"The Ministry of Internal Affairs has been handed over to——" Yu Zhining looked at Li Mu in shock, unable to believe what Li Chengqian said. Thinking about it, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is Li Mu's biggest support, how could he hand over his biggest support?
?
"My father has handed over the preparations for the coronation to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. My eldest brother said that I should do this, so he took over the errand for me."
Yu Zhining took a breath of cold air. Suddenly, he straightened his clothes and bowed. Li Mu chuckled and said, "Why, did your face change so quickly?"
"I have misunderstood the Marquis. The Marquis is the one who really considers the prince!"
Li Mu was stunned and thought, why did I consider it? He glanced at Yu Zhining and said without showing his expression: "Oh? You said that again, then tell me, how did I consider it?"
"Now the only person in the world who has a chance to compete for the position of crown prince is your majesty's legitimate son." Yu Zhining talked eloquently, saying: "Your majesty has three legitimate sons. The prince is about the same age as the king of Wei, and the king of Jin is still in his infancy.
There is no possibility of succeeding to the throne. The King of Wei has a literary reputation and is deeply loved by His Majesty. He is the biggest rival and hidden danger to the position of Crown Prince and Crown Prince——"
Li Chengqian said displeased: "Don't talk nonsense. Qingque is my brother. How could this happen? If you continue to provoke me, I will not spare you."
Li Mu smiled and said, "Let him finish. Who is that? You can continue talking."
Yu Zhining continued: "The so-called strategy is to conquer the enemy's army without fighting. This is the brilliance of the Marquis. If the Marquis had clearly supported the prince from the beginning, His Majesty might be suspicious, but the Marquis
Supporting the King of Wei first cleared up suspicion for himself. When people in the world saw that the Marquis supported the King of Wei in opening the library, they regarded the Marquis as a member of the King of Wei's party. However, little did they know that the role of this literature museum was not great.
, Although a scholar can control public opinion, he is just a scholar after all, and ascending to the throne does not rely on the pen of a scholar!"
Li Mu raised his eyebrows and said, "What do you rely on?"
"It's soldiers and horses, it's money and food!" Yu Zhining seemed to have entered the state, and analyzed seriously: "Now His Majesty is wise and powerful, and the Spring and Autumn Period is at its peak. No matter which prince he is, taking charge of the army is tantamount to seeking death, so the soldiers and horses are not allowed to get involved. So.
, only money and food are left. The House of Internal Affairs is where all the money in the world gathers. Controlling the House of Internal Affairs is equivalent to controlling the financial power of the inner treasury. To the prince, this is like a needle in the sea."
"First show kindness to the King of Wei, and then hand over the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Crown Prince with a compensatory attitude. This plan of secretly plotting against Chen Cang made the subordinate admire him so much that he couldn't stop admiring him!" Yu Zhining said with admiration on his face, and Li Mu wanted to hear it.
Laughed. This is the brain circuit of a thoughtful person. With so many thoughts, he can figure out everything by himself. Li Mu looked at Li Chengqian and was about to explain the matter, but saw Li Chengqian looking at him with tears in his eyes, helpless
He smiled bitterly, okay, let's not explain, it was just another brainstorm.
Li Chengqian felt a little excited. After Yu Zhining's explanation, he suddenly discovered that the person he had been looking for, the person who could understand him and know what he wanted, was Li Mu. Although he didn't have much contact with him, he was very knowledgeable.
He thinks about himself in everything. He treats himself well, unlike Yu Zhining and others who instill their ideas into him every time. He does it in obscurity, putting everything before he encounters and thinks of it.
It's all laid out.
"Brother——"
"Oh, don't say anything." Li Mu took a sip of wine and said, "This little thought was explained clearly by Mr. Yu. It's really boring. Okay, since His Majesty doesn't want to see me anymore.
, I will leave the palace, there are still many things that need to be dealt with. Mr. Yu, for the coronation, do I have to rely more on you and the officials of the East Palace? What does it mean if this matter is not done well?
, you must be aware of it?"
Yu Zhining bowed and said, "The Marquis has laid everything down. If the officials still can't handle this matter, I won't have the shame to stay in the East Palace anymore. Don't worry, Marquis, there won't be any mistakes."
."
"That's good." Li Mu stood up. Li Chengqian wanted to come over. He waved his hand. When he passed by Yu Zhining, Yu Zhining bent down lower. Li Mu smiled and said nothing, swaying
The ground is gone.
After Li Mu left the palace, Yu Zhining stood up, looked at Li Mu's free and unrestrained back, and thought to himself: "I have never been in contact with the Marquis before, so I don't know the details, but now I know it when I see him. He is an extraordinary person. The prince can get his help,
It will be absolutely safe."
…
Riding his horse out of the imperial city, Li Mu checked the direction and planned to go to Honglu Temple instead of going home. Yesterday he humiliated the Tibetan envoy, so he had to go and deal with it. After all, he was a powerful neighbor. If he really wanted to do this,
When friction broke out, it was the common people who suffered. They changed direction and had not gone far. Suddenly a horse came close to him. Li Mu took a look and it was the Tubo prince from yesterday.
"I was just going to look for you. The little prince is waiting here. Why, is he here to seek revenge?"
"No." Although the Tubo prince was not angry, there was not much disrespect in his tone, but he said: "I am here to ask you about Princess Huanzhu!"
Li Mu glanced at him and said, "Little prince, how old are you this year?"
"Thirteen!"
"Thirteen!" Li Mu thought to himself. It was indeed what he expected. The little prince was not old, but he was strong and looked like he was fifteen or sixteen years old. He smiled and said: "Then
Do you know how old is the Princess Huanzhu you have chosen?"
"She is older than me," said the Tubo prince, and then added: "But I don't mind, I like her."
"Your Highness," Li Mu sighed and said, "This is not something you mind. Not to mention your marriage, Your Majesty has not agreed yet. Even if he did, it would still need to be discussed by the Ministry of Rites.
Choose a princess, princess, or simply a daughter of the clan to marry you. Can you choose the princess of the Tang Dynasty? Who do you think you are?"
The Tubo prince didn't seem to understand Li Mu's sarcasm. After Li Mu finished speaking, he said again: "I don't like other people, I just like Princess Huanzhu! You said she is your sister, help me talk to her, no matter what
I will agree to her any number of yaks and antelopes as long as she is willing to marry me!"
"Yak? Antelope?" Li Mu said speechlessly: "Okay, I can't explain it to you. In short, don't think about marrying the princess. When you come back to Chang'an, instead of apologizing, negotiating, and asking for marriage,
Why don't you just say that you are here to take refuge, you and I know this very well. I will explain it to Your Majesty and give you a place to stay. As for other things, remember one sentence, people need to be self-aware.
The princesses and princesses of the Tang Dynasty were very arrogant, how could they marry barbarians from other countries?"
The Tubo prince did not speak for a long time. He held back something for a long time and said: "Master Hou, I really like her. Your books in the Central Plains say that a gentleman has the beauty of a man, and a woman will marry sooner or later. If she marries someone else, she
I don’t know if she will be happy or not. But if you marry me, I guarantee that she will not suffer. I will do my best to love her and protect her."
Li Mu laughed and said: "You have a strange accent, but your words are very serious. It seems like that." Li Mu rolled his eyes and said: "Otherwise, I will help you ask, but the matter is
Whether it succeeds or not, I dare not protect you. Just leave it to fate, okay?"
"Okay!" Prince Tubo agreed happily without saying any nonsense.
The two walked side by side and passed three streets. Li Mu had seen the Tubo prince, so there was no need to go to Honglu Temple, so he said goodbye to the Tubo prince. Returning to Fengqiuhuang, Li Mu met Bai Qiaoqiao.
Jin Chen went shopping with Zhang Tianai and had not returned yet. He asked Zhang Tianai if Zhang Xun had been here, and the answer he got was that he had just left. Li Mu originally wanted to talk to Zhang Xun, but learned that he had just left and he had just arrived home.
He no longer had any thoughts of going out to meet each other, so he fell on the bed, resting on Zhang Tianai's legs, listening to the two sisters chatting, and fell asleep unconsciously.
…
Zhang Xun is the king of Gaochang, and Gaochang allied with the thirty-six small countries in the Western Regions to trade with the Tang Dynasty on their behalf. As the coronation was about to be held, Zhang Xun's social activities became more and more frequent. He did not have a residence in Chang'an, so he naturally had to choose a place to discuss things.
A good place. A place between heaven and earth, with dignity and private rooms. It’s the best of both worlds, so it naturally became Zhang Xun’s best choice.
In a private room on the second floor, after Zhang Xun had a round of drinking with the envoys, he came out of the private room on the pretext that he was not drunk enough. Following a waiter, he walked around and came to the door of an inconspicuous private room in the corner, and knocked lightly three times.
The door to the private room opened, and Zhang Xun ducked in.
"I've met the chief." The person who opened the door was the owner of the room, Li Yourong, Princess of Huanzhu. She had been the princess of Huanzhu for several months, and she naturally showed the majesty of the royal family on weekdays, but in front of Zhang Xun, she
But he was so scared that he didn't even dare to raise his head.
"You are already the princess of the Tang Dynasty, you shouldn't be like this." Zhang Xun didn't mean to be polite at all, but just like a teacher pointing out the student's problem. Li Yourong didn't dare to distinguish, lowered his head and said nothing.
"Recently, there has been no useful news for a long time."
"Leader Rong." Li Yourong quickly explained, "Recently, I have been accompanying the Supreme Emperor to recuperate in Xiaoyao Valley, and rarely return to Chang'an City. But as long as there is an opportunity, I will send news back. I will never slack off, and I will also
Please take a closer look, leader."
Zhang Xun looked at Li Yourong and laughed: "Don't be so nervous. I didn't say I didn't trust you. I just wanted to remind you who gave you your life."
Li Yourong was shaking like chaff in a sieve, and said in a trembling voice: "My life was saved by the leader, and I am ready to return it to the leader at any time."
"That's not necessary. Your life is of no use to me. Just do what I have arranged for you and your life will be safe." Zhang Xun paused and asked, "Please tell me what happened after Li Mu returned to Chang'an.
, tell me exactly what you said."
"Yes," Li Yourong told her everything she knew about Li Mu after he returned to Chang'an, from beginning to end, without any hesitation.
When he heard how arrogant Li Mu was, how he met with people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Dali Temple Prison, and how he defended himself, Zhang Xun's expression did not change. But when he heard that Li Mu was not Sun's biological child, and there were some rumors about Li Mu's life experience
, but his eyes narrowed.
A memory that had been buried for many years gradually came to mind. There was a dull pain in his chest and he started to cough.
"Chief." Li Yourong looked concerned, but Zhang Xun waved his hand and said: "It's okay, it's the same old problem. You did a good job, go and do your work, I'll just rest here for a while."
"Yes, leader." Li Yourong bowed and saluted, walked out of the house, and gently closed the door. Her back was soaked with sweat. Although Zhang Xun looked like a sick tiger, he left in Li Yourong's heart
The shadow never dissipated. Li Yourong took a deep breath, looked back at the door of the private room with fear, and walked away quickly in a soft voice.
Zhang Xun didn't care what Li Yourong thought. He was shocked by the news he just received.
Can such a coincidence happen in this world? Li Mu is not Sun's biological child, and there are also those rumors. The time and place are all correct. More importantly, when Zhang Xun saw Li Mu, he felt that this person looked familiar.
, Now that I think about it, if Li Muruo is really that child, he doesn't look much like his father, but he looks a lot like his mother!
He coughed twice and felt a dull pain in his chest. Cousin, I heard that you went overseas and have not returned to the Central Plains in these years. Is it because of this child? You lost your child and you have no face to face it? If you knew that this child was still alive,
Will you come back?
I hope you come back! Now that I have become the King of Gaochang, I can have my long-cherished wish in life. The only regret is that I have to kill you. You should come back soon so that I can kill you, and then you will have no regrets in this life.
With the past events swirling in his mind, Zhang Xun stood up, opened the door, and walked out of the private room. After taking a few deep breaths, he walked back to the banquet room, with his usual smile back on his face.
"Everyone, let's drink this cup together."
"Thank you, King Gaochang!"
…
"Xian son-in-law." Bai Nao'er and Zhang Xun came hand in hand. Li Mu's head suddenly grew bigger. But it was no good to ignore it. Bai Qiaoqiao and Zhang Tian'ai had already come to greet them, so Li Mu had to squeeze in.
With a smile on his face, he walked over and saluted, saying, "My two father-in-laws are coming together. My son-in-law is very frightened."
The two father-in-laws waved their hands repeatedly, and Bai Naoer said: "I bought some supplements for Qiaoqiao. The child is getting heavier and heavier, so he needs to take more supplements. I met Brother Zhang at the door. Let's talk.
Let me chat with Qiaoqiao."
"Excuse me." Li Mu looked at Zhang Xun and said, "Father-in-law, I have something to do with you."
"It just so happens that I also have something that I want to tell my wise husband."
Li Mu glanced at Zhang Xun strangely, thinking that something was wrong with me. I knew in my heart that what could happen to him if he wanted to find me? But Zhang Tianai was beside him and it was hard to talk, so Li Mu smiled and stretched out his hand to signal.
Zhang Tianai wanted to follow, but Zhang Xun drove him away. When Weng and his son-in-law came to the warehouse, Li Mu said, "Father-in-law, what do you want from me?"
"Why don't you say it first, my virtuous son-in-law?"
Li Mu smiled and said: "My matter is not big, so let's talk to my father-in-law first. It must be important to come here specially!"
"It is indeed important." Zhang Xun paused and leaned into Li Mu's ear: "I may know a thing or two about the life experience of the virtuous son-in-law."