Xiao Yu asked: "What's the best way to do good deeds?"
He had already sensed a strong sense of crisis, but had no good way to break the situation. At this moment, when he saw Chu Suiliang taking the initiative to mention it, he asked this question.
Although he is famous all over the world for his literary talents, his intelligence cannot be underestimated, otherwise the late emperor would not have kept him by his side. Appreciating his writing is one thing, but it is also possible to consult him on political affairs at any time.
Chu Suiliang took out a few pieces of charcoal from under the coffee table and filled it into the small red clay stove. He then placed a warm kettle on it and waited for the water to boil. He whispered: "That 'confession' may help you absolve yourself from guilt, but
Do you think that once King Jin is defeated, it will help you return to the core of His Majesty's power?"
Xiao Yu shook his head and sighed: "How is that possible? It's just a means of self-protection. If you hate me for this matter, I can understand, but please also understand that my own life and death, honor and disgrace are nothing, but since I am a
The patriarch must plan for the family, I cannot let the Lanling Xiao family be destroyed in my hands."
His words were sincere, but Chu Suiliang believed him...
With a slight cough, Chu Suiliang said: "We are in the court, struggling with the ups and downs in the center of power. Our relatives, friends, and old family blood share weal and woe. We have long been unable to control ourselves. What is there to complain about? Besides, even if there is no Song Guogong, you will also
There are others... The matter has reached this point, and it is useless to think about it. On the contrary, it is Song Guogong, you should make two preparations."
Xiao Yu thought for a moment and said, "Brother Dengshan, don't you think that King Jin will succeed?"
Chu Suiliang said: "It's up to people to plan things, and it's up to God to make things happen. Who dares to say for sure? Of course, the King of Jin may win, but he may also lose. Until now, the army is approaching Baqiao, but no army has come to stop it. The entire bridge
The water defense line is as invisible as a dead thing. Of course, it is possible that those people intend to stand aside and watch the fire from the other side, but it is not necessarily possible that they have received His Majesty's permission."
Xiao Yu said in a deep voice: "You mean that your Majesty deliberately allowed the King of Jin to go south, and even allowed the King of Jin to cross the river smoothly to join forces with Yuchi Gong, until it completely stirred up the storm and watched the situation in Guanzhong suddenly change... Your Majesty is retreating.
, lure the snake out of its hole?”
Now not only does King Jin not know who will support him, but even His Majesty can't figure out who is loyal and who is traitorous. Everyone is respectful on the surface, but secretly they have their own calculations. It will definitely not work to distinguish one by one. The best way is
It is to let those who have ulterior motives and are not loyal to the emperor take the initiative to jump out.
How can we get those people to jump out?
Naturally, if they were to see something detrimental to the emperor happen, as long as the King of Jin led his army to break through the water defense line and reach Chang'an City, those people would either raise troops to respond or gain public support.
All changes will inevitably happen when the King of Jin arrives at Chang'an City, because if it is too early, the outcome will not be decided, and the risk of jumping out will be too great; if it is too late, the overall situation will be decided, and without the "contribution of following the dragon", the natural benefits will be great.
discount.
In this way, His Majesty and Prince Jin actually have the same ideas. They are both waiting for those people to make a decision...
Chu Suiliang nodded and said: "At the very least, we cannot rule out this possibility."
Xiao Yu was silent.
More than just "possible"?
Combined with the current situation, this is simply "affirmation"...
He sighed again and said, "So, Your Majesty seems to be determined to win."
Without absolute certainty, how dare you lure a wolf into the house like this? Maybe it will be self-defeating and suffer backlash. Not only will it be a complete failure, but it will also leave a laughingstock for the ages...
When the water boiled, Chu Suiliang held the pot and poured tea, saying: "So, Song Guogong needs to be prepared for both things."
Xiao Yu sat upright and said humbly: "I would like to hear the details."
Chu Suiliang pushed the tea in front of Xiao Yu and said slowly: "The current situation can be analyzed in detail. If the King of Jin wins, Yu Wenshiji and Guan Longxungui will definitely be reinstated, and their power and status will be far greater than yours. You can do it now
We must find ways to suppress it, or weaken its strength and reduce its contribution. If your Majesty wins, a 'confession' alone will not allow you to return to the center of power in the court, you should do more."
Therefore, Xiao Yu actually did something stupid by helping the King of Jin to rebel. He thought that with the help of the King of Jin, he could become the head of the Prime Minister and Fu again, and even the entire Lanling Xiao family would become the first-class clan in the world.
As a result, both sides are not happy. It is very likely that no matter who wins in the end, Xiao Yu will be idle and away from the center, or even face liquidation.
Xiao Yu recognized this and asked: "How should it be done?"
Chu Suiliang took a sip of tea and looked very calm: "Actually, there is no contradiction between weakening Yuwen Shiji's achievements and helping His Majesty do something."
Xiao Yu's eyes flickered and he did not interrupt.
Chu Suiliang did not wait for Xiao Yu to ask questions, and continued: "...Now under the king of Jin's tent, Yuwen Shiji is outside, Cui Xin is inside, Guanlong Xungui and the Shandong family are competing with each other. If nothing happens, the Jin Dynasty will
If the king succeeds in his great cause, the two will share the greatest benefits, and you and the Jiangnan nobles behind you will inevitably be suppressed. In this case, why use the strategy of driving a tiger to devour a wolf and killing someone with a borrowed knife?"
Xiao Yu's wisdom naturally requires a lot of words. From being a subjugated prince who wandered around the Sui Dynasty court with ease and ease, until he became the Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty, it is not an exaggeration to say that he is an outstanding figure in the world.
He just had blindness at certain times and couldn't see clearly. After receiving Chu Suiliang's reminder, he was enlightened and fully awakened. When he heard the words "driving the tiger to devour the wolf" and "borrowing the knife to kill", he instantly understood it in his mind, and soon it became clear to him.
How to design and various possibilities emerged...
But even so, he had to praise Chu Suiliang. Although this man did not have great wisdom and could not take on the heavy responsibility of a country's prime minister, he was more than enough to be a counselor who could check for deficiencies and make suggestions.
No wonder Emperor Taizong treated the white-bodied Chu Suiliang with such favor, trust and respect. He always promoted him and gave him important responsibilities, allowing him to stay by his side as counselor and counselor.
If this plan can be successful, it will not only reverse the dilemma of "not pleasing both sides" in one fell swoop, but also completely make friends with both sides. No matter whether the king succeeds or he returns to His Majesty, his status and voice will be greatly improved.
Wonderful.
…
That night, the army camped in Zhaoying territory.
Chu Suiliang washed up and had dinner. He stood at the door of the camp and looked at the vast Lishan Mountains under the night sky. His heart fluctuated for a moment. He turned back to a simple bookcase, studied ink, picked up a pen, and wrote a letter, and then
Blow dry the ink, put it into an envelope, take out a fire stick and blow it on, bake a piece of beeswax to seal it, and take out your own copper seal and press it on it.
After everything is complete, he will call in his servants who have been with him for many years.
"Put this letter away. When we break out of the camp tomorrow morning, when the soldiers change defenses and the camp is in chaos, you can sneak out and hide in Lishan Mountain. Either wait until the army sets off, or you can find your own way. You must be there within the tenth day.
Give this letter to Li Ji within a short period of time."
After giving the instructions, he warned with a solemn expression: "If something goes wrong, you must destroy this letter first no matter what, and it must not fall into the hands of others. Otherwise, not only will I be spared, but the entire Qiantang Chu family will be implicated." , a disaster is coming.”
The servant knew that Chu Suiliang had been in bad luck and in constant crisis for the past two years. Secretly contacting Li Ji at this time must be of great importance, so he did not dare to neglect it. He took the letter and bowed and said: "I sincerely ask the master to thank you for your loyal service these years." "Sir, if anything happens to me as a slave, please take good care of your wife and children at home, and in the next life, I will tie a ring of grass in your hand to repay you."
A domestic slave like him, whose life and death depended on his master's family, might be able to escape for a while if he dared to rebel, but his wife and children would definitely die without a burial place.
What's more, he was born as a servant of the Chu family. He can only be loyal to the Chu family throughout his life. He neither dares nor will betray him.
Life and death are small matters, but if you fail to fulfill the family master's instructions, it will be a big deal.
Chu Suiliang said slowly: "If this is accomplished, you will definitely be remembered as a meritorious service, and you will be allowed to take off your slave status and take your family papers to work in the Chu family's shop in other places. Your children can join the Chu family to learn."
The servant knelt down excitedly and kowtowed repeatedly: "Master, don't worry, even if I have to go through fire and water, I will definitely deliver this letter to the British Lord!"
Children can enter the Chu clan school, which is a reward that can only be obtained if they have made great contributions to the Chu clan. Once they enter the clan academy, they will become classmates with the direct descendants of the Chu clan. After completing their studies in the future, they will inevitably become the confidants that the Chu clan relies on.
For a servant, it can be said that he reaches the sky in one step.
Chu Suiliang patted his shoulder kindly and said warmly: "Go ahead, be careful at all times and don't be careless."
"Here!"
The servant got up, walked out and returned to his residence to make preparations, only to wait for dawn when the defense was to be changed and he took advantage of the chaos to sneak out of the military camp.
Chu Suiliang sent his servants away, put away the pens, inks, paper and inkstones on the books alone, turned around and lay on the bed, but he was not sleepy. After tossing and turning for a long time, he became more and more energetic. He simply got up, walked out of the tent and spread around the area.
His eyebrows were furrowed and he was worried.
During the day, he persuaded Xiao Yu to make two preparations, submit a letter of surrender to His Majesty and at the same time reduce the power of the Shandong family and suppress Yuwen Shiji. However, he himself was stuck in the quagmire and had no idea what the future would hold.
So he decided to take a gamble.
It's not okay to place bets on King Jin. As long as King Jin achieves great things, Xiao Yu will definitely be one of the top three important ministers in the court. At that time, he, the "chief culprit" who wrote the "confession", will become Xiao Yu's biggest The hidden dangers must be eliminated quickly.
Is there still a way for me to survive?
On the other hand, if King Jin is defeated and His Majesty secures his throne, he may be able to rely on his "internal response" to overturn the "confession" and place all the blame on Xiao Yu, thus completing his own salvation.
Of course, if King Jin wins in the end and His Majesty is defeated, I will contact His Majesty privately to make things worse. Not only will Xiao Yu want to eradicate the root cause, but King Jin will definitely not tolerate him, who is "in the Cao camp but in the Han heart". The inner ghost...
But now, what can he do?
You can't sit still and wait for death.
I just hope that His Majesty is indeed what I think, and is deliberately luring King Jin to go deeper, so that he can find out those traitors and traitors who have ulterior motives, are not loyal to Your Majesty, and clean them up one by one, so as to completely control the court.
Just as he was worried and hesitant, worrying about gains and losses, suddenly a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats came from far and near, galloping from the rear camp. Along the way, many patrol soldiers shouted to stop, but then immediately dispersed to make way, allowing the cavalry to reach the center.
Outside the military tent.
"Your Highness, urgent report from Tongguan!"
Although the details were not given, the sound was heard far away in the military camp late at night, causing a commotion.
Everyone knows that the navy and the Zheng family in Xingyang jointly attacked the city from Luoyang all the way to Tongguan. However, Tongguan is now empty of troops. As long as the enemy attacks forcefully, it can be captured in an instant. However, Tongguan sent emergency troops in the middle of the night.