The Grandmaster Strategist

The king was confused because of his love for the Xiao family, and wanted to blame Cui Yang for his own sins, so he remonstrated with Lu Shaofu. However, there was a rift between Lu and Xiao.

--"Yong Shi·Biography of King Ru"

I put down the book and asked, "Can Jing Chi and Changsun Ji be careful?" '

Xiao Shunzi nodded and said, "Don't worry, young master. Both generals abide by military orders, and they are both excellent in martial arts. Huo Jicheng is a famous master in Shu, but he almost died when they surrounded him. Chi Ji used smoke bombs to save his life." He almost got caught when he came to Huo Jicheng. If they hadn't been ordered in advance not to reveal their whereabouts, Huo Jicheng wouldn't have been able to escape at all. '

I said calmly: 'Isn't it unusual for King Yong's beloved general? Last time you said that you were 50% capable of searching for souls, so no one would see through it, right? '

Xiao Shunzi smiled and said: "Don't worry, young master, I have fought against people from the Li family when I was in Nanchu. Although the soul hunter is powerful, I am confident that I can learn it secretly. Besides, Huo Jicheng came from the Li family." Disciple, is it strange that his soul-searching hand is impure? But I don’t understand. Cui Yang wants to ambush Huo Jicheng anyway, so why does the young master go to such trouble to personally intervene? '

I shook my head and said, "If the prince were allowed to ambush Huo Jicheng, he might not have the ability to do it. You also saw their ambush. If you hadn't used the power of thunder to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop, it wouldn't have been so easy. If the prince's ambush was successful, Then there is no big use for us to expose this matter, and if we go to rescue Huo Jicheng, either Han Wuji and the others will reveal their traces, or Huo Jicheng will be suspicious of us, so I arranged it like this. Now that Huo Jicheng has escaped, with his Personality, if you suffer a loss, you would rather suffer a loss than take revenge. Only in this way can you make the matter bigger. And I asked you to kill Cui Yang to cut off the prince's wings. If the matter is exposed, the prince's original scapegoat should be He is the current Minister of Household Affairs, and Cui Yang can take over the position of Minister. Now that 'Huo Jicheng' has killed Cui Yang, I want to see whether the prince abandons Cui Yang or that minister. As long as I see how the prince handles it, I will I know who the prince relies on the most now. '

Xiao Shunzi asked: ‘So what should we do next? '

I rolled my eyes and said: 'We have to divert the prince's attention. Let's do this. I'm going to see General Qin Yi and Qin. I was implicated in Qin Qing's assassination some time ago, so I have to apologize. '

Xiao Shunzi said dissatisfiedly: "Qin Qing is also suspicious. It's too much for them not to explain." '

I shook my head and said: "They can only do this, otherwise this matter will get bigger and bigger. If they come, do you think His Highness believes it or not? Didn't you see that several other people didn't come over to explain?" There is no use in explaining this kind of thing. Now that we know who the murderer is, we can only endure it. Moreover, this incident is more harmful to Qin Qing. He is an innocent person, but several aspects have contributed to the situation. , as long as they knew that I was not the one who hurt the Nanchu assassin, wouldn't most people suspect that Qin Qing was not angry about being forced to apologize to me and killed me to vent his anger. '

Xiao Shunzi hesitated and said: ‘Should I go and report to His Highness first? '

I smiled and said: 'That's natural. Do you think I, a little Sima, am qualified to ask for an audience with the general? By the way, how is Pei Yun's situation? '

Xiao Shunzi replied: "Don't worry, Mr. Pei. Not only has General Pei's injuries been completely healed, but his internal strength has also improved greatly. In this life and death fight, he has broken through the limit and is expected to break through the seventh level. Shaolin is also very good at it." I am happy because General Pei has taken a concubine a few days ago. The woman comes from a scholarly family, is gentle and elegant, and the family has a close relationship with Shaolin. Although it has not been made public yet, the marriage has been approved by General Pei's parents. As long as she waits until If the woman becomes pregnant, the Pei family will ask the Xue family to cancel the engagement. '

I smiled sarcastically: 'It seems that General Pei's parents couldn't wait any longer, so they were willing to ruin the friendship between the two families. '

Xiao Shunzi couldn't help laughing and said: 'Information from the secret camp said that General Pei's parents actually felt that his unmarried daughter-in-law was too active and could not be a good husband and wife.

Moreover, the Pei family only has one bloodline now. They are eager for General Pei to marry more wives so that they can spread their wings. Originally, they wanted General Pei to marry more concubines as soon as possible after getting married, so this time General Pei proposed taking in concubines. They agreed to the matter, but they hid it to save the face of the in-laws. When the concubine had a child, they could take it back legitimately. By then, Miss Xue would no longer be able to do it even if she was unwilling. '

I couldn't help laughing and said: 'It turns out that General Pei is too old-fashioned. Now isn't it the best of both worlds? By the way, he was originally a subordinate of King Qi. He saved my life this time. Did King Qi make it difficult for him? '

Xiao Shunzi said calmly: "The King of Qi not only did not make things difficult for him, but also supported His Highness's decision and was promoted to the official position of General Pei. The Prince had made some small moves and wanted to take the opportunity to arrange his people to the North Camp of the Forbidden Army, but the Emperor was very reluctant." Not satisfied, he personally commended General Pei, and then the prince gave up. '

I nodded and said: 'Okay, His Highness has rested now. You can ask His Highness early tomorrow morning if he has any arrangements. It must be tomorrow, otherwise it will be too late. '

Early the next morning, the news that King Yong Li Zhi came to the residence of General Qin Yi quickly spread throughout the capital.

King Yong and I arrived at Qin Yi's residence at the end of Chenshi. The Qin residence covers an area of ​​ten acres, which is already quite large among the courtiers. However, the layout is vast, but the appearance is very simple. Even the door The number of steps, dismounting stones, and lions in front are all ordinary, and they look like ordinary officials. As soon as His Highness King Yong got off the bus at the door, Qin Yi, who had already seen King Yong's messenger, had already greeted him at the door with his family. Although General Qin had a transcendent status, King Yong was the prince anyway, and the due etiquette was Both are indispensable. I followed King Yong and took a peek. I saw behind Qin Yi that besides Qin Qing, there was also a tall young man and four or five teenagers. The young man was also wearing military uniforms and looked similar to Qin Qing. They are 80% similar, but they look more honest. In addition, standing on both sides were some generals and servants. All of them had calm demeanor and hidden murderous intent. They seemed to be warriors who had fought bloody battles among thousands of troops.

Qin Yi stepped forward quickly, knelt down and worshiped, saying, "Your Highness, Qin Yi, is a thousand years old." '

At this time, Qin Qing and the young men also came forward to pay their respects. The young man also had an official position. When I heard that he called himself Qin Yong, I immediately remembered his identity. He was the nephew of Qin Yi, and his father was originally Qin Yi. Unfortunately, his younger brother died in battle, so Qin Yi took his family to his house. His grandparents were buried by Qin Yi when they passed away. Now he is a lieutenant under Qin Yi. It is said that although this man looks simple, he is He has a lot of beauty in his chest, and his military law and strategy are all top-notch. However, this person is loyal to Qin Yi and is extremely filial to his mother. In addition to a few years of training at the border, he has always been with Qin Yi for many years. He is Qin Yi. His right-hand man, he loves him even more than Qin Qing.

Li Zhi held Qin Yi's hand and they walked into the mansion side by side. I glanced at Qin Qing and said with a smile: "Last time General Qin came to Prince Yong's Mansion, Zhe invited the general to tea. Today Zhe is visiting with His Highness. General You should also receive me. '

Qin Qing looked at me with a strange expression. After seeing me speaking, he came over and said, "Jiang Sima, please." '

After walking a few steps, he asked in a low voice: 'Didn't Jiang Sima suspect that I, Qin Qing, was your assassin? '

I laughed softly and said, "General Qin has wronged me. I was in a coma for nearly two months before, and then I was recovering from my injuries. How could I have the energy to doubt anyone? Besides, the general is aboveboard. Even if he wanted to kill Jiang, he would probably do it." Raising his sword to kill, this assassination and assassination was not done by the general. '

A look of relief flashed in Qin Qing's eyes, and her face was no longer cold. She whispered: "Oh, it's so hard on me. My father kept me in jail for more than a month and almost didn't use torture to extract a confession." If it hadn't been for Third Brother's plea, I wouldn't even be afraid now. '

I raised my eyebrows to express my confusion. Qin Qing pointed at Qin Yong who was not far behind Qin Yi and said, "That's my third brother, my distant cousin. Fortunately, my father can listen to what he says, otherwise I wouldn't be able to That's terrible. '

I smiled and said: 'I see, but does the general still believe those rumors now? '

Qin Qing quickly motioned for me to silence and whispered: "Stop talking. I just told my father about that matter, and I was whipped by my father. My father said, don't you know what kind of person Her Royal Highness the Princess is?" , If His Highness is willing to have an affair with someone, and..." Qin Qing suddenly stopped talking, with an embarrassed look on his face. I knew that he had revealed something that shouldn't be said, so I changed the subject:" By the way, I heard that the queen intends to betroth Princess Jingjiang to you. You are so lucky. I see that the princess is a perfect match for the general. '

There was a strange look on Qin Qing's face, which seemed to be admiration, but also seemed to be regretful. After a long time, he said: "The princess is indeed a heavenly being, how can a boy match her." '

My heart sank. Qin Qing was really fascinated by Li Hanyou's beauty. It's no wonder that he, a son of a noble family, didn't expect his wife to be diligent and thrifty like Pei Yun. He also hoped to marry an outstanding wife. Li Hanyou had both national beauty and national beauty. , and has an extraordinary temperament. As a disciple of Fengyi Sect, his talent and knowledge must be extraordinary. He is the wife that Qin Qing dreams of, and Qin Yi must not allow it. No wonder he has this look, but with this, if given to Fengyi If Qin Qing is attracted by the door, the neutrality of the Qin family cannot be guaranteed. As soon as I thought about it, I looked at Qin Yi and Qin Yong. As long as they understand the harm of marriage, that's all. I don't believe that when it comes to life and death, Qin Qing will still be reluctant to let go of a woman. This kind of emotion is based on talent and beauty. , although the attack is fierce, it will dissipate quickly. As long as they have no chance to get close, Qin Qing will soon forget about Li Hanyou. It is a pity that the princess refuses to marry Qin Qing, otherwise..., thinking of this, I suddenly felt I felt a little upset, probably because my injuries were not completely healed.

When King Yong stepped into the gate of Qin Yi Mansion, the prince had already received the news of Cui Yang's death. The most troublesome thing was that the person who discovered the bodies of Cui Yang and others was not the prince's people, but Jing Zhaoyin, a dignified man. The minister of household affairs, the prince's in-law, died in a place where poor people gathered and dragons and snakes mingled. This already gave the prince a headache. He thought that Huo Jicheng must have noticed the trouble and fought back, so he killed Cui Yang. After being shocked at the hands of Huo Jicheng When he was strong, how to deal with this endgame gave the prince a huge headache. The last batch of smuggled goods had not been received yet. This loss was already very heavy. Huo Jicheng was allowed to escape again. If this person started to act recklessly, Li An would be confused for a while. Feeling chilled, he couldn't help but regret his method of killing everyone. Alas, he gave Lu Jingzhong a dirty look. If he hadn't said not to leave any trouble, perhaps he wouldn't be in trouble now.

Lu Jingzhong knew that the prince was prone to anger, so he didn't take it seriously and said: "Your Highness, although things have changed, there is no need to worry. Although we have lost the last batch of goods, in general it doesn't matter." , and it may not be lost now. What can the Jinxiu Alliance do with this cargo? Besides His Highness, if anyone can take over such a huge amount of goods, wouldn’t His Highness be aware of it? I will have my own way to recover it by then. Most of the losses are lost. The most critical ones at the moment are Cui Yang and Liang Jinqian, the Minister of Household Affairs. Which one do you want to keep? '

Li An frowned and said, "Of course it's Cui --" Li An paused when he said this. His original plan was to let Liang Jinqian take the blame when something happened, and Cui Yang took over as minister. But now, Cui Yang is dead. If If he still does this, wouldn't he have no one to use? Not everyone can be the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He must be qualified in terms of qualifications, rank, and ability. Moreover, the Ministry of Revenue is his sphere of influence. If he uses an inconsiderate person, , you have to tie your hands and feet when doing things by yourself. However, Liang Jinqian secretly recorded his own accounts and had second thoughts. He would be unwilling to let him go like this. The most important thing is that Cui Yang has a close relationship with him. If anything happens to him, others will definitely turn their attention to him. If it comes to yourself, wouldn't it be like getting into trouble?

While Li An was hesitating here, Xia Jinyi came in and reported: 'Your Highness, Concubine Lan wishes to see you. '

Li An already has considerable trust in Xia Jinyi, especially after learning that Deputy General Manager Xing Song died last night. All the relevant evidence was destroyed, and the witnesses who witnessed it were cleaned up where they should be, and bribed when they should be. The methods were very powerful. Although Jing Zhaoyin knew the connection between the prince and this matter, all the evidence was destroyed, and he was not Stupid people can only pretend to be deaf and dumb. It is precisely because of this that Li An decided to reuse Xia Jinyi. Although this person does not have superb martial arts and has no integrity, he is good at flattering and very capable. In Li An's mind, Xia Jinyi is already the best candidate to succeed Xing Song. , otherwise, he and Ben are not qualified to come in and report when they are discussing things.

He heard that it was Concubine Lan Xiao Lan who had come, and he quickly said: 'Let her come in. I was looking for her alone just now, but I don't know where she went? '

After a moment, Xiao Lan walked in. She was twenty-six years old. She was beautiful and outstanding in appearance. She had been the crown prince's concubine for many years. She had cultivated her Qi and moved her body. She added a bit of grace to her pure and elegant temperament. noble. She walked into the room, saluted Li An, and then said hello to Lu Jingzhong. Lu Jingzhong had already stood up, and after Xiao Lan sat down, he also came forward to salute.

Li An said impatiently: "We meet every day, so don't bother." ’ He told the story from beginning to end, and then asked: ‘Lan’er, the matter is already like this, you must already know it, what do you think we should do? '

Xiao Lan smiled slightly and said: 'Your Highness, if I tell you, please don't blame me? '

Li An said: 'What you said is just to think about being alone, but there is something wrong. I don't blame you. '

Xiao Lan said lightly: "Although Mr. Cui is the brother of the princess, he is dead now. Even though he used to be your highness's left-hand assistant and right-hand prime minister, he has now become an abandoned soldier. Although your highness does not like Liang Shangshu, he has absolutely nothing to do with it." You can't cut your own wings. The current plan is to blame Master Cui for everything. First, win over Liang Shangshu. The concubine will ask the sisters to control Liang Shangshu. When the matter subsides, His Highness will have someone who can trust Shangshu. After that, it will not be too late to kill this person. Although the Crown Princess is currently suffering some injustice, with the protection of His Highness, who can do anything to her? '

Li An nodded repeatedly and said: 'What you said makes sense, but if Cui Yang is involved in this matter, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape the involvement. '

A cold light flashed in Xiao Lan's eyes, and she said: "So Your Highness needs to be ruthless. Before things break out, he said that because of the strange death of Cui Yang, you investigated the accounts of the Household Department and found that Mr. Cui had done something wrong. In this way, Come on, if you kill your relatives out of righteousness, who can blame you? '

Li An was very excited when he heard this and was about to agree immediately. However, he saw that Lu Jingzhong looked uneasy and thought to himself, maybe he had other opinions, so he asked: 'Young Master, what do you think of Concubine Lan's opinion? '

Lu Jingzhong glanced at Xiao Lan and thought to himself, this woman is really vicious. She could have figured out this kind of plan to kill two birds with one stone, but it was not convenient for him to expose it in person, so he said lightly: "Although Cui Yang is nothing, but Your Highness, the Crown Princess, is your first wife and Cui Yang's biological sister. The Crown Prince and Mr. Cui are uncles and nephews. Your Highness, if you destroy your relatives in a righteous way--'

He did not continue, but Li An already understood what he meant. If he wanted to exterminate his relatives for justice, then Cui would probably have to go to court to ask for help. Then if someone adds fuel to the fire, the position of Crown Princess may already have a new owner. The father will definitely be dissatisfied because of this, thinking that he does not want to be married. Thinking of this, his face turned cold and he thought, Fortunately, Lu Jingzhong reminded me.

Xiao Lan was very smart. When he saw that the prince looked wrong, he said, "I told you not to blame my concubine." '

The prince forced a smile and said, "I won't blame you, but I'm afraid this method won't work." '

Xiao Lan smiled and said: "What's the problem? Although I have no other ideas, my junior sister Li Hanyou, Princess of Princess Jingjiang, is coming to see me. She is also your highness's cousin. I have long heard that this junior sister is very smart. Your Highness You might as well ask her, she is my junior sister, will she still turn to others? '

At this time, Xia Jinyi knocked on the door and came in, reporting: 'Your Highness, the princess sent her maid to report that Princess Jingjiang has arrived and is in her room. '

Li An was overjoyed and said, "Quick, send someone to invite her over. Just say that I have something urgent to look for her." '