The true intentions of Li Xianyou and Long Qingchi could not be hidden from the eyes of the world. He had put on a full show of honor, even leading the lion and the white elephant during the Grand Court Assembly, and still saying that this was just a spring outing was a bit too much. Moreover, some people had deliberately spread this news, implying that the Prince of Xiang had fallen out of favor. Li Xian's true intentions were naturally known to everyone.
When Prince Consort Tong Jiao heard of this matter, he felt indescribable grief and indignation. Wang Tongjiao was not implicated in the purge of the Meritorious Subjects Party because he was the Emperor's son-in-law and had the status of a member of the Emperor's Party. But in his bones, he only regarded himself as the Emperor's son-in-law. As for his faction, he believed that he belonged to the Meritorious Subjects Party.
This was normal. Who would be willing to think that they had such achievements just because they married the Emperor's daughter? Of course, he had relied on his own merits, one saber and one spear to kill. Now, seeing the political enemy of the Meritorious Ministers Party, the Wu Clan, at its peak, Wang Tongjiao's heart was burning with anxiety.
When Wang Tongjiao and her close friends heard that the Emperor had once again listened to slanderous rumors and was heavily guarded against the Prince of Xiang, she couldn't help but grieve. At this moment, they were drinking under the flowering trees in the back garden of the Princess Mansion. Wang Tongjiao put down the glass with a blush on her face.
His good friend, Zu Yanqing, advised, "Prince Consort, don't drink like this anymore. You're going to get drunk."
Wang Tongjiao shook her head and sighed, "I'm just drowning my sorrows in wine! The Son of Heaven favored the treacherous and persecuted the loyal. First, it was Minister Zhang and the other four meritorious ministers who were banished, and now they wanted to act against the Prince of Xiang. If the meritorious ministers and members of the imperial clan were banished, wouldn't the Wu clan be able to do whatever they wanted? Thinking of this, Tongjiao's heart is burning with anxiety. "
His other good friend, Zhou Xuan, said, "Didn't Prince Consort say that Master Huan already has a plan for this?"
Wang Tongjiao waved her hand and said with a bitter smile, "Sigh, let's not talk about Master Huan's method. Last year, the Dragon God Coup, breaking into the Gate of Black Tortoise and the Immortal Treading Abode were so easy. Who would have thought that Master Huan would actually use a literary method this time? An Elementary Scholar rebelling, three years is not enough! "
Zu Yanqing glanced at Wang Tongjiao and said, "If Master Huan's method doesn't work, then we'll have to think of something else. I think Prince Consort seems to have an idea. You and I are brothers, so if you have an idea, don't hide it. There's no harm in telling me. "
"Indeed," Wang Tongjiao said, "Tongjiao indeed has other plans. Today, I have invited all of you here because I want to discuss it with you."
Zhang Zhongzhi, Zu Yanqing, Zhou Xiang, and the others looked at each other and said in unison, "Consort, please speak your mind."
Wang Tongjiao knelt on the ground and placed her hands on her knees. She solemnly said, "Everyone, the Wu Clan is wreaking havoc now, and they only rely on Wu Sansi. As long as Wu Sansi dies, the Wu Clan will immediately collapse. Therefore, Si Jiao wants to assassinate Wu Sansi with all of you. We want to get rid of this traitor and protect the country. What do you think? "
Zhang Zhongzhi said, "For the sake of the country, we must eliminate the traitor without hesitation. However, our martial arts are limited. King Liang's entourage is huge, and he has experts protecting him. How are we supposed to succeed? "
Wang Tongjiao said, "The opportunity is right in front of you! The day of the Great Sage Empress' funeral is approaching. As the host, King Liang must be in front of all the officials, and it would be inappropriate for his guards to accompany him. Tongjiao can use her status as the Imperial Guard to wrap the spears and swords in white silk. When the time comes, we can take our weapons and wait for an opportunity to assassinate Wu Sansi. Once he is dead, the outcome will be set! "
Zu Yanqing frowned. "But how are we going to sneak into the entourage?"
Wang Tongjiao said, "Leave it to me."
After a brief discussion, Zu Yanqing spoke on behalf of everyone. "The Wu Clan's perverse actions have angered even the gods. We are willing to work with Prince Consort to eradicate these evils and achieve great feats!"
Wang Tongjiao said excitedly, "Good! I knew that you are all hot-blooded men! "
Behind the thicket, a silhouette quietly left. None of them noticed it as they were too engrossed in their passion.
The man hurriedly ran to the west wing. Inside the guest room, two middle-aged men in Confucian robes were shaking their heads and reciting poems. The man rushed in and said in panic, "Father, Uncle, a disaster has come, we'd better run away quickly!" His words, which came out of nowhere, startled the two men in the room.
One of them asked in surprise, "Tan 'er, what disaster has arrived?"
The person panted and said, "Prince Consort is planning to assassinate King Liang. If he fails, the entire clan will be exterminated. If we stay in the princess' residence, we will be seen as the prince consort's henchmen. We should run for our lives as soon as possible." The two poets in the room turned pale with fright when they heard this.
The two middle-aged men in the room were the famous Tang Dynasty poets, Song Zhiwen and Song Zhixun. When Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were favored by the emperor, these two great poets sought refuge with the two Zhangs. They wrote poems to flatter the emperor, and when the two Zhangs were executed, they were exiled to Lingnan as their henchmen.
The two of them did not want to go to the plague and suffer, so they begged Prince Consort Wang Tongjiao. They did not have much of a relationship with Wang Tongjiao, but their cousin married Zu Yanqing, who was a good friend of Wang Tongjiao's. Through this relationship, the two of them begged Wang Tongjiao to be their disciples.
Wang Tongjiao felt that they did not have any great evil and were only forced by the circumstances to curry favor with the two Zhangs, so she made the decision to let them stay. But at that time, Zhang Jianzhi was in the middle of purging the remaining henchmen of the two Zhangs. Wang Tongjiao did not want to make things difficult for Zhang Jianzhi and the others, so she let them stay in her residence for the time being.
In less than two months, Zhang Jianzhi and the others were secretly demoted and driven out of the imperial court by Li Xian. From then on, the imperial court was controlled by the Wu family and the Wei family. Wang Tongjiao did not have much of a relationship with these two factions, so it was not appropriate for her to speak up for them. Therefore, the two brothers and their families stayed in the prince consort's residence.
Song Zhixun asked his son Song Tan for the details and could not help but panic. Song Zhiwen rolled his eyes and suddenly slapped the table, saying, "Good! Zhixun, a great opportunity has come for us brothers! "
Song Zhixun was taken aback. "Big brother, what great opportunity?"
Song Zhiwen smiled. "The faction of meritorious officials has already lost power. You and I have been living in the prince consort's residence with our families for a long time, but we have still not been able to get our posts back. It seems like the prince consort is no longer of any use. You and I want to rely on King Liang, but there is no way to do so. But hasn't this chance come knocking on our door? "
Song Zhixun was suddenly enlightened. "You mean …"
… …
On Longqing Lake, Li Xian, the empress, King Liang, and the other important ministers boarded a boat for a leisurely stroll. The Prince of Xiang, Li Dan, accompanied them. His heart was heavy, but he still forced himself to appear cheerful.
The five sons of the Prince of Xiang stood at the railing of the boat. In the distance, they could see a row of green willows by the lake. Behind the willows, they could faintly see beast masters leading lions and elephants back and forth. They could also see that someone was wearing a Daoist robe with seven stars, his hair draped over his shoulders and his sword in hand. He seemed to be performing some sort of ritual. Li Chengyi couldn't help but spit fiercely outside the boat.
"Aiyo, who is this …"
Unexpectedly, a small boat was approaching. Li Chengyi spat on the back of that person's neck. The man angrily raised his head, but suddenly remembered that this was the Son of Heaven's ship. The people on this ship were all rich and noble, and none of them were people he could afford to offend. He could only resentfully shut his mouth and take out a handkerchief to vigorously wipe his face.
The man on the small boat was Song Zhixun's son, Song Tan. When the two brothers learned that Wang Tongjiao wanted to assassinate Wu Sansi, they completely disregarded the kindness Wang Tongjiao had shown them and immediately thought that this was an excellent opportunity for them to return to their official careers. The two brothers were worried that they would arouse Wang Tongjiao's vigilance if they went out, but Song Tan, who often went out, had no such worries.
As a result, the two brothers ordered Song Tan to immediately inform Wu Sansi. By the time Song Tan arrived at Wu Sansi's residence, Wu Sansi had already accompanied Li Xian to Longqing Lake. When the steward of the Martial House heard Song Tan's reason for coming, he knew that this matter was of great importance and did not dare to be negligent. He immediately brought Song Tan to Longqing Lake.
By the time the two boarded the ship, Li Longji and his brothers had already gone elsewhere. The steward of the Martial House revealed his identity to the imperial guards and quietly went to see Wu Sansi. Wu Sansi was sitting at the bow of the ship with Li Xian, drinking wine. When he heard the news, he excused himself to Li Xian and was led by the steward to the rear cabin.
When Song Tan saw Wu Sansi, he immediately clasped his hands and fearfully said, "This junior, Song Tan, has received orders from my father and uncle to request an audience with the Great King."
Wu Sansi grabbed his collar and sternly said, "You said that you have an extremely urgent news to report to this prince?"
… …
As Yang Fan walked past the railing of the ship, he just happened to see the Prince of Xiang's five sons walking over. Yang Fan stopped and cupped his hands to them with a smile. To Yang Fan's surprise, Li Longji also stopped in his tracks and solemnly cupped his hands towards him. He smiled and said, "Greetings, Great General."
Yang Fan did not expect Li Longji to be so courteous and hurriedly returned the greeting, "Greetings, Prince of Lin Zi. Greetings, Royal Princes!"
Li Longji laughed, "This little prince has known Great General since I was young. I did not expect that we would become neighbours after coming to Chang 'an. This is a rare encounter. It is a pity that this little prince will be leaving the capital soon. Otherwise, I will definitely invite Great General to my residence to have a drink with my brother. "
Yang Fan smiled, "This lowly general is terrified. If Royal Prince does not mind, when Royal Prince is free, I am willing to buy some wine and drink with you."
Li Longji laughed and nodded, "That is my wish. I dare not invite you!"
Both parties passed by each other. Li Longfan was a little surprised and whispered to Li Longji, "Why is Sanlang so courteous to that man surnamed Yang?"
Li Longji smiled, "Under the Son of Heaven's apprehension, our Prince of Xiang's lineage is like a candle in the wind. What is wrong with befriending the heroes of the world?"
Li Chengqi thoughtfully said, "Oh … Yang Fan, Yang Fan seems to be under Aunt Taiping's tutelage. Speaking of which, he can be considered to be on friendly terms with my Prince of Xiang's estate. We can get close."
Li Longji smiled mysteriously, "Hehe, I am afraid that is not the case …"
Pausing for a moment, he explained, "What I am saying is that he may not be under Aunt Taiping's tutelage. This person's strength may not be as simple as what we see. But … fortunately, his attitude towards Li Yanwu should be genuine. "
Yang Fan's hearing is extraordinary and he is currently traveling with the wind. Therefore, even though Li Longji and company's voices are extremely soft, he can vaguely hear them.
Yang Fan had just dodged a fluttering dragon flag when he suddenly heard Li Longji's words. His heart thumped as if he was a ferocious beast that had smelled danger. A chill surged into his heart with a "swish", immediately causing all the hairs on his body to stand up.
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