Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong returned to Luoyang.
The city of Luoyang was still the same as when they left, except that there was an additional towering pillar in front of the palace, and the magnificent Wanxiang Divine Palace was missing. The giant Buddha in "Heaven" that could be seen from Ding Ding Street all the way to the Dragon Gate was also nowhere to be seen.
The two of them still looked the same, but there were more wrinkles on Di Renjie's face, and there were more white hairs on Wei Yuanzhong's head. They were both old. If they were exiled again, perhaps they would not have the chance to return to Luoyang alive.
The two of them had many ups and downs in their lives, especially Wei Yuanzhong. Adding on this time, it was the fourth time he had been exiled and then called back. Logically, he should have been calm, but this time seemed to be a great blow to him. He became silent, and the old friends who went to welcome him clearly felt this.
Other than the most important banquet, he did not accept any other banquets. This time, when he returned to the capital, he had been promoted. He was promoted to assistant minister of the Phoenix Pavilion and the Phoenix Pavilion's Luantai Ranking Director, which was the prime minister of the court.
He moved back to his own residence and rarely went out. Every day, he went to the Political Affairs Hall to work, but the officials quickly discovered that he seemed to have become a second Su Wei. Everything was vague, and the loftiness and drive of the past had completely disappeared.
It was not just Wei Yuanzhong. Elder Di, whom everyone had high hopes for, was even more depressed than Wei Yuanzhong. He had been appointed by the empress as assistant minister of the Phoenix Pavilion's Luantai Ranking Director, and was also the prime minister of the court. However, when he returned to the capital, he claimed illness and did not even go to court. He did not even attend a single banquet, and only closed his doors, not seeing anyone.
The two upright and loyal old ministers seemed to have lost their drive. The Empress and the civil and military ministers, who had hoped that Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong would bring a little liveliness to the dispirited court when they returned, were greatly disappointed.
She had summoned these two old officials back to the imperial court and entrusted them with important tasks, but it had no effect on the state affairs at all. Wei Yuanzhong had become tactful, Di Renjie had become depressed, and the Empress had also acted out of character. She did not reprimand the two of them for this change.
On this day, it was time to disperse. Wei Yuanzhong was about to pack up and return home when the newly promoted prime minister of the Ministry of War, Yao Chong, suddenly walked into his room.
"All of you, leave!"
Yao Chong's eyes were like lightning as he glanced at the servants in the hall and ordered in a deep voice.
The servants quickly left the hall. Yao Chong's brows suddenly surged with anger. He strode to Wei Yuanzhong and said in a deep voice: "I heard that Duke Wei returned to the capital and was promoted to Prime Minister. I was overjoyed and couldn't sleep at night. Unexpectedly, when Duke Wei returned to the capital, he became as depressed as a servant. He is even worse than Su Moleng was back then. How disappointing! "
Wei Yuanzhong, who had been silent and gloomy, sat behind the table and glared at Yao Chong for a while. Suddenly, he laughed. "Haha, Yuanzhi, you are now prime minister, but your temperament is still the same. I thought you would have to endure for a few more days before questioning this old man."
Yao Chong was startled, and his anger disappeared. He asked doubtfully, "You knew I would come? You … you old fellow, what exactly are you selling in your gourd? "
"Yuanzhi, you are really muddle-headed!"
Wei Yuanzhong pointed at Yao Chong. "Sit down!"
Yao Chong was full of doubts. He picked a seat and sat down next to Wei Yuanzhong. Wei Yuanzhong was silent for a while, then said, "The Khitans shouted the slogan 'Return Luling, Prince of Xiang'. What do you think about this?"
The two were like-minded friends, so Yao Chong would naturally tell him everything he knew. He lowered his voice and said, "This will naturally be of great benefit to us. If we can use this matter appropriately, then …"
Wei Yuanzhong waved his hand to stop him, then slowly said, "This servant doesn't know who gave those Khitan barbarians such a good idea, but it also helped us create a good opportunity. But did you notice that their slogan was' Return Luling, Prince of Xiang! '? "
Yao Chong thought about it, but he still didn't understand. Puzzled, he asked, "What's wrong with that phrase?"
Wei Yuanzhong tapped his fingers on the table and emphasized, "The Prince of Luling precedes the Prince of Xiang!"
Yao Chong exhaled and bitterly smiled. "Duke Wei, just what sort of trick are you playing at? The Prince of Luling is older than the Prince of Xiang, and it was the Prince of Luling who became emperor first. It was only after he was deposed by the Empress that the Prince of Xiang ascended the throne. When the Empress ascended the throne, the Prince of Xiang stepped down from the throne … No matter how you look at it, what's wrong with placing the Prince of Luling before the Prince of Xiang? "
Wei Yuanzhong lightly shook his head. "The Prince of Xiang is now the Crown Prince. Shouldn't the Crown Prince be placed before him?"
Yao Chong doubtfully asked, "Duke Wei, you mean …?"
Wei Yuanzhong emphasized each word, "If things go wrong, we might end up working for someone else!"
Yao Yuanzhong's expression instantly changed.
Although they all had the same goal of restoring Li Tang's throne, these people who considered themselves to be loyal subjects of Li Tang also had their own cliques. One group supported the current Prince of Luling, Li Xian, while the other supported the current Crown Prince, Li Dan.
Wei Yuanzhong and Yao Chong were both people of the Prince of Xiang's faction. Although the Prince of Xiang still bore the title of Crown Prince, everyone knew that he was as incompatible as fire and water with the Wu clan. Empress Wu Zetian also did not have a favorable opinion of him. If Wu Zetian really wanted to hand the throne to her own son, then the distant Li Xian in Fang Province had a much better chance than Li Dan.
Yao Chong immediately understood Wei Yuanzhong's words, but after thinking it over, he still shook his head. "Even so, this is still an excellent chance to restore Li Tang's throne. If we let it go, it won't be good for anyone. If we want to fight, we shouldn't fight now! "
Wei Yuanzhong replied, "I naturally understand that now is not the time to fight. However, we must use every opportunity to expand the Prince of Xiang's power. My current actions are not for the Emperor to see, but for Di Renjie to see. That old fox should understand my meaning. "
Yao Chong nodded. "Mm! However, we still need to know when to stop. Going too far is as bad as falling short. That's right, ever since Di Renjie returned to the capital, he's been confined to his sickbed. He … could it be that he has the same goal, that he wants to teach us a lesson? "
Wei Yuanzhong smiled. "I think … he's trying to bargain with the Empress."
… …
After Di Renjie's' sick 'pilgrimage, he shut himself in his residence, neither attending court nor meeting with any of his friends. He shut himself in his estate, quietly calculating and pondering the future.
He was old and did not have many days left. Many things could not proceed according to his plans. He needed to clearly consider every aspect.
He also wanted to restore Li Tang's throne, but he was more inclined toward the Prince of Luling. He had seen Wei Yuanzhong's actions and understood his concerns.
After several days of careful consideration, he gradually made up his mind.
Restoring Li Tang's throne was only a glimmer of hope, but it was far from the time to share the fruits of victory. All the forces that opposed martial arts had to be united. They could not afford to have a serious disagreement with the Prince of Xiang's Party. Thus, how to strengthen the Luling Party while also satisfying the Prince of Xiang's Party was what he needed to consider the most.
In truth, strengthening the Luling Party was easy. As long as he could return, given his qualifications and prestige, he was bound to become the Chief Writer of the Political Affairs Hall. This would be the greatest victory for the Luling Party. What he needed to consider was how to satisfy the Prince of Xiang's Party and thus have them become his allies.
If he wanted to return and become the Chief Writer of the Political Affairs Hall, the first major test was whether he could deal with the war on the northern frontier and the invasion of the Turks. Wu Sansi and Wu Chengsi were certain to hold him back, and if the Prince of Xiang's Party tried to interfere, no matter how great his abilities were, he would find it difficult to accomplish anything.
There were already two Prime Ministers in the Political Affairs Hall that belonged to the Prince of Xiang's Party. Thus, he had to first think of the conditions for his compromise with the Prince of Xiang's Party. At the same time, although the Empress was old and her control over this massive empire was no longer as strong as before, her fangs and claws had still not fallen off. As for how to treat the Empress, he needed to decide ahead of time what to do.
Di Renjie leisurely strolled along the banks of the Yi River that flowed through the garden, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer. At this moment, the old steward rushed over, panting for breath as he yelled, "Ah Lang! Quick … quickly go and welcome the emperor! The emperor has arrived! "
Shocked, Di Renjie hurriedly returned to the inner residence, changed into a new set of robes, and then hurried to the drawing room.
The Empress was making a private visit incognito. She had changed into men's clothes out of habit, but these men's clothes could no longer set off her grace and grace. In the last few years, she had aged very quickly. Even the well-tailored and well-made robes could not conceal her age.
Di Renjie hurriedly stepped into the drawing room and clasped his hands in greeting. "Your Majesty has graced us with your presence. This subject has been impolite. Please forgive me!"
Wu Zetian held a folding fan and was quietly admiring a painting on the wall. When she heard Di Renjie's voice, she withdrew her gaze and turned to sit down. She glanced at Di Renjie, but did not pretend to ask about his tacit understanding that he was' bedridden '.
Wu Zetian only sighed and whispered, "We have grown increasingly tired these last few years."
Di Renjie bowed, but did not reply.
Wu Zetian sighed. "Lai Junchen is dead, and he died without a complete corpse. When We heard about it, We were very moved. We feel … you are right. The world has already been settled, and we should no longer use harsh laws. "
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Di Renjie whispered. "Only at the beginning of a dynasty's establishment should a dynasty be bold and decisive. Ruling a large country is like cooking a small fish. Your Majesty has established the Great Zhou Dynasty for a long time, We should use some gentle methods now. Perhaps in a few years, we will be able to restore the prosperity of the Zhenguan era! "
Wu Zetian smiled. "We also hope to see that day, but it is not peaceful now. The Khitans are rebelling, the Turks are invading, and the Tubo are beating around the bush. We need to send troops to the north, and we also need to send troops to the west. We can't gather enough rations at the moment. We have always relied on the Minister. Can the Minister share my worries?"
Di Renjie bowed and replied, "This subject is willing to be loyal to Your Majesty. However, this subject believes that there is only one way to solve the current crisis, and that is to follow the will of the people. With the Crown Prince as the commander, we will recruit troops to fight against the enemy. We will definitely be able to achieve miraculous results! "
"With the Crown Prince as the commander?"
Wu Zetian was slightly moved. She closed her eyes and pondered for a while. She slowly nodded and said, "We agree!"
…
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