In the barracks, Chai Zhewei suppressed the surprise in his heart and forced out a smile, saying: "I heard that Changsun Dalang was in Pingrang City, assisting the army in attacking the city. The glory of the first victory in the Eastern Expedition was about to be secured, but...
Why did you return to Guanzhong?"
Changsun Chong sat firmly at the bottom, while Changsun Wen stood to one side with his hands tied respectfully.
Changsun Chong took a sip of tea and sighed: "The Eastern Expedition is important, but it is difficult for the family and the country to protect both sides. Now there are many crises in the Guanlong clan, and the whole Chang'an is in turmoil. If you are not careful, many families will be involved, and it will be difficult to survive. And so on.
Under these circumstances, how can I serve His Majesty in Liaodong with peace of mind? Therefore, I have to return to Chang'an to bring order to the chaos."
Chai Zhewei was stunned for a moment, and then his heart suddenly tightened.
What does "bringing order to chaos" mean?
He hurriedly asked: "What kind of advice can you give me when Da Lang comes here this time?"
Changsun Chong smiled calmly, looked at Chai Zhewei, then nodded slightly and said: "There are some things that you know and I know because of a tacit understanding, but there is no need to say it out loud."
Chai Zhewei was greatly shocked.
The eldest grandson family actually wants to exert force at this time to depose the East Palace and support the Jin Dynasty?
Not to mention whether the Guanlong clan still has the strength at the moment, the important thing is that His Majesty is still alive. Once His Majesty returns to Chang'an from Liaodong, how can such an approach that goes against his will and even ignores the authority of the emperor get his approval?
Aren't the Guanlong clan members afraid of His Majesty's accusation?
He originally thought that he would just have to endure it all these years, and that the drastic changes in the court would only happen on the day of His Majesty's death. However, he really couldn't figure out why the Changsun family was so impatient and willing to take risks but also to strike first.
Depose the East Palace.
The risk is too great...
After pondering for a while, Chai Zhewei shook his head and said: "I am stupid and I really don't know what the eldest grandson Dalang meant. Furthermore, I am deeply favored by the emperor and was ordered to guard the Xuanwu Gate. I should defend the palace with my flesh and blood. Even if
Even if I die a hundred times, I will not dare to slack off at all. Leave it to other things and don’t care.”
Changsun Chongran.
If you really don't care, why bother mentioning your duty to guard Xuanwu Gate?
He nodded and said: "The Duke of Qiao is loyal to the country, and he is actually a good official of the country. We have no place to admire him. It's just a good bird choosing a tree to roost. Our noble family wants to have a good result in the end. The road under our feet
But you still have to see it clearly. Otherwise, if you make a mistake, you will regret it for eternity, and you will be wronged."
Chai Zhewei pondered for a long time and then said slowly: "To be honest, I know that I have limited talents and limited abilities. I just want to fulfill my duties and be loyal to Your Majesty. That's all. As for the struggle for power and profit in the court, I have neither the ability nor the willingness to participate, so I will."
Defending this Xuanwu Gate and being a loyal dog for His Majesty, this life is enough."
Changsun Chong laughed.
"As the saying goes, those who understand current affairs are heroes. Perhaps in the future, I can drink a celebratory wine with Duke Qiao to express my feelings!"
"When it comes to drinking, I'm quite good at it. How about I ask someone to prepare a small amount of wine and have a few drinks with Da Lang?"
Changsun Chong said: "When I return to the capital this time, I have been deeply urged by my father and do not dare to slack off at all. I accept Duke Qiao's kindness. You and I will definitely move around more in the future. There are many opportunities to drink."
Chai Zhewei nodded and said: "That's fine. Anyway, whenever Da Lang is interested, I will sweep the bed and wait for you."
Changsun stood up and said with a smile: "That's very good... In that case, I won't bother you too much and I'll take my leave first."
Chai Zhewei stood up and said goodbye: "Please."
Changsun Chong cupped his fists in return and walked out of the barracks with Changsun Wen. When he saw You Wenzhi still standing outside the door with his hands tied, the falling snow already piled up on his shoulders, he couldn't help but take another look. After that, without stopping, he walked out of the camp gate and got on the carriage and left.
Watching the eldest grandson brother leave, You Wenzhi quickly returned to the barracks, walked up to Chai Zhewei and asked, "Why is this eldest grandson Dalang here?"
Chai Zhewei was sipping his tea cup, frowning and thinking for a long time, and then said: "It is probably the Changsun family who wants to plot a mutiny, depose the East Palace, and install King Jin on the throne... However, this is very unusual. If they do this, where will your Majesty be placed?"
His Majesty Li Er's temper is known to both the government and the public. If you obey the emperor's orders honestly, he will never be stingy with rewards. Even if he makes a big mistake, he will always be generous and willing to write a good story of "the emperor and his ministers get along well" for future generations.
Praise.
Even if Hou Junji and other treacherous acts endangering the imperial power, all dynasties will end up with the "three barbarians". His Majesty Li Er only deprived him of his title, recovered the rewards, and filled his female family members into the Jiaofangsi.
Men are assigned to Qiongzhou.
Even Hou Junji’s only son survived...
However, if anyone thinks that His Majesty Li Er is really broad-minded, he is totally wrong. In the ninth year of Wude, thousands of people in the East Palace and Prince Qi's residence are the best proof of His Majesty Li Er's ruthlessness...
Without His Majesty Li Er's will, he mutinied and deposed the East Palace without authorization. Such behavior was tantamount to plotting to usurp the throne. How could His Majesty Li Er endure it?
It is also said that His Majesty Li Er has been suppressing the Guanlong clan for many years. He has not been able to take any serious action because he can't find many excuses. He does not want to bear the infamy of "the rabbit is dead and the dog is cooked, and the bird is hidden". Once he is closed,
The Longmen clan handed the handle to His Majesty Li Er himself. How could His Majesty Li Er be merciful?
There must be extremely important links in this that have not been disclosed to the public, otherwise it would be difficult to explain the Changsun family's motives and plans.
You Wenzhi was thoughtful, thought for a while, and said, "Could it be that His Majesty had a verbal order to order Changsun Chong to sneak back to Chang'an secretly to prepare for the dethronement of the East Palace?"
His Majesty Li Er was wise, talented, and strategic, but he had the problem of "preserving his own feathers" and cherishing his reputation extremely. Li Chengqian was a legitimate prince, and deposing him without making any serious mistakes would be chaos.
If the ethics of ethics are violated, Confucianism, which attaches great importance to the "inheritance of ancestors", will be criticized and scolded. It will also be a big stain in the history books.
If he deposed the prince under the guise of the Changsun family, he would be able to preserve his reputation and support the King of Jin to ascend to the throne. It would be the best of both worlds...
Chai Zhewei shook his head and said: "It's absolutely impossible. Your Majesty has always suppressed the Guanlong Clan, and King Jin's previous involvement with the Guanlong Clan has aroused His Majesty's dissatisfaction. He just loved the King of Jin too much, so he never had an attack. How could it be possible?
Sit back and watch the Guanlong clan depose the prince and then support the Jin king, and make a contribution to the Jin king's obedience to the dragon. Will the story of the early years of Zhenguan be repeated in the future?"
In the early years of Zhenguan, because the Guanlong clan played the most important role in His Majesty Li Er's establishment of the country, most of the powerful yamen in the imperial court were defeated for a time. Sun Wuji, the leader of Guanlong, even became more powerful in the government and the opposition. For this reason, His Majesty Li Er
There were many constraints in the process of governing the country, and it would be difficult to implement the imperial power without Long's support.
His Majesty Li Er is a great leader of his generation, but he still needs to be suppressed by Guan Long. If in the future the King of Jin completely relies on Guan Long to ascend to the throne, and the leader is weak and the ministers are strong, won't there be a risk of the dynasty overthrowing?
Rebuilding a country, destroying a country, changing dynasties, this is the special skill of the Guanlong clan, and their specialty...
You Wenzhi prides himself on being resourceful and resourceful. At this moment, he has no clue about the Changsun family's context. He asked, "Does the commander want to comply with the Changsun family and cooperate with them in the uprising?"
"absurd!"
Chai Zhewei spoke sternly: "The Chai family has been favored by the emperor, and we only obey His Majesty's orders. Without His Majesty's orders, how could I raise troops to vassalize the Changsun family? Once chaos breaks out in Chang'an, I will do my duty faithfully and defend the Xuanwu Gate to the death!"
"
You Wenzhi praised: "The commander-in-chief is loyal to his duties and is truly a model for the people in the world!"
But in my heart, I suddenly thought: Fu's loyal duties are just waiting for a price and adapting to changes. As long as you guard this Xuanwu Gate, no matter who succeeds in the end, they will have to rely on you to stabilize the chaos in Chang'an? Otherwise, Zuo Tunwei's army
As soon as it comes out, who can compete with him in Guanzhong?
The two discussed it again, but still couldn't figure out the path for the Changsun family, so they could only give up for the time being and watch the situation develop before making any plans.
After all, the situation is unclear at the moment, and it is extremely unwise to bet on either side rashly. You can just sit back and watch the fight, and wait until the situation becomes clear before making a decision.
*****
The two brothers Changsun Chong came out of the Zuotunwei camp and sat on the carriage. Changsun Wen asked: "This Chai Zhewei is as timid as a mouse and is only interested in profit. My brother came to the door in person and didn't even say a word. Seriously?"
Don’t know what’s good or bad!”
Changsun Chong didn't think so: "This person is indeed indecisive, but it is difficult to give a clear answer for such a big matter. It is natural to be cautious. But looking at his color and words, you can tell that he may not be unmoved.
.When things come together one day, he will surely know how to make a choice."
Just by looking at Chai Zhewei's repeated emphasis on his duty to guard the Xuanwu Gate, you can tell that this person talks grandly, but in fact he is just waiting for a price.