Shen Mu's upper body was bare and there were several layers of white cloth wrapped around his shoulders and back. Although his knife wound was in a vital area, it did not go deep into his flesh and did not injure his lungs. Therefore, he only applied some medicine and bandaged it.
The place where Shen Mu was attacked was only a stone's throw away from his residence. From the moment he successfully escaped back to his residence, the fate of the group of assassins was already decided. Even if the assassins had already prepared an escape route and horses, Shen Mu was confident that he could capture all of them without leaving a single one out.
But the truth was that after the group failed on the verge of success, their reaction and speed of retreat were not as fast as Shen Mu had estimated. When the last of them was captured by Shen Mu's men, they had only escaped less than three li from the town. By this time, Shen Mu had already made a bad estimate.
The interrogation results were just as Shen Mu had expected. These people were not professional assassins. They were a group of genuine Hu merchants. Many Hu merchants in the Western Region were half merchants and half bandits. On a desolate journey, if they encountered a wealthy merchant group or village that could not protect themselves, they would sometimes drop their disguises and wield their butcher's knives.
However, in a densely populated place where the law was enforced, or when they encountered an opponent that they obviously could not defeat, they were real businessmen. Because of this, when they first approached Shen Mu, they did not arouse the vigilance of Shen Mu and his subordinates.
This time, they killed people in the capital region, which was somewhat out of Shen Mu's expectations. But the interrogation results were very simple: someone had paid a large sum of money to kill them. The money was so large that they could not refuse, so they took the risk.
These people did not know who Shen Mu was. They did not even know who had hired them.
Shen Mu stared at Lan Jinhai and asked, "No clues?"
Lan Jinhai said in shame, "No, the person who hired them always took the initiative to find them. They suspected that if they succeeded, the other party would pay the rest of the money. The money they had already received was enough for them to enjoy for a lifetime, so they even thought of running away. "
"Why didn't they run away?"
"Because …"
Lan Jinhai took a deep breath and said, "When they wanted to escape, a group of masked knights with excellent horsemanship and martial arts suddenly stopped them. They attacked and six of them were killed. The rest could only obediently return to fulfill their promise."
Shen Mu said, "So mysterious? Then the person in charge of contacting them must also be masked? "
"Yes!"
Shen Mu pondered for a moment and slowly said, "In other words, we only know that the person who hired the hitman is very rich?"
Lan Jinhai said, "Of course it's not just that. We also know that the person who hired the assassin has a much stronger martial power than the perpetrator, but they are not willing to do it themselves. We also know that the person who hired the assassins has very good eyes and ears. They were able to find out that this caravan wasn't very well-behaved and had the ability to control them. "
Shen Mu revealed a deep smile and said, "That's right! In this case, we can narrow down the search for them by a lot. "
Shen Mu stood up slowly and said in a deep voice, "Get rid of them. We'll return to Chang 'an tonight!"
…
Yang Fan knew nothing about Shen Mu's ambush. On the evening that Shen Mu was ambushed, he had already rushed to the private residence where he and Princess Taiping had met. He told Princess Taiping everything he knew about the situation in the palace from Wan 'er, comforting her, "Lingyue, the Emperor truly does intend to take back his military authority, but he has no intention of taking any further action against you and the Prince of Xiang. You can tell the Prince of Xiang that there is no need to be too alarmed."
Princess Taiping was quiet for a few moments, then whispered, "After Doulu Qinwang returns to the capital, he will become the first person in the Tang dynasty to be a servant who is not the Prime Minister. What do you think the Emperor is doing? Perhaps, as you say, he has no intention of dealing with us right now, but who can guarantee that he won't have any intention of dealing with us in the future? Who can guarantee that the Empress and Prince Liang won't kick us while we're down? "
Yang Fan worriedly asked, "Then what do you want to do? Could it be …"
Princess Taiping faintly smiled and calmly said the word that Yang Fan had not said, "Rebel?" She shook her head and gloomily said, "He won't. He is a member of the Li clan, my and the Prince of Xiang's elder brother. To rebel against him is to send troops without justification. No one will respond. Even if there is a chance of success … "
Princess Taiping slowly raised her head and gazed at Yang Fan. "Do you think that the Prince of Xiang and I will harm our brother?"
The empress currently living in seclusion in Shangyang Palace was their mother. Was their relationship any weaker than that of their brother? Yang Fan truly had no place to comment on this sort of family matter, so he could only keep his mouth shut.
Princess Taiping slowly and powerfully shook her head. "He won't. No matter how he treats us, we are still brothers of the same mother. He can be heartless, but we cannot be unjust."
Princess Taiping slowly turned her head and gazed at a cluster of purple and blue flowers blooming in front of the window. She gravely said, "However, there are times when I truly regret it. If … we hadn't worked so hard to bring him back from Fang Province, perhaps the result would have been a little better."
Yang Fan helplessly sighed. "Emperor Zetian wanted to make him crown prince, so he was transferred back to the capital. If we didn't work hard to save him, wouldn't that be watching Wu Chengsi and Wu Sansi put him to death? "
"That's exactly what I meant."
Princess Taiping suddenly turned her head and gave Yang Fan a cruel smile. Yang Fan couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
Taiping's eyes were very cold, like a sculpture of profound ice, chilling one's heart. Her voice was also cold. "Do you still not understand what I mean? I won't rebel against him, but if he is caught between life and death, given our current relationship, I will definitely not extend a hand to help him. Right now, he and I are only brother and sister. We no longer have any brotherly feelings! "
Taiping's words were brimming with hatred, cold and murderous. Yang Fan did not want to continue on this topic of siblings, so he changed the subject. "I actually have an idea about the matter of Dou Lu. It can resolve his predicament, and it will also be of benefit to you and the Prince of Xiang …"
"Oh?"
Princess Taiping slightly raised her charming eyebrows. She was somewhat noncommittal. Yang Fan leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words. Princess Taiping's eyes suddenly went wide as she asked in surprise, "Doing this … what's the benefit?"
Yang Fan spread out his hands and bitterly smiled. "Lingyue, given your intelligence, how could you not think of the benefit of doing this? Don't let your grievance and anger cloud your mind. This way, you can … "
Princess Taiping's eyes suddenly flashed like lanterns as she said in understanding, "Ah! I understand! Not bad, not bad! This truly is a good idea that kills two birds with one stone! "
… …
The morning court session was held on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. When the emperor had conferred the titles of princes to the five ministers, he had said that they could go to the palace to have an audience with the emperor at the next court session. Zhang Jianzhi and the other princes had arrived at the Meridian Gate early in the morning, dressed neatly in purple robes and jade belts.
However, in the past, the appearance of any one of them would cause many ministers to pounce on them like flies. Now, these people were avoiding them like the plague. Wherever they appeared, it was like an invisible wall had suddenly appeared around them.
The ministers who had also been dealt with came forward to greet them, but they did not converse with them. In the current situation, they naturally had to be a little more cautious. When the morning court session began, because they were princes, they had to stand at the head of the class. The five of them entered the hall together and stood in front of the head of the class, appearing even more awe-inspiring than before. But their backs gave off the bleakness of heroes at the end of their road.
The nobles could only listen to politics and could not discuss politics easily. They stood in the group of nobles and did not say a word, completely playing the role of wooden dummies. Seeing the hundreds of officials who used to be intimidated by their majesty, who always had to listen to their expressions, now discussed the affairs of the state as if there was no one else present, one could imagine the disappointment in their hearts.
The hundreds of officials' memorials naturally had to be led by the Prime Minister. The Prime Ministers had just finished talking about their own affairs when Doulu Qinwang suddenly coughed and walked out of his office.
When Doulu Qinwang walked out of his office, the officials who wanted to present the memorials immediately stopped in their tracks. Even Wu Sansi, Wei Yuanzhong, Yang Zaisi, Wei Anshi and the other Prime Ministers who had just returned to their offices curiously gave him a salute.
There was no other reason than that after Doulu Qinwang returned to court, he knew that the Emperor did not like him, so he pretended to be deaf and mute in the Shangshu Department. He maintained the attitude that it was better to avoid trouble than trouble, and did his best not to get involved in anything. He was even more slippery than the famous' ambiguous' Old Crafty Su.
In court, Doulu Qinwang did not speak much, so when he suddenly walked out of his office today, the hundreds of officials were all surprised. They did not understand why this Pushe daren would suddenly act out of character. Just what kind of memorials did he have to present? Perhaps … there really was some earth-shattering news. Recently, the court had been too quiet. It was unavoidably boring, at least for those imperial censors who made a living by impeaching other officials. Recently, they had not been able to find a topic to complain about.
Li Xian was also very curious. His health had not been good, and in the past few days, he had fallen ill again. He sat on the throne with a sickly appearance, looking listless and listless. But when Doulu Qinwang walked out of his office, even Li Xian became alert. Behind the curtain, Empress Wei also widened her eyes in shock.
Doulu Qinwang took three steps forward, coughed again, and slowly said, "His Majesty controls all affairs and listens to court politics. The lives of the officials depend on His Majesty to survive. The foundation of the Three Saints awaits His Majesty's prosperity. His Majesty's life is tied to the world and is incomparably precious.
Today, His Majesty is more than fifty years old and has passed middle age. He should especially take care of his dragon body. This subject heard that when His Majesty was in Fangzhou, he had toiled a great deal and his body was weak. Later, he contracted beriberi. This truly worries this subject … "
The hundreds of officials were dumbstruck. They had no idea what Doulu Qinwang was rambling on about. Yang Fan stood among the generals and almost laughed out loud when he heard this. Taiping's way of doing things was really straightforward. Yesterday, he had just given her a plan, and today, Doulu Qinwang was acting according to it.
However, Yang Fan had only suggested that Doulu Qinwang should first flatter the Emperor, the weaker he appeared the better, the more mushy the better. As for what topic to find, he did not mention it. There was no need for him to help think about these specific matters.
Even he had not expected that such a genius like Doulu Qinwang would be able to think of such a topic. Just look at him standing in the golden hall, holding a jade tablet and presenting a memorial, his face full of grief and hatred. Who would have thought that the topic he was discussing was Li Xian's beriberi?
Some of the officials were already snickering. Doulu Qinwang seemed to be completely unaware. With a deadpan expression, he said, "Recently, I heard that His Majesty's old illness has relapsed and he has lost his appetite. Every day, he only eats thin porridge. This subject is extremely frightened.
His Majesty has received the orders of the Saints and has been entrusted with the task of raising the ancestral temple and the country. How can he take his life lightly? This subject is extremely distressed. Fu Qi, Your Majesty, will not go to court for three days. Invite a famous doctor to take care of your health and eat more delicious food to ensure your dragon body's health. "
Doulu Qinwang's flattery landed on Li Xian's dragon buttocks. Many of the officials had goosebumps, but Li Xian's dragon countenance was greatly pleased. Of course, he knew that Doulu Qinwang was flattering him, and that his flattery was incomparably mushy. But even though he knew, he still felt happy. It was not because he heard the flattery, but because the flatterer had shown him enough respect and compliments.
The first time Li Xian ascended to the throne, he had shown off his might to the officials. The officials had failed to defeat the Emperor, so they had brought out the Emperor's mother. In the end, the incomparably valiant Wu Zetian had directly kicked the Emperor off the throne.
The second time Li Xian became the Emperor, another five officials who had performed meritorious deeds appeared. They considered themselves to be his benefactors, pointing fingers at him every day. Only now did he truly feel the joy of being the Son of Heaven.
Yang Fan looked coldly at Li Xian's expression and thought, "You don't say, Doulu Qinwang's flattery is just right. With this good beginning, it looks like his next plan will be able to be smoothly implemented."
After the morning court, the Emperor withdrew. The Emperor and Empress turned the jade screen, and the officials immediately dispersed. Zhang Jianzhi, Huan Yanfan, and the other three princes stood alone in the court. In the past, every time after the court session ended, the officials would come to greet them and respectfully lecture them were completely gone.
The five of them looked at each other, sighed sadly, and silently walked out of the Palace. As they passed the Golden Water Bridge, Huan Yanfan suddenly saw Wang Tongjiao standing on the bridge.
After the divine dragon coup d 'état, Wang Tongjiao, as a major contributor, had received a series of rewards: Yunhui General, Right Thousand-Bull General, Langya Commandery Duke, Fuma Commandant, Silver-Blue Minister of Light, Minister of Light. This series of illustrious official positions had not been revoked with the dismay of Zhang Jianzhi and the other four princes, because he was the Emperor's son-in-law.
Seeing that the five princes were alone, Wang Tongjiao also felt desolate. He hurriedly solemnly cupped his fists and bowed, saying respectfully: "Greetings to the five princes."
As a Duke, Wang Tongjiao was only one rank lower than them, so he did not need to bow. Therefore, this bow was just a slight bow. Huan Yanfan, however, seemed to be overwhelmed by the favor and hurriedly went forward to help Wang Tongjiao up, saying repeatedly: "Fuma, there is no need to be so courteous."
As their arms touched, Huan Yanfan quickly handed over a ball of paper from the bottom of his sleeve. Wang Tongjiao was slightly startled, and immediately took the ball of paper and tucked it into his sleeve. His expression only froze for a moment before returning to normal. The warriors standing on the Golden Water Bridge and the officials slowly walking on the bridge did not notice anything out of the ordinary.
Standing in the distance, Yang Fan also witnessed the scene on the bridge. Of course, from a distance, it was even more impossible for him to see the secret "secret" between Huan Yanfan and Wang Tongjiao. However, Wang Tongjiao was originally part of the party of contributors, and their contact inevitably aroused Yang Fan's sensitive nerves.
Huan Yanfan handed over the ball of paper and secretly let out a sigh of relief. He had finally gotten in touch with Wang Tongjiao.
Huan Yanfan had long wanted to get in touch with Wang Tongjiao, who still held military power. However, Wang Tongjiao was the Fuma and lived in the Princess's residence, and the Princess's residence was filled with the Emperor's dowry eunuchs and palace maids. Huan Yanfan did not dare to take this risk.
Wang Tongjiao was his last hope, and he did not want any delays this time. Therefore, he had waited patiently until now for the opportunity to come. The ball of paper that Huan Yanfan handed to Wang Tongjiao did not have anything too important written on it. He still could not be sure of Wang Tongjiao's intentions.
He was only inviting Wang Tongjiao for a secret meeting. He believed that Wang Tongjiao would definitely understand his intentions. As long as Wang Tongjiao was willing to come, it meant that Wang Tongjiao's heart was still on the side of the meritorious officials. Based on his understanding of Wang Tongjiao, Wang Tongjiao would definitely not betray his friends for glory.
Huan Yanfan was not willing to live out the rest of his life, not willing to fall into decline and silence. The times create the hero, and the hero can also create the times. He wanted to take back everything that he had lost. This time, it would no longer be Zhang Jianzhi in charge, but him!
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