The cabinet's official mail soon arrived in Shandong.
Now that Wang Xian has regained his true colors, he can no longer hang out with the White Lotus Cult army. Instead, he and Liu Sheng "jointly control the White Lotus Cult" in Qingzhou. He was originally the imperial governor of Shandong, and no one revoked his official title. Naturally,
We should be fighting on the front line against the White Lotus Sect...
So he and Liu Sheng received the imperial mail from the cabinet at the same time, and earlier, news came from Jinan that the imperial court had ordered the chief envoy Chu Yan to negotiate secretly with the White Lotus Sect, using the same imperial mail from the cabinet...
"Hey," Liu Sheng shook the copy he had received from the court and said with a strange smile, "When did the cabinet have such power that it could mobilize me, the imperial envoy?" He spat, "Who do they think they are?
, let me go back, I will go back?
"The emperor's intention behind this is of course." Wang Xian said calmly.
"Why didn't the emperor just issue the order?" Liu Sheng said with a smile, "Are you afraid that if we don't obey, he will lose his face?"
"It's because we're afraid of provoking us." Wang Xian sighed and said, "It seems that our little trick can't be hidden from the emperor. He has already regarded us as enemies."
"That's natural. When it comes to political power, no one in the world can compare to the emperor." Liu Shengshen said in agreement: "It's just that it's too much emphasis on power and despise Tao..."
"Indeed." Wang Xian nodded and said with deep understanding: "The emperor started his career with power and became a powerful man, so he will naturally become superstitious about power. When he gets old, he can no longer extricate himself..."
"I want to see if the British prince dares to come to Shandong?!" Liu Sheng said with a smile: "With Zhang Fu's intelligence, without the protection of the army, even if he is killed, he will not dare to set foot in Shandong!"
Seeing that Liu Sheng was planning to kill Zhang Fu if he dared to come to the capital, and put the blame on the White Lotus Sect. Wang Xian couldn't help but feel a chill. Once an old soldier like Liu Sheng got interested, he would compete with others.
They are all cruel and lawless.
"But it's better for both of us to go back together." Wang Xian sighed, picked up his copy of the imperial mail from the table, slowly opened it and said, "How can we continue to talk if we don't give you any face?"
"Do you think that the emperor really wants Chu Yan to fail to negotiate with the White Lotus Sect?" Liu Sheng laughed and said, "It's just to delay time!" As the highest military and political officer in Shandong and the emperor's former confidant, he naturally
I understand Zhu Di's thoughts very well.
"Hey, when the fake is true, the truth is also false. There is nothing but nothing." Wang Xian shook his head and smiled and said: "The emperor's attitude is very interesting. It seems that he simply wants to delay time and has no sincerity in recruiting peace. But if
If this is the case, the decree should be issued directly, and there is no need to send it by imperial mail. Using imperial mail shows that the emperor's attitude is not simple. Once the situation develops beyond his control, the fake peace talks may turn into real peace talks..."
"Well, that makes sense..." Liu Sheng nodded slowly and said, "If, as you expect, the imperial court's money does not improve next year, but continues to deteriorate, if we work harder in Shandong, is it possible that the emperor's lie will become true?"
"That's right, we have to add a little more fire to make the emperor understand our determination and ability." Wang Xian sighed softly: "If you stay in that position for a long time, you will always have the illusion of being invincible. If you don't expose it,
This soap bubble will never wake up."
"So, you want to provoke the emperor in person?" Liu Sheng looked at Wang Xian with wide eyes.
"The Marquis can also do this job very well." Wang Xian said with a smile.
"I don't have what you have, and besides, I have to sit in Shandong!" Liu Sheng laughed strangely and was not polite to Wang Xian at all. But having said that, the reason why he had to support the bandits to protect himself and extirpate himself from the court was all because
Wang Xian killed the King of Han. It would have been nice if Liu Sheng didn't settle the score with Wang Xian. Indeed, there was nothing to be polite about.
Wang Xian had no intention of letting Liu Sheng come to Beijing. He was just teasing him a few words. After that, Wang Xian said seriously: "Well, I will set off tomorrow and try to get to Beijing before the year." He said mockingly.
He smiled and said, "If the imperial court doesn't kill people during the first month of the year, you can feel more at ease, and you won't be in trouble as soon as you arrive in the capital."
"You actually don't have to go to Beijing. What can't you explain in a letter?" Liu Sheng didn't have the courage to go to Beijing. Seeing that Wang Xian was still in the mood to joke, he said with regret, "Why do you have to take that risk?
"
"People want to save face when they get old, and the emperor is even more so. If you don't give him any face, how can you let the emperor get off the road?" Wang Xian said, raising his eyebrows, and said proudly: "Besides, the emperor wants to kill me, but he can't.
so easy."
"Hehe..." Liu Sheng nodded in agreement and said: "That's right, you are now shaking the world, with Shandong as your back, you can't find a suitable excuse, and the emperor can't kill you directly." He said with a tight expression:
"But what if he traps you in Beijing?"
"It's up to the Marquis to rescue me..." Wang Xian blinked and smiled, and said a little heartlessly.
Liu Sheng was so old that he couldn't tell that Wang Xian had another trump card, so he felt relieved and said with a smile: "Yes, I think I am the emperor and don't worry about the eunuch..."
"We still have to rely on the Marquis." Wang Xian suppressed his smile and whispered to Liu Sheng about the next arrangements.
Liu Sheng stopped teasing and pursed his lips tightly, listening carefully for fear of missing a word.
The fire made the faces of the two people dim, and the atmosphere of conspiracy filled the whole room...
After discussing with Liu Sheng, Wang Xian left Qingzhou the next day, working hard all the way, and entered the provincial capital before the city gate of Jinan closed the next day.
Although the war in Shandong has been going on for years and is likely to get more intense, Jinan City is bustling with people and seems to be more prosperous than when Wang Xian left. This is because Wang Xian has been staying in a remote place for half a year and has not been there for a long time.
The reason is that it is a big city; the second reason is that after the White Lotus Sect uprising, all the wealthy officials, gentry and wealthy households in the province flocked to the provincial capital to take refuge, which brought a large amount of wealth and business opportunities to the city that had not been seen for a long time...
But Wang Xian had no intention of watching the changes in Jinan City. He galloped wildly in the market and arrived on the street outside Wanzhu Garden in a blink of an eye.
There is the best spring in the world, Baotu Spring, in the Wanzhu Garden. It has been the residence of princes and dignitaries in the past dynasties. The outside of the gate has been very prosperous since ancient times. However, the street in front of Wang Xian and his party seemed empty, with only a few idle people.
Vendors huddled listlessly in the streets and alleys, lifeless. It was as if all the people in the city were avoiding this place...
that's the truth.
The sound of horse hooves by Wang Xian and others immediately alerted the idle vendors, who all came over in succession. When they saw who was coming, the idle vendors hurriedly turned their heads, their eyes flickered and evaded, not daring to talk to Wang Xian.
Xian and others looked at each other.
"They're from Dongchang..." Dai Hua could smell the scent of those guys from a long distance away and whispered to Wang Xian.
Wang Xian nodded, ignored those comments, and walked straight to the closed gate of Wanzhuyuan.
Looking at the closed vermilion door with traces of knife cuts, Wang Xian took a deep breath, got off his horse, and knocked on the door knocker himself.
"Who?!" A vigilant voice came from inside.
"I, Wang Xian!" Wang Xian's voice revealed uncontrollable excitement.
There was a pause inside for a long time before someone looked out through the crack in the door. After seeing Wang Xian's face clearly, an excited and changed tone of voice came from inside: "What a master! Go and report to the madam! The master is back!"
"
The Wanzhu Garden, which was originally dead silent, suddenly exploded!
"My lord is back!"
"My lord is back!"
"My lord is back!"
Countless voices of great surprise rang out, and the gate of Wanzhu Garden burst open. Inside, Zhou Yi and a group of royal guards rushed out, knelt on the ground, looked at Wang Xian with tears in his eyes, and choked with sobs: "Sir, you are back..."
…”
These tough men, who shed blood and sweat without shedding tears, are all reduced to tears at this moment. One can only imagine how they got here in the past six months...
Wang Xian was also full of tears. He took two steps forward anxiously, held Zhou Yi and others' arms tightly, nodded vigorously, and was also choked with sobs and could not speak.
"What are you looking at? Get out!" Dai Hua's scolding sounded outside the door. It was obviously those Dongchang fanatics who came to poke their heads in.
"Let's go in!" Wang Xian pulled Zhou Yi beside him, patted his shoulder heavily, and hissed: "Thank you, good brothers!"
"Sir, please go in quickly. Madam and Miss Lingxiao are inside..." Zhou Yi wiped his tears with his sleeves. He knew that at this time, he should not usurp the guest.
Before Wang Xian could say anything, he saw a group of white figures rushing towards him from the backyard. The figure came to Wang Xian with a gust of fragrant wind, and then he stood still.
"Ling Xiao..." Wang Xian's eyes were red, looking at Ling Xiao who had obviously lost a lot of weight, and opened his arms.
"You're finally back!" Ling Xiao stared at Wang Xian, her big eyes slowly filled with tears, falling down like broken beads.
Saying that, she threw herself into his arms and burst into tears. "Oh, oh, I thought I would never see you again..."
Wang Xian put his arms around Ling Xiao's thin shoulders and gently patted her slender back. Tears blurred his eyes, and he couldn't help but hug Ling Xiao tighter.
After comforting Lingxiao for a while, Wang Xian saw Yu Shek supporting a sickly figure appearing under the hanging flower gate in the distance...
Looking at Lin Qing'er, who looked sick and had tears in her eyes, Wang Xian froze immediately...
Ling Xiao noticed Wang Xian's reaction and knew who was coming without looking back. Only then did she realize that she had been so excited that she had left Lin Qing'er behind. With a blush on her pretty face, she quickly let go of Wang Xian and stepped aside.
However, she couldn't help but still hold the corners of his clothes tightly with her hands, as if she was afraid that he would run away.
"Qing'er..." Wang Xian quickened his pace and walked towards his wife with tears in his eyes.
"Officer..." Lin Qing'er put aside her mistress's restraint and forgot about the pain on her body. She took two quick steps towards Wang Xian and then changed to a trot. Unexpectedly, her legs were weak and her knees softened, so she had to move forward.
Thrown to the ground.
"Be careful!" Everyone exclaimed, and Ling Xiao came back to his senses. It was too late to catch Lin Qing'er.
But in the blink of an eye, Wang Xian arrived in front of Lin Qing'er, stretched out his arms to catch her, and held her tightly in his arms...