In the Royal Forbidden Garden in the northern suburbs of Chang'an, the grass is dotted, and there are beautiful fireflies flying one after another.

In the dark night, under the bright moonlight, the green fluorescence that shimmered in the grass was intoxicating.

Li Longji, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, was lying on the fence of the attic of a two-story Forbidden Garden, looking at the fireflies in the grass not far downstairs.

and the palace maid who hunts down fireflies.

"Haha, I got it! Caught! Alas! ”

The cheerful shouting stopped abruptly, and the maid who had just made the sound fell in a pool of blood, and beside her stood a maid with a stone in her hand, panting in place.

When she hit the back of the opponent's head with a stone just now, she used all her strength, and at this moment, the adrenaline was declining, making her whole body limp, almost unstable on her feet.

The maid threw the stone to the ground, leaned down and picked up the "lantern" that the maid was carrying.

A "lantern" made of light gauze with glowing green fireflies inside!

"I can finally get out of this hellish place."

She sighed lightly and put her hand on the eyes of the palace maid who was not blind, and after taking her hand away, the eyes that were still open just now were closed at the moment.

"Don't blame me."

The palace maid muttered to herself, and just got up to leave, when she suddenly felt unbearable pain coming from her back, and stabbed a dagger through her abdomen.

She looked down at the tip of the knife, turned her head with difficulty, and saw that under the fluorescent light, blood flowed from the forehead of the palace maid who had just fallen to the ground, and this person looked like a ghost!

"You ......"

She uttered a word in disbelief, and at the moment it felt as if her life was passing by at a rapid pace.

"No one wants to take away my fireflies, I want to be a concubine!

I! Want! While! Expensive! Imperial concubine! ”

The palace maid who got up from the ground roared viciously, gritting her teeth word by word, as if she was from the abyss of hell.

With all her strength, she grabbed the other party's hair with her left hand, and stabbed her right hand repeatedly, blood splattered on the white palace dress she was wearing, like paint on a draft painting.

One knife was not enough at all, and I stabbed more than a dozen times in one breath, and I was so tired that I couldn't move before I stopped.

The praying mantis that catches cicadas doesn't notice it for a while, and it is really embarrassing that it is killed by the cicada that pretends to be dead.

The latter reclaimed the lantern containing the fireflies and staggered forward, her vision blurring and bleeding from the wound on the back of her head. Finally, this ambitious palace maid couldn't support it anymore and fell to the ground.

The counter-killing just now was also her dying struggle.

The light veil at the opening of the lantern was pierced by the gravel on the ground, and the fireflies inside escaped the cage and flew into the grass, fleetingly.

This scene happened in front of Brother Ji, who condescended and fully appreciated the thrilling scene just now, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Many people have a very low status and a very hard life, but their explosive power cannot be underestimated. In a short life, there is often a moment when it blooms with dazzling brilliance.

"Lux, people die for money, birds die for food, who said this sentence first?"

Brother Kei pressed his arm on Colliers' shoulder and asked with a soft sigh.

"Back to the saint, such a profound question, the slave doesn't know it."

Colliers replied cautiously.

The Tang Dynasty genius in front of him, he is becoming more and more unpredictable.

Tonight, the palace maids caught fireflies in the forbidden garden, which was actually an activity organized by Brother Ji's order, and it was not forced, in principle, it was voluntary.

The ten palace maids who catch the most fireflies can serve the Son of Heaven.

Of course, if they don't want to sleep, then they can choose to go home, which is what they deserve. The event lasts for ten days, and the fireflies caught are handed over to the eunuch who is responsible for organizing the event before dawn every day.

In short, there are thousands of palace maids who have signed up for this event, and these women either want to go home or want to serve the emperor, each with their own purpose.

And Brother Ji is as a spectator, patrolling around, admiring the various means used by the palace maids to compete for fireflies.

"When are you going to do it? Look at the time, right? ”

Brother Kei asked casually, with a thick look of sarcasm on his old face.

He thought it was funny, three days before the start of the day, that is, the day before yesterday. Several of the informants in the palace of King Di sent the news to Gao Lishi.

Fang Youde took the Shence Army to Huaxian County at the foot of Huashan Mountain to train troops, just fishing. In fact, he trained a capable and efficient "fast reaction force" composed entirely of cavalry, which could return to Chang'an in the shortest possible time.

Arresting rebels, to be exact.

Of course, Brother Ji also knows this, in fact, the strategy of "luring the snake out of the hole" is precisely from the plan of this Tang Emperor.

This is the beauty of allowing the princes to move out of Chang'an City without leaving Gyeonggi. If the princes are still in Chang'an, when these people are in trouble, the Son of Heaven may not be able to cope with it every time.

After all, Chang'an was large, but the court was relatively small.

"Back to the saints, there are many rumors that they will do it in the Forbidden Garden tonight.

Quan Zhong had already taken a battalion of the Shence Army and quietly returned from Huashan to the vicinity of Chang'an, and was ambushed on the outskirts of Yunyang County tonight.

Once Li Yan's assassins made a move in the Forbidden Garden, the Shence Army would rush into Yunyang County and raze the palace of the Emperor.

No one can leave. ”

Gao Lishi's tone was very calm, but the murderous intent in his words had been revealed, and he did not hide it in any way.

Li Yan thought he was playing cards with Ji Ge, but this game was formulated by Ji Ge from the referee to the gambling equipment to the rules of the game, and the cards were also one-way transparent.

Li Yan didn't have any chances.

At this moment, a young eunuch named Yu Chaoen walked up to Ji Ge, bowed and saluted, and said, "Sage, a group of unknown thieves have entered from the south gate of the Forbidden Garden, and the people of Jin Wuwei are fighting with them. The scene is under control. ”

"Collect the Internet café, I didn't expect this son of a scumbag to be so unbeaten."

Brother Ji waved his hand tiredly and said happily.

Li Yan, the king of Di, is very stupid, and this assassination, from the beginning of the planning to the final collection of the net, is all under the control of Ji Ge.

Probably, only Li Yan felt confident. Fighting with such a stupid person made Ji Ge not feel any excitement, and he didn't have any waves in his heart and even wanted to laugh.

On the contrary, like the last Shouwang Li Xuan, only the actions planned and implemented by him alone can be successful.

made Brother Ji break out in a cold sweat. No, Li Jing almost succeeded last time.

"Send someone to inform General Fang that the net can be closed."

Gao Lishi glanced at Yu Chaoen and said softly.

Yu Chaoen didn't say anything, bowed and left.

"Sage, how to settle the ten palace maids who caught fireflies this time?

Could it be that the saint really wants them to sleep? ”

Colliers asked cautiously. This is actually nonsense, because the "rules of the game" themselves are precedent.

"Didn't General Gao see the fight in the grass just now?

If this woman is ruthless, it is really a woman who does not let her eyebrows go. ”

Ji Ge asked with a smile, but the smile on his face was a little cold, and his tone was not good.

Just now, Palace Maid A caught a firefly and was hit on the back of the head by Palace Maid B's sneak attack. Palace maid B snatched the other party's fireflies, and when she turned around, she was stabbed more than a dozen times by the palace maid A who had just pretended to be dead.

Both died in the grass, and the fireflies flew away, which can be described as a defeat for both.

And Brother Ji and Gao Lishi, they don't even know their names!

How wicked and scheming must a woman who can survive such a cruel fight and get fireflies have?

For an old emperor with a declining physiology, what is this kind of woman to do? Stay by your side and do things?

Gao Lishi thought of Brother Ji when he was young, and he was trembling under the oppression of Wu Meiniang, and he understood what the other party was thinking now.

A woman who is too clever in the machine should be damned in the eyes of Brother Ji! These people are filthy even the air they spit out!

"Please rest assured, the slave will be arranged."

Colliers said with a cross-handed salute.

"Well, I'm going to bed, you can take care of the rest."

Ji Ge turned around and walked in the direction of the palace bedroom, feeling very calm.

Tonight, for some, must be a sleepless night.

Tonight, for some, must be a precious night.

Because they will not see the sun rise the next day.

……

In the spring of this year, a "big event" happened in Chang'an, which was not a big event.

A group of unknown assassins entered the Forbidden Garden in the northern suburbs of Chang'an in a vain attempt to assassinate the Son of Heaven. As a result, these people were completely annihilated by the Jin Wuwei who had been ambushed a long time ago, and the assassins were specially left alive and confessed to the people behind the scenes.

It is Li Yan, the king of Di.

Fang Youde, the general of the Shence Army, broke into Yunyang County, where the Di Wangfu was located, and arrested Li Yan's family, and no one escaped.

The day after the incident, the results of the Son of Heaven's disposition came out:

Li Yan's princess, Wei Shi, was ordered to become a nun.

Li Yan, the king of Di, was confined in a pigsty on a royal estate and committed suicide three days later. He was buried as a commoner, and his name was removed from the genealogy by Zongzheng Temple.

Li Yan's concubine was ordered to be martyred, but later Brother Ji was extrajudicial and allowed those with outstanding appearance to be assigned to the Jiaofang Division, and the rest were buried alive.

Li Yan's heirs were reduced to commoners, and they died inexplicably not long after the incident, and all the subordinates in the palace of King Di were executed for treason.

Not even a single living dog remained.

The storm came and went quickly, and it came to an end. The case of Li Yan's rebellion came very abruptly, and it ended in an unusually hasty manner.

From the assassin's assassination to the time the dust settled, it was only three days.

Although the time is short, many of the details are well worth scrutinizing.

For example, Fang Youde led the Shence Army, which was originally trained in Huaxian County at the foot of Huashan Mountain, and there was a distance of hundreds of miles to Yunyang County.

However, he arrived in Yunyang County on the night of the incident and wiped out everyone in the Diwang Mansion. The march was a little too fast.

For example, in the whole thing, only Princess Wei, who had no heirs, left home unscathed, and everyone else was unlucky.

Odd things like this are very intriguing.

It's just that the government and the opposition, from the ordinary county lieutenant in Chang'an to the right minister Li Linfu, are all silent about this.

Everyone is only the prince of Li Yan, the king of Di, who has never existed.

……

The death of Li Yan, the king of Di, although it was not shocking inside and outside the court, did not cause much discussion. But this incident caused an uproar in the prince's circle!

Yongwang's Mansion, where Yongwang Li Lan is in the study.

The prince was restlessly walking around the table, while his personal eunuch Gao Shang stood aside indifferently without speaking, with his hands hanging down on his lower abdomen.

"It's coming, it's coming, it's coming! Li Xuan's curse is coming!

Damn it!

All are going to die, all are going to die!

What should Hongu do! What to do! ”

Li Lan said noble words pretending not to understand, and the whole person fell into extreme anxiety, and the ants on the hot pot were a little calmer than him.

"Your Highness, please calm down, the consequences of this matter are not as serious as Your Highness thinks."

Gao Shang said to Li Lan's crossed hands.

"How do you let Hongu calm down! Yes! Yes! ”

Li Lan grabbed the noble collar, and the green tendons on his forehead burst out.

Then he was powerless to put his hand down, and his whole body was like a frosted eggplant.

That day, Li Xuan said a lot. He said that Li Yan tied the villain of the saint at home, and said that he was holding a one-foot-long iron nail.

Hehe, Hongu thought he was joking. ”

Li Lin laughed to himself, recalling the original scene. At that time, Li Xuan's words seemed like a fantasy, and now he only feels a chill in his back.

Is Li Yan really cursing Brother Ji?

Yongwang Li Lan didn't know, and even he didn't believe it at all before.

But judging from the assassination case that just happened, it is very likely that this incident is true, at least Li Yan is a thief.

Or in other words, similar things belong to the "free mind".

It doesn't really matter what the truth is.

The key is what the Son of Heaven himself thinks. As long as he thinks whoever is guilty, then that person is bound to be punished, and that's it.

Witness evidence or anything is completely unnecessary.

Obviously, what Li Heng said that time, Brother Ji completely listened to it. And quietly and quietly prepared secretly.

This time it's Li Yan, so next time, will it be himself?

Li Lan didn't know, but he was scared.

"Your Highness, please rest assured, whether it is you, the crown prince, or King Ying, they are all living and dying together now.

As long as His Highness doesn't make mistakes, then this game can be played forever. What Your Highness needs to do now is to wait for the moment.

It's better to be still than to be still. ”

Gao Shang said quietly and persuasively.

"Well, that's all there is to it."

Li Lan sighed and sat down weakly in front of the table.

Gao Shang secretly scolded Li Lan in his heart for not being able to support the wall with mud, but he still had a smile on his face and comforted:

"Your Highness, it's time to send someone to find the prince's fault.

Those old cases in Chang'an County can find some bitter masters and make trouble in front of the yamen of Jingzhao Mansion. ”

Gao Shang saluted Li Lan, and his eyes flashed.

"Is it really useful for this palace to be so foolish?"

Li Lan frowned slightly, and asked rhetorically with a calm face.

Gao Shang was so angry that he wanted to smash the fool's head with a stick, but he suppressed the anger in his heart, squeezed out a smile, and persuaded in a gentle tone:

"Your Highness, the saint is not worried about your nonsense now. On the contrary, I am very worried that His Highness is too wise.

There is no need to hide this from anyone, His Highness just needs to do it loudly, and after the saint reprimands His Highness's holy decree comes down, he can stop again. ”

"Well, there's some truth to what you said."

Yongwang Li Lan nodded thoughtfully and said.

"After His Highness has attracted the attention of the saint, he can plan his next move."

Gao Shang suppressed the excitement in his heart and said.

"What's next?"

Li Luan looked puzzled, and then seemed to remember something, laughed to hide his embarrassment: "Yes, yes, An Lushan, An Lushan!" ”

"If you can win over Fang Chongyong, Your Highness has a better chance of winning."

Gao Shang said quietly.

"Don't count on that."

Li Lan waved his hand helplessly and said. Fang Youde is the fastest knife in Brother Ji's hand, how could his son be co-opted by the prince!

"Your Highness, the slave is going back to Chang'an now, and he will speak ill of His Highness in front of the saint."

Gao Shang bowed deeply to Li Lan and continued:

"The way to paralyze the saint is not to do nothing, but to describe His Highness in front of the saint as a person who does not learn and has no skills, has no ambitions, and is dissatisfied with the saint but does not dare to attack.

If these words reach the ears of His Highness, His Highness will be angry when he should be angry, and he will be rough when he should be rude to his slaves. ”

"Hongu understands, understands!"

Li Lan came over and helped up the noble man who knelt down and saluted and said: "In the future, when this palace becomes a great treasure, this palace will give you whatever you want, even if you want to be the right minister, this palace will never be stingy!" ”

Li Lan looked affectionately like a corporal of Lixian, and almost vomited the nobility.

He held back the discomfort in his heart, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said gratefully: "Why do you have to work hard for King Yong." Please rest assured, Your Highness. The slave then set off for Chang'an. ”

"Well, go ahead."

Looking at the nobility with tears on his face, Li Lan nodded with emotion.

The palace maid catches fireflies and sleeps, but it is the intangible legacy left by Ji Ge to later emperors in history. I'm paying homage to the classics.

(End of chapter)