Chapter 474,475 The sycophant is flattery but loyal
In fact, Wang Zichao was still grateful to Li Ran after all.
He also knew that if he had not received Li Ran's help, he would not even be able to claim the title of king, and he would not even be able to return to Luoyi alive.
However, now the differences between the two of them have become more and more apparent as the situation changes.
For example, on the matter of becoming king, the two of them had completely different opinions. Also, on the matter of Gan Loach coming to vote, the two of them also had completely opposite opinions!
Wang Zichao knew that it might not be appropriate to continue like this, and someone would have to negotiate for him. After all, the conflict between him and Li Ran had not yet reached their respective bottom lines.
However, looking at it further, who can make peace for him at this time?
Most of the people around Wang Zichao were quite wary of Li Ran. Although Li Ran had served in the Zhou Dynasty before, he had never made friends with any prominent family except Prince Jin.
Just because Prince Jin was not favored by King Ling of Zhou at that time, naturally no one in Luoyi would take the initiative to make friends with the crown prince like Li Ran.
Therefore, although Li Ran was somewhat famous at that time, he seemed a bit insignificant within Wang Ji.
As for his father and son, although he is still the leader of the Daoji Sect, after all, he is a dragon who has seen the beginning but not the end. Even Li Ran himself has little impression of his own life experience, so outsiders will naturally have no way of knowing.
Therefore, it can be said that Li Ran has nothing to do with these wealthy families in the Zhou Dynasty.
He is not like Yin Yu, Ji Huan, Mao De, or a feudal lord in Jinei, or a prince. They have known each other for a long time, and their interests are mostly mutual.
It's not like Yin Buyi and Nangong Hao, who have been officials in the Zhou Dynasty all year round. They know each other well and depend on each other.
Therefore, Wang Zichao was unable to find such a person who could bridge the relationship between him and Li Ran on his behalf.
What's more, when these people learned that Wang Zichao wanted to make Li Ran the Grand Master, and also wanted to make Sun Wu the Grand Sima, although they failed, they became even more "jealous" when they saw that their lord trusted an outsider so much.
, let alone being a lobbyist.
So, taking advantage of the gap between the two, the courtiers around Wang Zichao immediately behaved like monsters again, and suddenly came to see Wang Zichao to discuss matters.
When the prince saw them all arriving, he couldn't help but be startled:
"The second and third sons have all come to see me, but what's the important matter?" (The second and third sons: you)
Several people looked at each other, and Nangong Lao spoke first:
"Your Majesty, I do have something important to report! But it may offend Your Majesty, so please forgive me for being disrespectful!"
Wang Zichao knew that these people had been following him for many years, and had always been with him when he was still a prince. They were by his side, and they could be said to be his direct confidants.
If they had anything to say, they could say it in front of him.
"You have been alone for many years. Even if you say something offensive, it is not a problem. Just say it!"
Nangong Ye then said:
"Your Majesty, I have come to see you today, and what I did was only because of one person - Li Ran and Li Ziming!"
"Mr. Ziming has made great contributions. I originally wanted to grant him an official position, but he was indifferent to fame and fortune and refused to agree. Even if he offered to appoint another subordinate, Sun Wu, as Grand Sima, he refused. What doubts do you have about this?"
Yin Buxie took a step forward:
"Your Majesty! This person is neither seeking fame nor profit. He is not a descendant of the clan. Your Majesty is so kind to you, but he is rejected by him. If he has no other purpose, wouldn't it be suspicious?"
"No nonsense! Mr. Ziming has a good reputation. I just had a temporary quarrel with him. But after all, this man wants to help my Zhou family and has no other intentions. I also know that he is not the queen of the clan, but even so
, Your Majesty, there is no need to arrange it for him like this!"
Mao De saw that Wang Zichao still valued Li Ran more highly, but he disagreed:
"Your Majesty is generous because you judge people with a gentleman's heart. However, you must be on guard against others. When Li Ziming fled to Wangji, there is no evidence of what he committed. It is now impossible to find out what he committed. But after all, this person had betrayed the Zhou Dynasty.
It is inevitable that he has resentment in his heart. Judging from this, this person seems to be indifferent to fame and fortune, but in fact, he does not know what his intentions are!"
"Besides, he is now very popular among the people, and he has the temporary post of Sima Sun Wu as his subordinate, so he has made great contributions. The less he seeks fame and fortune, the more he seems to be trying to buy people's hearts. It is really hard to say what he wants to do at that time.
If you keep this person by His Majesty's side, there is no guarantee that he won't become the second single banner in the future!"
When Wang Zichao heard this, he felt his eyelids twitching. In terms of credit, Li Ran had indeed taken the greatest credit. Although it was too early to say that he had great credit, it was indeed abnormal for him not to be rewarded at the moment.
When a person is not motivated by fame and wealth, the master will inevitably be suspicious of him and think that he is acting like this because he has a greater purpose.
"Your Majesty, Li Ran's contribution is indeed not small, and it is natural to reward him according to his merits. But now it seems that neither the Grand Master nor the Grand Sima can satisfy him. Is it possible that he still wants to be the Grand Uncle? He has no clan status.
, if you have such an idea, it is simply wishful thinking!”
Yin Buyi further said.
Everyone in the prince's court was very prejudiced against Li Ran, but for a moment he didn't know what to do:
"Then...according to your wishes, how should we deal with Li Ran?"
"Currently, Sun Wu is fighting abroad and has military power. We can put Li Ran under house arrest and prohibit him from contacting the outside world. We will discuss it later after sending someone to surrender Sun Wu's military power!"
Yin Buyi offers advice like this.
Wang Zichao lowered his head and thought for a long time:
"Is it too much for you to treat Mr. Ziming like this?"
"Your Majesty, there is a saying in "Poetry": 'The mother follows the deceitful, but is unscrupulous; she uses her style to stop the bandits, and is ruthless and not afraid of the light.' We are just keeping him under house arrest now and will not hurt him. We will wait until the single-banner thieves are removed.
First of all, if the overall situation is stable, I can give you a free post or a generous salary, which can also show your majesty's tender heart."
(Old translation: Don’t indulge in treachery, be on guard against unscrupulousness; think of ways to stop the raging of thieves, for evil is not afraid of virtue.’)
"I think this is inappropriate, and I'm afraid the world will not accept it..."
"Your Majesty, thunder and rain are all gifts from God. In the final analysis, Li Ziming is just your Majesty's minister. No matter what, he deserves it. As the saying goes, this is just a way to test whether he has ulterior motives!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The prince thought about it, and he was helpless at the moment. He knew that if the matter was not handled properly, he might be dissatisfied with the ministers in the future.
Moreover, Li Ran offended many old clans in the DPRK because of his military exploits. Although these people have come to surrender one after another, they are soldiers first and then courtesy. What are these people thinking in their hearts? It is impossible for the princes to do so.
totally do not understand.
Therefore, if he insists on protecting Li Ran now, he may directly offend these old clans. And by then, will his throne be affected by it?
Wang Zichao really couldn't afford to gamble.
Then he thought about it again and thought that although Li Ran was grounded now, it was not to kill him after all. There was nothing wrong with compensating him later.
Therefore, Wang Zichao ordered that Nangong Hao take people to Li Ran's residence and confine Li Ran so that he was not allowed to move outside, let alone contact the outside world.
And immediately asked Yin Yu to go to the front line to take back Sun Wu's military power.
After Li Ran had an unpleasant quarrel with Wang Zichao, he felt depressed, but soon regained his composure. He felt that as long as he could help Zhou's family, suffering a little grievance was nothing.
But he never expected that at this moment, Nangong Luo would directly lead his troops to surround his mansion.
Li Ran was informed about this by Fan Li. He was surprised and a little angry. He immediately wanted to go into the palace to see Wang Zichao, but Nangong slammed him in front of his chest.
"Sir, the current situation is chaotic, and Wang Ji is not stable. There was a report that assassins were supposed to infiltrate last night. Your Majesty is concerned about your safety, so I have specially ordered you to come and protect me. I hope that your husband will calm down and rest in the mansion for a while.
It’s not appropriate to move around anymore!”
Li Ran couldn't help but snorted coldly. He was reading a book.
"Hmph! You don't need to worry about Li's safety! Li wants to meet the king!"
"Your Majesty said that the situation is urgent and nothing else can be tolerated. As long as we can protect your safety, sir. Today I can only offend you! Your Majesty will explain this matter to you in the future!"
Fan Li said angrily:
"You must be slandering me and instigating me to harm my husband!" "How dare you? Your Majesty is doting on your husband, and you are clearly thinking about your safety. Your Majesty has done all these things for your husband. I hope he will not do anything.
Suspicious!"
Li Ran knew that he was under house arrest, and his heart suddenly felt cold.
——
Chapter 475_Sun Wu releases military power
Li Ran and Nangong Hao failed to negotiate, so they had no choice but to return to the house. Now the surrounding area of the mansion was guarded by Wang Ji's guards, and Nangong Hao was guarding outside the gate. The new Sikong Gan Loach also added many more guards around Li's house.
A thousand soldiers surrounded the official residence.
He really treated Li Ran as a prisoner.
Li Ran and Fan Li returned to the inner room. He knew very well that although Nangong Xi looked nice on the surface, he was actually under house arrest. Moreover, if nothing unexpected happened, Sun Wu who was outside might also be dismissed from his military post.
Fan Li was also a smart man and knew that this matter was dangerous, so he frowned:
"Sir, why don't we run away together tonight and stay away from the place where this is wrong! Since the king has become suspicious, even if he has no intention of harming sir's life, there is no guarantee that others will do it secretly!"
Li Ran shook his head when he heard this.
"Chang Qing is leading the troops outside. I just hope that he will not hand over the military power for the time being and continue to lead the troops to make achievements. In this way, our lives will be safe!"
"Sir, I'm afraid it's not up to Brother Changqing to do this!"
Li Ran also knew that in such a situation, Sun Wu might not be able to withstand the pressure, and although his reputation in the army was great, his status did not have an advantage after all. Compared with Yin Bo Zhaogong, he was quite inconvenient.
In the end, Sun Wu would probably still hand over military power.
"Young uncle, please find an opportunity to escape from Wang Ji. If I go with you, I will only drag you down! It will be easier for you to do it alone. After you go out, go to Zhengyi immediately and join Owl Wings to protect you.
Madam’s safety! I will take care of it on my own here, and the king will not kill me!”
"Sir, the king acted like this because he obviously listened to the words of a treacherous person. If someone wants to harm you again, it is not impossible!"
"Even so, you can't keep me safe if you stay here. And if you are outside, there is still a way to save me! And if I run away together, won't I be directly convicted of being a rebellious minister? You'd better go out first!
"
Fan Li lowered his head and thought for a moment, and felt that what Li Ran said was reasonable. It would not be helpful for him to stay here. It was better to go out first and then find another way!
"That being the case, sir, take care..."
"Young uncle, don't worry, I still have Guan Cong by my side!"
Guan Cong is quite quick-witted. Although the two of them can't guarantee safety here, at least they can still have a discussion if anything happens.
That night, Fan Li put on his night clothes. He had nothing but the money he needed to carry around, so he went into battle lightly. Although he was closely guarded, Fan Li was already familiar with this area and had strong skills. Then he went into battle.
Despite all the obstacles and darkness, he escaped from Wang Ji silently.
The next day, Li Ran was relieved to learn that Fan Li had not been arrested. Guan Cong also knew that the current situation was critical, because like Li Ran, he was trapped in the mansion, unable to go out, and did not know what to do.
However, Guan Congzi would not sit still and wait for death. He tried every means to get in touch with the informant stationed in Luoyi.
After all, there was also Sikong Yan, who was in charge of all the jobs in Luoyi. It was through this person that Guan Cong had first let him know that Li Ran had been banned.
As soon as the news came out that Li Ran was under house arrest, there was an uproar within Wang Ji.
For a time, rumors spread everywhere in Luoyi, and most of the people who had been friends with Li Ran began to feel insecure.
Duke Zhao Ji Huan has never said anything about this matter from beginning to end. Although he is now following the prince's dynasty, and he is not acquainted with Yin Buyi, and Mao De and others are also old acquaintances, but his wise and self-protective character still makes him speak very little. Moreover,
, most of them just echoed them.
However, his son Ji Ying is young and vigorous after all. Although he doesn't say much outside, he still expressed his concerns about this matter when he was alone with his father:
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Father, what does your Majesty mean by treating Li Ziming like this?"
Ji Huan glanced at his son.
"Ying'er, now you still need to be careful with your words and conduct yourself!"
Ji Ying snorted coldly.
"There are only two of us here, father and son, so what are we afraid of? I think that Li Ziming and Sun Changqing have made outstanding contributions, and your Majesty allowed him to ascend to this great position. These two people can be said to have done the most great work, but Your Majesty really shouldn't be like this!"
"As a father, I also feel that something is wrong, but Li Ran has done too much, offended too many people, and is suspected of shaking the master because of his great achievements. Putting him under house arrest on the grounds of protecting his safety, and with a generous salary in the future, it is considered a proper decision."
Ji Ying let out a long sigh.
"The child doesn't care whether Li Ran is dead or alive. I'm just worried that His Majesty is so suspicious. If we encounter villains again and set fire to our house, it will be terrible!"
Ji Huan's face was straight:
"Ying'er, we have inherited the title from generation to generation for hundreds of years. The ancestors of our clan have contributed more to the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty, but they can't be moved as others say. As long as we are careful and careful, this kind of worry will disappear.
It’s really unnecessary.”
Ji Ying shook her head and disagreed:
"Father, your Majesty has become king now, but there is another emperor behind him! In the future, if the situation is reversed, what should we do?"
Ji Huan took a deep breath:
"Hey... there are no unbroken eggs when the nest is overturned? If this day really comes... we can only say that it is God's will, and it is definitely not something that human beings can do..."
At this time, Ji Ying was about to blurt out a sentence, but she still held back after all.
He wanted to say that it would be better to contact Shan Qi secretly at that time, so as to leave a way out for his family. Since Wang Zichao can put Li Ran under house arrest today, is it wrong for them to leave a way out for themselves? But, like this
He knew that his father would definitely not be able to accept it, so he said no more.
…
On the other side, Yin Yu came to the front line and met Sun Wu.
"Master Sima has been working hard, fighting in the north and south, and working hard. Your Majesty feels sorry for Sima, and hopes that Master Sima can return to Luoyi to rest for a while!"
Sun Wu was shocked when he heard this. Now he was invincible and captured several cities one after another. He even made some preparations to capture Liu Yi directly or even capture Shan Qi and Liu Di alive.
He didn't know what happened in Luoyi, nor did he know that Li Ran was under house arrest, so he couldn't help but feel doubts in his heart.
Just listen to Yin Yu say again:
"Lord Sima, this is the king's intention and Mr. Ziming's intention. Didn't Mr. Ziming exchange letters with Mr. Sima?"
Sun Wu could only say:
"This... I really don't know, but since it is the king's will, I will accept it willingly!"
Sun Wu immediately handed over the tiger talisman and Wang Zichao's sword, and Yin Yu took them one by one.
"General Sun, the king and Mr. Ziming both miss the general very much. Please set off today!"
Although Sun Wu had doubts, he had to hand over military power, otherwise wouldn't he be suspected of committing rebellion?
Little did he know that Li Ran was actually under house arrest at this moment. The transmission of war information was not fast. Although he and Li Ran exchanged letters, they had not received any information for several days, so he did not think much about it.
No matter how smart Sun Wu was, he could not guess how sinister the human heart could be.
After he handed over his military power, he immediately rushed back to Luoyi.
However, as soon as he entered Luoyi, he was assigned to a residence and was placed under house arrest. Only then did Sun Wu realize that the situation was not good, but it was too late...