Probably because they were discussing secret matters, the colors in the study became much darker. The faint rays of the autumn sun shone through the cracks in the window and shone on Liu Chengyou's face, making him look slightly cold.
Liu Chengyou calmly ordered Li Chongju: "Let our people keep an eye on Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao and those people, especially Yang Bin. I will know every move he makes next!"
"yes!"
Before food and grass are moved, intelligence comes first. Liu Chengyou has always attached great importance to intelligence information. As early as when he was really determined, he carefully selected dozens of scouts from the army and formed an intelligence force based on them. , specializes in inquiring about information, and stabs everything in the military, government and people's livelihood.
After entering Kaifeng, Liu Chengyou paid more attention to it. However, spies with a background of scouts have their limitations after all. It may not be difficult for them to gain military intelligence in a dangerous and dangerous environment. But it is not difficult for them to work in Kaifeng, a place they are not familiar with. , it would be better to monitor the government and the public and spy on the news, but that would be beyond our capabilities. The intelligence front is never easy to mess with, it requires talent.
Therefore, during this period of time, Liu Chengyou was committed to building up his team of spies, improving sources of information, especially monitoring political opponents. Secretly, he ordered Li Chongju to carefully recruit a group of informants to be responsible for monitoring, and also sent some people, Sneaking into the house of Yang Bin and others...
However, until now, progress is still very slow. How can it be so easy to form a "secret agent"?
"How is the organizational training of the 'Xiao' department going?" Liu Chengyou asked.
Xiaobu, also called Dark Xiao, has a very good name. It was a group of spies that Liu Chengyou spent great efforts to select from the army and civilians and reorganize them.
"Everything is on track."
"Well! These owl soldiers must be trained to become Gu's eyes and ears. Don't slack off!" Liu Chengyou nodded, warned, paused, and asked: "Do you still have enough money and food?"
Li Chongju's answer was simple: "Your Highness has allocated money from the treasury, which is sufficient!"
No matter what era, if you want to do something, you must have the support of resources. Although Liu Chengyou lives a "poor" life, he really has a lot of money and food in his hands. Most of them are those taken back from the Khitans. Among the goods, something secretly withheld.
Turn it all over, Liu Chengyou is not that stupid. Whether it is fighting thieves and quelling rebellion, punishing traitors and eradicating traitors, or capturing anything, the generals of this era basically keep it in their own pockets, with little restraint. As for Liu Chengyou, he is much more low-key. , there is a lot of room for manipulation, and it is not difficult to do it at all, just pay attention to the food and appearance.
"Take some time and let me go and see for myself!"
Li Chongju cupped his hands and said, "General, I will make arrangements!"
"And that Wang Jingchong, keep an eye on him and see what's going on with this person?" Having calmed down completely and pondering for a while, Liu Chengyou rubbed his chin and ordered coldly.
Liu Chengyou was almost certain that Wang Jingchong was instructed by someone else and would never show up for no reason. Regardless of the specifics, keeping an eye on this person would probably yield results.
After pondering for a while, he suddenly asked: "Also, how is my eldest brother's illness? I'm going to see him today. I see that he doesn't look good."
Li Chongju kept Liu Chengyou's instructions in mind and was a little surprised when he heard this question. Recently, Liu Chengyou seemed to be very concerned about Liu Chengxun's illness. He didn't think much about it and just reported quickly: "It's not a serious illness. It is said that it has improved a lot. "
"oh......"
...
Just as Liu Chengyou guessed, Wang Jingchong was used by Yang Bin. After going to court, he sent his servants to keep an eye on Yang's house until it got later. When he learned that Yang Bin had returned from the Privy Council, he couldn't wait to visit him with gifts. .
Yang Bin, who had just returned home, was obviously in a happy mood, and his steps were much more brisk. However, not long after his butt touched the chair, when he learned that Wang Jingchong was visiting, his face suddenly turned ugly, and he said disdainfully: "This person, Can’t you sit still?”
If someone saw this, wouldn't it be true? He deliberately refused, but when he thought that Wang Jingchong was already in front of the house, pinching his nose and inviting him in, he felt as uncomfortable as eating a fly.
In front of Yang Bin, Wang Jingchong behaved very humbly, bowed his head, spoke in a low voice, and was extremely flattering.
"Prime Minister, look." Seeing Yang Bin's cold face, Wang Jingchong became more careful and displayed a gorgeously decorated sandalwood box in front of Yang Bin. He opened the lid and revealed a luminous pearl the size of an egg, which was smooth and smooth. There was a burst of crystal aqua soft light.
"What are you doing?" Yang Yan only glanced at it and then looked away.
Wang Jingchong laughed along with him: "This is a little bit of Xiaguan's intention. Such precious things cannot be owned by rough people like Xiaguan."
"You are so thoughtful." Yang Bin said without any pretense: "Put it away and take it back. I understand your thoughts. Don't do such bribery and do your best to serve the court." Can!"
Looking at Yang Bin's neither salty nor bland look, it was obvious that his hot face was against his cold butt. Wang Jingchong stood there, very embarrassed, and the smile on his face looked a little aggrieved.
Noticing Wang Jingchong's "at a loss" performance, he seemed to feel that he was a bit unhuman. Yang Fang's expression softened slightly, coughed slightly, and said: "You did a good job in the matter in the palace today, I can see it." .”
"It is an honor for me to serve the Prime Minister," Wang Jingchong said immediately.
Seeing Yang Bing nodding, Wang Jingchong slapped the snake on the stick, showed a humble smile again, stepped forward, bent even lower, and asked tentatively: "What about the matter of lowering the official position..."
Hearing his words, Yang Bin narrowed his eyes, and as expected, he raised his hand to hold the tea cup. Wang Jingchong quickly picked it up and handed it to Yang Bin. Yang Bin became more and more disdainful of this man's flattery, and blew on the hot steam. She pursed her lips and then glanced at him sideways: "You don't have to worry, just wait patiently for the time being. The court will take action soon, and it will not be difficult to seek relief from you and control the situation."
"But..." It felt like Yang Bing was a little perfunctory, and Wang Jingchong looked anxious.
As soon as he opened his mouth, Yang Yan stopped him: "But what, will I still break my promise?"
"I don't dare!" Wang Jingchong hurriedly apologized: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, it's because I was in a hurry."
"You have been an official in the Tang and Jin Dynasties for twenty years. After so many years, don't you still have the patience to wait for a while?" Yang Yan was not much older than Wang Jingchong, but he said to him in a tone of educating the younger generation:
"The matter of establishing an heir has not yet ended, so you are a bit reckless when you come here."
Hearing the rebuke, his face twitched, and Wang Jingchong lowered his eyebrows even more submissively: "The prime minister has taught you that."
Mentioning this, observing Yang Bin's expression, Wang Jingchong deliberately wanted to get closer to each other and said, "Today, so many officials have asked to establish a second prince. If Your Majesty agrees, wouldn't it be self-defeating?"
Hearing what he said, Yang Yan chuckled, with strong confidence in his cold tone: "With Shi Hongzhao and I here, how can the position of crown prince be successfully established in the current dynasty?"
Still short, Wang Jingchong opened his mouth and said: "My husband is a great minister of the Han Dynasty. He has worked hard and made great achievements. He is deeply trusted by your majesty. Your opinion on the establishment of the crown prince, even your majesty, has to be carefully considered..."
As for Wang Jingchong, he naturally wanted to communicate more with Yang Bin and get closer to him. Unfortunately, the impatient look on Yang Bin's face gradually became uncontrollable. So he could only suppress the humiliation in his heart.
Feeling, smile knowingly and excuse yourself.
After leaving Yang Mansion, Wang Jingchong walked away expressionlessly, walked to the corner of the street, looked back at the tall and majestic Yang Mansion gate, Wang Jingchong could no longer hold his face, and spit on the ground fiercely: "What is that?
,Dare to look down upon me like this!"
"General." The servant who was following him was startled.
Taking a deep breath, Wang Jingchong quickly calmed down and smiled again on his face, but there was a cold light in his eyes: "What a good Prime Minister Yang, I will make you look good sooner or later!"
"Go back home!" Wang Jingchong turned around and left with a flick of his sleeve.
What Wang Jingchong didn't know was that on the other side of the street, a pair of eyes had fixed on him and followed him.
In the imperial city, after the imperial court, Liu Zhiyuan went back to the Chui Gong Hall to rest. He listened to the government for such a long time, which was a heavy burden for him. It was not until the afternoon that he got up to consult the government and read the speeches of the ministers, but he was not interested in it.
It's not too high, and it shows impatience. Because most of the memorials presented are related to the position of the crown prince.
He raised his hand to rub the bridge of his nose, and then opened his eyes. The tiredness in his eyes suddenly appeared. The servant next to him stepped forward and asked, "Guan, do you want to rest for a while?"
"Show it in the Renming Hall!" Liu Zhiyuan stood up and ordered after discarding the memorial in his hand on the imperial desk.
Since entering Bian Palace, Liu Zhiyuan has not been to the Li family many times since he was busy with general affairs. Without anyone informing him, Liu Zhiyuan strolled over directly. At that moment, a man came out of the palace. He looked very upright, but there was a trace of anger between his eyebrows.
A little oily.
When he saw Liu Zhiyuan, the man was startled, shrunk his neck, and came forward to worship: "I will see you at the official house."
"Yes." Liu Zhiyuan glanced at him, responded lightly, and walked past him towards the palace.
Looking at Liu Zhiyuan's back, the man breathed a sigh of relief. He had always been very afraid of Liu Zhiyuan. This man's name was Li Ye, and he was the younger brother of the Li family. He was frivolous, ambitious and short-sighted. After entering Bianjing, as a foreign relative, he was
Liu Zhiyuan was granted the title of Military Envoy and stayed in the palace, doing nothing all day long. However, the youngest son in the family was always the most loved one, and the Li family was also very fond of his younger brother.
"I respectfully welcome the official family." Upon learning that Liu Zhiyuan had arrived, Empress Li personally welcomed him.
"No gift!" Liu Zhiyuan personally helped Mrs. Li, glanced at the simple decoration in the palace, and felt a layer of cocoon on Mrs. Li's hands from the machine. Liu Zhiyuan sighed: "Sanniang, thank you for your hard work."
Li Shi smiled gently, asked the maids who were playing with looms in the palace to leave, and led Liu Zhiyuan to sit down and talk, and asked: "The official family is busy with state affairs, why do you have time to come here today?"
Hearing this, Liu Zhiyuan sighed and looked at Li's graceful face and said, "I feel depressed."
Li asked: "Is the government encountering difficulties?"
"The child is getting older!" Liu Zhiyuan said after a moment of silence.
His eyes flickered, and seeing the tiredness on Liu Zhiyuan's face, Li stood up, stood behind Liu Zhiyuan, raised her hand and gently put it on his head to give him a squeeze: "The official is talking about Erlang?"
"Yes." Feeling Li's movements, Liu Zhiyuan showed a comfortable look on his face: "Sanniang, you haven't massaged me like this for a long time."
Li was as gentle as water: "Then today, I will serve you well..."
Liu Zhiyuan sighed again, closed his eyes, and told Li everything about today's court situation. Then he asked: "Sanniang, in your opinion, who is more suitable to be the prince, the eldest man or the second man?"
?”
Liu Zhiyuan's question surprised Li. She paused for a moment, then continued to rub it, and said softly: "The prince's proposal is a national matter, related to the country, the country, and the country. I am no more than a palace lady, and my knowledge is shallow.
How dare you make unreasonable comments?"
"Sanniang is too modest!" Liu Zhiyuan said, still closing his eyes: "With your knowledge, you can surpass thousands of men in time!"
Mrs. Li shook her head gently: "I am a member of the harem and I dare not interfere in politics."
"Between you and me, we have been husband and wife for almost 30 years. We know each other well, so how do we distinguish each other? To put it bluntly, we treat it as a private conversation between husband and wife." Liu Zhiyuan pressed Mrs. Li's hand and said sincerely.
Mrs. Li was silent for a long time, then sighed and said: "The elders and younger ones are in order. In order to protect the peace of the country, in my humble opinion, I think it's better to establish a husband as a concubine."
Liu Zhiyuan leaned his head on Mrs. Li's chest and looked up at her, a little surprised: "Don't you always love Erlang?"
The virtuous and sensible temperament in Mrs. Li's body was even stronger, and she replied: "It is true that I love Erlang, but in the country, there must be no partiality. Dalang is also my son. Abolition of elders and establishment of younger ones is the way to bring disaster.
, which is not good for the country."
"To be honest with Sanniang, my original intention was to take Da Lang as my heir. However, he is too weak and gentle. He can be a king in governing the world and become a king for generations to come. But in this world, I am afraid that he will not be able to control those arrogant and fierce soldiers. General, the governor of the feudal town. Erlang has changed a lot in the past year, which is completely beyond my expectation. He is heavy and cold, calm and courageous. Although his actions appear to be extreme and fierce, he is well versed in the way of survival here..." Liu Zhiyuan was quiet and quiet. Sigh, expressing his hesitation.
Li said leisurely: "The brothers have always gotten along harmoniously and have a very good relationship. If the second brother can assist the first brother, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?"
Maybe Li herself didn't realize that her breath was a little weak when she said this.
Sure enough, Liu Zhiyuan smiled bitterly: "How cruel is this battle for the throne? With Sanniang's intelligence, don't you know? From Liang, Tang, to Jin, people fought to the death for this position. What happened? Is it still too little?”
Hearing this, a look of worry flashed across Li's face, and the palms and backs of her hands were all flesh. Although she usually cared less about Liu Chengxun, it didn't mean that she didn't like him.
After thinking about it, Mrs. Li said to Liu Zhiyuan somewhat solemnly: "In this case, the official family should decide on the status of monarch and minister as early as possible, so as not to delay it for a long time and develop into an irreversible situation, and then it will be too late to regret... ..”
"I'm thinking about it." After holding it in for a while, Liu Zhiyuan replied.
The couple didn't speak anymore, they just cuddled together and felt the rare silence.
Liu Zhiyuan didn't stay at Li's place for too long, so he returned to his palace. However, after the conversation with Li, he felt much better.
At night, bright yellow lights flickered on Liu Zhiyuan's face, serious and serious. He recalled the scene in Chongyuan Hall today in his mind. For a long time, Liu Zhiyuan sighed: "It's not a good thing to be too anxious..."
When he said this, Liu Zhiyuan's expression showed a hint of determination.
The next day, Liu Zhiyuan issued an edict, making Liu Chengxun the King of Wei and the Prefect of Kaifeng, and Liu Chengyou the King of Zhou, and inspected the capital.
