin Qing and Zhao Wenchu glanced at each other and laughed, "Then I'll bother first."

The shopkeeper went to prepare the reception hall early, and several people came to the inn to sit down in the reception hall, and the shopkeeper served them tea, and retreated with interest, Lin Qing had just learned about the situation from Zhuang Wenzhong, Zhuang Wenzhong was too close to Lin Qing, and was betrayed by Wu Sansi, but he was fully helped by Li Zhen, and Lin Qing was also grateful in his heart.

He bowed slightly to Li Zhen and said very sincerely: "The last time Li Yuanjia rebelled, thanks to General Li's efforts to turn the tide, he saved Yangzhou and saved us. ”

There is a deep meaning in Lin Qing's words, they and Li Yuanjia have secret contacts, if it weren't for Li Zhen's presence, I'm afraid that after Li Yuanjia raised his army, they would also be forced to rebel, and in the end it must be a dead end, it was with Li Zhen's help that they kept their official positions, were not implicated, and saved their lives, Lin Qing and the officials in Yangzhou were of course deeply grateful to Li Zhen.

"Lin Taishou doesn't have to be so polite, if it weren't for Lin Taishou and Zhao Changshi's full help, Li Zhen might not be able to defeat Li Yuanjia, we are helping each other and getting through the difficulties together. ”

"Well said"

Lin Qing approvingly: "Helping each other and getting through difficulties together, General Li's open-mindedness is really admirable." ”

After a few more greetings, Li Zhen turned the topic to the purpose of his trip, and he muttered: "Presumably, Captain Zhuang has already told Lin Taishou that I will come to Yangzhou again at this time, mainly to exterminate the remnants of the Goryeo Restoration Congress, can Lin Taishou provide me with some information in this regard?"

Lin Qing's face was slightly hot, because of Wu Sansi's relationship, he and the Goryeo Restoration Association had always been secretly in contact, and he also knew more about the situation of the Goguryeo people, although Li Zhen didn't mean this, but Lin Qing was still a little weak-hearted, he glanced back at Zhao Wenchu, meaning to let Zhao Wenchu talk about it.

Zhao Wenchu understood what Taishou meant, and hurriedly said: "When the Tang army destroyed Goguryeo, a large number of Goguryeo people moved to all parts of the Tang Dynasty, Yangzhou is also a key migration area, in fact, before Goguryeo destroyed the country, Yangzhou already had a lot of Goguryeo merchants doing business and living here, and later tens of thousands of Goguryeo immigrants, including nobles and commoners, in order to adapt to life in Yangzhou, they spontaneously formed the Goryeo Mutual Aid Association, and also got the permission of the imperial court, but no one thought of it, It's a pity that the Korean Mutual Aid Association turned into the Korea Restoration Association."

"And now?" Li Zhen asked, "Does this Korean Mutual Aid Association still exist in Yangzhou?"

Zhao Wenchu shook his head, "According to the latest news I have gotten, since the Goryeo Restoration Association in the capital was exterminated, the Yangzhou Goryeo Mutual Aid Association seems to have disappeared overnight, but I think they have not disbanded, but hidden, or rather, are no longer active for the time being. ”

"If we want to arrest these people, can the Yangzhou government help, I mean, does the Yangzhou government have their current address and hiding place?"

Lin Qing pondered for a moment and said: "Actually, after the Holy Decree declared the Goryeo Mutual Aid Association a rebellion, we also began to investigate the Goguryeo people in Yangzhou, they did hide, but we do have a little clue, we know where a few people are hiding, and we didn't startle the snake, does General Li need us to do it immediately?"

Li Zhen thought for a while and said with a smile: "Don't be in a hurry, it's not too late to do it when my subordinates arrive tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, but we still have to monitor them, so as not to let them escape when they hear the news." ”