In the summer night, the occasional chirping of cicadas shattered the tranquility of the night.
Yang Fan and Dugu Huizhi returned from their night patrol. Although they were wearing light robes and no armor, they were still drenched in sweat.
Yang Fan yawned and said to the accompanying guards, "Everyone has worked hard. Go back and take a bath. Rest early. The weather is too stuffy. It won't be easy to fall asleep in a short time."
The soldiers dispersed one after another, but Dugu Huizhi moved closer to Yang Fan and said mysteriously, "Great General, please come to this general's tent for a chat."
Yang Fan looked at his mysterious expression and curiously followed him into his residence. He saw that the light in the tent was as bright as a bean, and there were four side dishes on the table to go with the wine. There was also a pot of wine and two wine cups on the side. Yang Fan said as soon as he saw this, "It's already late. Let's rest early."
Dugu Huizhi grabbed Yang Fan and said with a smile, "Great General, don't be anxious. Please sit down. This general has something to say."
The prohibition of alcohol in the army only began in the Song Dynasty. At this time, there was no strict prohibition of alcohol in the army. Moreover, Dugu Huizhi was one of Yang Fan's Five Tiger Generals. Yang Fan couldn't refuse him and could only sit opposite him in the tent.
Dugu Huizhi poured a cup of wine for Yang Fan and said with a shameless smile, "Great General, this general … wants to ask for a leave of absence next month. Just ten days will do. If this general can rest for half a month, then this general will be even more grateful for your great kindness."
Yang Fan said in astonishment, "Why are you asking for a leave? Is there something going on at home? "
Dugu Huizhi smiled bashfully and said, "To be honest, this general … is getting married next month."
"Oh?"
A smile also appeared on Yang Fan's face when he heard this. He said, "Good, this is a good thing. If I didn't allow your leave, wouldn't that be too unreasonable? Why didn't Dugu Yu tell me about this? "
Dugu Huizhi said awkwardly, "Uh … this general isn't considered a close branch of the Dugu family. This general's marriage won't disturb the clan lord."
Yang Fan knew that although Dugu Huizhi was capable and could be considered a general, he wasn't a close descendant of the Dugu family. Dugu Huizhi had no idea about Yang Fan's true identity and relationship with the Dugu family. He had always thought that Yang Fan was only a close friend of the Dugu family lord, Dugu Yu.
Yang Fan was afraid that he would be embarrassed, so he quickly changed the topic and said, "If that's the case, it's really a happy occasion. Where do you plan to hold your wedding? Our brothers in the army should go and join in the fun."
Dugu Hui Zhi said, "My home is in Shangluo, the journey is a little far, I'm afraid my brothers will not be able to make it in time. How about this, when I get married and come back, I'll treat my comrades to a few cups of wine. "This general's home is in Shangluo, and it's a bit far. I'm afraid we won't be able to make it in time. General Dugu, I'll borrow your wine and congratulate you in advance!"
Dugu Huizhi hurriedly filled his own cup and raised it with both hands. He said happily to Yang Fan, "Thank you, General Dugu. Please!"
Dugu Huizhi hurriedly filled his own cup and raised it with both hands. He said happily to Yang Fan, "Thank you, General Dugu. Please!"
…
The Eastern Palace. The Yongchun Gate opened.
A group of armed imperial soldiers silently flashed through the gate. The patrolling soldiers of the Jin Wu Guards acted as if they didn't see them. Instead, they kept looking around as if worried that others would see them.
Li Zhongjun was a martial man and had been bullied badly by An Le. Now that he had made up his mind and made up his mind, he was no longer afraid. He was fully armored and stood quietly in front of Illustrious Virtue Hall with Li Chengkuang, his heart burning with anxiety.
"Crown Prince, General Li Duozuo is here."
The General of the Right Imperial Guards, Li Sichong, hurried in from the Illustrious Virtue Gate and said to Li Zhongjun in a low voice. In reality, the Eastern Palace was very large. Although it was a quiet night, if he stood there and roared, even if he broke his throat, no one outside of the Eastern Palace would hear him. But tonight, he was in the business of killing people. How could he not be nervous?
Li Zhong Jun was overjoyed and hurriedly went forward to welcome them. He saw a group of Yulin Royal Guards flash into the Gate of Illustrious Virtue and quickly split into two sides. Although it was a quiet night, they were very disciplined and looked like they were well-trained. A tall figure quickly walked in. Li Zhongjun hurried forward and said excitedly, "General Li is loyal to the country. I cannot thank you enough!"
Li Duozuo quickly returned the greeting and said, "The Crown Prince is the ruler, there is no need to be so courteous to me. Ever since Zhang Jianzhi and the other five meritorious officials died tragically, many of my comrades in the army have been purged. Now, Empress Wei is constantly inserting trusted aides into the army. The world will soon be named Wei. This old official will only be loyal to Li. This hot blood will naturally serve the Crown Prince! "
Li Zhongjun grabbed his hand, shook it hard, and said, "Alright! Good! Good! I will remember General's loyalty in my heart. Has the loyal general Sha Chi arrived? "
Li Duozuo's son-in-law, Ye Huli, continued, "Before I left, I sent someone to deliver a letter to General Sha Chi. He should be arriving soon."
Li Duozuo was from the Suanni tribe. His son-in-law, Ye Huli, was a Turk. Sha Chi was from the Sha Tuo tribe. But these people were all generals of the Tang dynasty. Now that the Wei family was constantly inserting trusted aides into the army and ostracizing the old generals, these people had long been dissatisfied. So when Li Zhongjun recruited them, they resolutely threw their lot in with Li Zhongjun.
Just as the two sides were whispering to each other, another officer hurriedly came to report that the Prince of Cheng, Li Qianli, had arrived.
This Li Qianli was the son of the Prince of Wu, Li Ke. Li Qianli was just as good at acting as his father. Back when he was enfeoffed, he didn't care about any government affairs. He left everything to the Chief Clerk sent by Wu Zetian. Every day, he only cared about local specialties and delivered them to Luoyang. Wu Zetian was very fond of him. As a result, when Wu Zetian massacred the members of Li Tang's imperial clan, Li Qianli remained unscathed.
When Wu Zetian finally decided to return power to Li Ke, it no longer mattered to keep him far away from the court. She transferred him back to the capital. Li Qianli was a member of Li Tang's imperial clan. But even though Li Tang had restored the country, the ones ruling the world were the Wu clan and the Wei clan. Li Qianli was naturally dissatisfied.
In fact, Li Qianli was more interested in the Prince of Xiang. Unfortunately, the Prince of Xiang refused to rebel despite the Emperor's repeated threats. Li Qianli was greatly disappointed. Now that the Crown Prince was recruiting him, the uncle and nephew naturally got along.
Li Qianli was currently the Left Great General. Tonight, it just so happened that his men were responsible for patrolling Chang 'an, so Li Duozuo was able to smoothly enter the Eastern Palace without alerting anyone.
Not long after these men joined up, Shachi Zhongyi also hurried over with his men. For a moment, the Eastern Palace had a strong army, and Li Zhongjun's confidence soared.
… …
In the middle of the night, there was actually someone on the roof of the Great Wild Goose Pagoda.
A lantern hung in the corner of the pagoda. The light was soft and dim, so no one had to worry about being seen.
Lu Binzhi sat on the roof, a table in front of him. There was wine and food on the table.
Although the summer night was rather hot and stuffy, there was a cool breeze up high. As a result, Lu Binzhi, dressed in a white robe, sat upright and drank wine, his expression surprisingly relaxed.
Sitting next to him was that inseparable blue-robed man. This man was clearly one of Lu Binzhi's advisors. Alas, Lu Binzhi had always used him as a messenger, never listening to him make any suggestions. Although Lu Binzhi was not as arrogant as his older brother, he had always imitated his older brother. In this aspect, the two brothers were exactly the same.
"Tonight is really a good night!"
Lu Binzhi took a sip of wine and said with a face full of smiles, "The night is dark and windy, the best time to kill and set fire."
The blue-robed man laughed and said, "Young Master, you really have a good plan. Young Master, you plan in the dark, and with just a little guidance, the Emperor, the Empress, the Crown Prince, and so many nobles, generals, and ministers will move according to your wishes. Young Master, you decide their fate. The emperors, generals, and ministers are just little chess pieces in your hands."
Lu Binzhi laughed and said, "Not only do I want to drive them to work for me, but I also want them to be in the game, not knowing that their actions are guided by me. This is the beauty of knowing how to borrow and use power. I … like this kind of feeling! "
The blue-robed man held the pot and filled Lu Binzhi's cup. Lu Binzhi raised the cup and looked at the ancient city of Chang 'an, where there were only a few lights and the rest was dark. He slowly turned his gaze to the farther part of the ancient city, where the Imperial Army was stationed outside the palace.
Lu Binzhi raised the wine cup in his hand and leisurely said, "Yang Fan should be beheaded now, right? It's a pity that when he was alive, I had not succeeded in provoking a fierce battle between the Obvious and the Hidden. But … it doesn't matter, I have plenty of time! "
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