A special troop entered the city of Chang 'an. They rode on tall horses and wore bright armor. They were equipped with knives and shields, and held sharp spears in their hands. From afar, they gave off an oppressive feeling.
This was the Imperial Army, but they didn't seem to be in a uniform formation. This was because they were escorting many wagons and hundreds of prisoners who were chained together with long ropes.
The people of Chang 'an were already numb to this scene. They had seen many arrests over the past few days. Even though it was rare to see such a grand scene today, it had lost its novelty to them.
The troop entered the city from the west and did not travel for long. They quickly turned to the north and entered the encampment of the Thousand Horsemen Battalion. This was the army that had gone to the Taozhou market to arrest a group of criminals. When they returned to Chang 'an, the great purge in Chang' an, from the government to the people, from the open to the covert, was nearing its end.
Their return marked a perfect end to this massive purge operation.
There were many people who benefited from this operation, but there were only three people who won in the end. One was called Wu Zetian, another was called Shen Mu, and the last one was … Yang Fan.
Wu Zetian did not know of Shen Mu and Yang Fan's plan, but Yang Fan and Shen Mu had succeeded in cutting off the chains that bound them. From chess pieces at the mercy of others, they had become the players playing chess.
And what about the players who had been reduced to chess pieces?
Lanzhou, Longxi.
In the south of Lanzhou, in the huge building that was as majestic as a marquis's mansion, Li Taigong was furious.
"On Ba! Everything started with Ba! "
Li Taigong slammed his crutch on the ground and turned to ask, "Are there any of our people on Ba? When the commotion started, did we notice anything? "
His eldest grandson, Li Mingkun, answered with a bitter smile, "No! We never paid attention to Ba's group of bumpkins. In fact, the people we control and the people on Lake Ba are separated by a few levels. But in the end, with the momentum of a single spark setting the prairie ablaze, they implicated the Caokou from the Caokou, and through the Caokou to the middle and low-class Chang 'an gentry officials, and then through these low-class gentry officials to the higher level officials … Great-grandfather, they played a good game! "
Thud!
Old Master Li slammed his crutch on the ground and said in a loud voice, "This game is not over yet! I won't take this lying down. Do they think that I can only rely on them after sweeping through the bureaucracy of Guanzhong? Two short-sighted juniors, this old man will let them know how powerful I am! "
The more Old Grandpa Li spoke, the angrier he became. "Especially that ingrate Shen Mu. I won't let him off! This bastard, if it wasn't for this old man's nurturing, if it wasn't for this old man's unstinting support, would he be where he is today? Look at him, he deceived Qiqi with flowery words, and now he's dealing with this old man! If it wasn't for him becoming my grandson-in-law, I wouldn't have been so at ease with him, and wouldn't have allowed him to do so many things without ever doubting his loyalty!! "
Li Mingkun coughed and said, "I've always felt that Shen Mu is rebellious …"
"Nonsense!"
Old Grandpa Li glared at him and said, "You bastard, do you want to be a fortune-teller? Why didn't you say it when you already knew? When your sister was with him, you even agreed with it. "
Li Mingkun said embarrassedly, "Isn't that because my sister is dead set on him? You know my sister's temper, Great-grandfather."
Old Grandpa Li became angry again. "Qiqi, that damned girl, I love her so much! How could she be unaware of her man's crafty schemes? How could she hide it from me and help her man to deal with me! Girls are extroverted, girls are extroverted! "
Li Mingkun smiled bitterly and said, "Great-grandfather, it's useless to say all this now. Shen Mu sent Little Flying Arrow, Zhang Yi, and Zhao Yu to deliver a letter personally written by him, asking for forgiveness from you, explaining his difficulties, and reiterating that he has no intention of betraying the aristocratic families. He just wants to take the initiative and cooperate with you instead of obeying orders. Great-grandfather, please mediate with the aristocratic families. What does Great-grandfather think? "
Old Grandpa Li blew his beard and glared at him. "Tell them to get lost! I won't see them! Does he still want to use me? Don't even think about it! He thinks that just because I gave him my favorite granddaughter, he can manipulate me at will? His foundation is in Guanlong, and Guanlong is my territory. I'll immediately return the favor and let him know how powerful I am. I'll make him apologize to me, and I'll make him … "
Before Old Grandpa Li could finish his heroic words, a green-robed Confucian scholar with a delicate appearance and three long strands of beard hurried in. Li Mingkun bowed respectfully at the sight of him. "Father!"
The green-robed Confucian scholar ignored him and hurried to Old Grandpa Li's side. With a solemn expression, he said, "Father, this is the first decree issued by the Longyou Military Ambassador, Liangzhou Governor Guo Zhen after he took office!"
Guo Zhen was surnamed Guo and given name Yuanzhen. This Guo Yuanzhen was also an extraordinary person. At the age of eighteen, he became a Jinshi and was appointed as the Tongquan County Lieutenant. It could be said that he was talented and had a bright future. However, this young Jinshi was forthright, chivalrous, and liked to fight for the unjust …
Of course, this was the official way of beautifying it after he took the right path and became a high-ranking official. In fact, he just liked to fight. He made friends with many riffraff in Jianghu. When he was the Tongquan County Lieutenant, he made private money, kidnapped and sold people, and did many things that violated the country's laws.
But later, he suddenly came to his senses and took the right path. He was promoted all the way to the position of Minister of Rites. In this spring, this fifth-ranked Minister of Rites was appointed as the Liangzhou Governor and the Longyou Military Ambassador because he had been the Tongquan County Lieutenant, sent to Tufan, and worked as a Minister of Tufan for many years. He was familiar with the situation in the Western Region and was appointed as the Liangzhou Governor and Longyou Military Ambassador.
Old Grandpa Li knew that this person had a close relationship with Shen Mu. Shen Mu's advice and help were behind him. Now that Shen Mu had brazenly broken ties with the aristocratic family, and his son suddenly took out a notice from this person after he took office, there must be a great connection between the two.
Old Grandpa Li hurriedly snatched the notice from Governor Guo and squinted his eyes to read it seriously.
After reading the notice, Old Grandpa Li was immediately dumbfounded.
The notice issued by the Liangzhou Governor and Longyou Military Ambassador listed the following measures: building more castles, setting up beacons, opening up fields, developing water conservancy, summoning exiles, and appeasing the army and people. All of the above were good things. The Li family of Longxi would naturally benefit from the prosperity of Guanlong.
But what came next … In view of the prevalence of powerful families annexing and oppressing the common people and extorting merchants, Governor Guo wanted to restrain the powerful, disarm their private guards, restrict them from annexing land, protect the merchants in the Western Region, and forbid local powerful families from interfering in government affairs …
Each and every one of these actions seemed dignified, but there was hidden murderous intent. How these things should be done and to what extent they should be done were all up to Governor Guo's whim. But who were these actions aimed at? Was there a more powerful family in the Guanlong region than the Li family?
If Guo Yuanzhen was allowed to do as he pleased, who would suffer the most on the Guanlong Road? Was the so-called protection of the merchants in the Western Region considered as giving Shen Mu a layer of official protection in the Western Region? Could he, Great Grandfather Li, break this golden light cover?
Li Mingkun came over and held Great Grandfather Li's hand to read the notice. Seeing his grandfather and father looking at each other, Li Mingkun licked his lips and coughed dryly. "Little Flying Arrow, Zhang Yi, and Zhao Yu are still waiting in the guest room. Great Grandfather, do you … want to see them?"
Great Grandfather Li's eyes flickered for a long time before he said in a deep voice, "What's the use of me seeing them? Even if I'm willing to give in, will the other six families be willing to swallow this? Since they have the means to deal with the Li family, they should also have the means to pressure the other six families. Wait a little longer, if that's all they have … "
Great Grandfather Li sneered and shook his head.
…
Spring was like a high-spirited painter, waving its brush, painting over Luoyang's palace, the long streets, the short alleys, the farmhouses, the fields, the mountains, and the rivers. It even painted the people walking on it in a myriad of colors.
There was a cluster of flowers in the "Zi Ze Garden". In winter, the snow was like flowers, and in spring, the flowers were like snow. Among the flowers, two beauties, one white and one red, sat side by side, like a branch of peony.
Princess Taiping was wearing a red dress with green sleeves. Her maternal family always had longevity genes, and the rate of aging was surprisingly slow. Her grandmother was like this, and so was her mother. When Wu Zetian was in her sixties, she looked like a woman in her forties. It was not until she was over seventy that the rate of aging began to accelerate.
Princess Taiping obviously inherited this characteristic of her mother. In addition, as a princess, she lived a good life and took good care of herself. If it wasn't for her delicate and beautiful mature womanly aura, just looking at her complexion and figure, it would be believable to say that she was only in her twenties.
Sitting next to her was Shanghai Wan 'er. Shanghai Wan' er liked to wear white. Today, she was still wearing a moon-white gown. But compared with the well-tailored light gown that showed off her slim figure, the clothes she was wearing now were much more loose, showing a bit of elegance and grace.
In their hands was a letter from Yang Fan, in which Zhang Changzong had cleaned up the officialdom of Chang 'an before and after he came to Chang' an. But this kind of report didn't need Yang Fan to tell. Wan 'er and Taiping both had their own channels to clearly understand everything that happened in Chang' an.
Therefore, the letter only skimmed over these matters and did not go into detail. What Yang Fan mentioned in detail was another matter. From Zhang Changzong's every move in Chang 'an and Zhang Yizhi's Pearl of Three Teachings, which was about to be finished, he concluded a possibility.
Maybe it was the emperor's intention, or maybe it was Zhang Changzong's initiative. In short, the Zhang brothers were accelerating the speed of seizing power. Zhang Yizhi wrote the book, and Zhang Changzong eliminated the traitor. Obviously, it was for this purpose. With the emperor's favor to them, they would soon achieve this goal.
Although the sudden rise of the Zhang brothers weakened the power of the Wu family, it hurt the Li family even more. In view of this, he thought they should prepare for a rainy day and immediately impose obstacles.
This was also in line with Princess Taiping's judgment. Because of the last time she and Wu attacked Zhang Changzong three times, the relationship between the Wu family and the Li family had been greatly eased. Taiping wanted to join forces with the Wu family to suppress Zhang Changzong. Yang Fan's idea was exactly what she wanted. But the method proposed by Yang Fan made her, who had always been smart, at a loss.
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