The Child Emperor

Meng Che came very suddenly, and stood there looking left and right, as if he was looking for someone.

"The queen mother is safe?" Han Ruzi didn't get up. For some reason, he was not particularly surprised by Meng Che's visit.

Meng Che glanced at Yang Feng at the door, took two steps, and said, "The Queen Mother hopes that Marquis Juan will leave the capital immediately."

Han Ruzi didn't say anything, he was waiting for an explanation.

Meng Che, like his sister, is a person who does not like to talk. He took out a letter from his arms and placed it lightly on the desk.

Han Ruzi waited for a while before reaching out to take the letter. After opening it, he was shocked. He recognized his mother's handwriting. The content of the letter was very simple. He advised his son to leave the capital and give up the battle for the throne. Don't lose your life in the capital.

A bamboo bookmark was also sent with the letter.

Han Ruzi put down the letter and did not speak for a long time.

Meng Che asked, "How should I reply to the Queen Mother?"

"I need more reasons."

"If you are smart enough, you can come up with your own reasons. If you are not smart enough, you will not accept any more reasons."

Han Ruzi couldn't help laughing and looked at Yang Feng, "Mr. Meng's words are quite Yang Gong's charm."

Yang Feng snorted and said, "When does the queen mother plan to start?"

"Tomorrow at noon." Meng Che replied.

Yang Feng didn't ask what the Queen Mother wanted to do, but pondered for a moment, "We won't leave the capital just like this."

Meng Che shook his head, "It's not 'you', just Juan Hou, you have to stay and do what you need to do."

Yang Feng thought for a longer time, "Give us some time."

"I'll come back in half an hour." Meng Che said and left.

Yang Feng closed the door, but Han Ruzi still looked in the direction of the door, and said in surprise, "Why did the queen mother let me leave the capital? If she has the next move, she can completely get rid of me, if not, why should I leave? She thought Am I bound to lose?"

The empress dowager's move was full of many unreasonable things, and the more Han Ruzi thought about it, the more confused he became.

Yang Feng seemed to understand the Queen Mother's intentions very well, "For Hou Juan, this is indeed a choice."

"Choose what?"

"Let's leave the capital to keep safe, or stay in the capital and risk death to fight for the throne."

Han Ruzi thought about it for a while, but it wasn't that he was really thinking, he just gave Yang Feng a little respect, "This is not a choice, it's just the Queen Mother's strategy. If there is any choice, it is also in Yang Gong's hands. For a long time, we just cooperated, You do what you do, I do mine, and everyone takes what they need. But now it's not enough, the Queen Mother is about to start, the King of the East Sea is also eager to try, and the champion will not sit still. At this time, I have high requirements for the people around me. One point: either go with me shirtless, or stand aside, and don't say anything like helping me or helping me."

Yang Feng didn't wholeheartedly assist Marquis Juan. He was busy with something in the dark. Han Ruzi had already felt it, but he didn't pierce it. Now, he felt there was no need to be polite.

Yang Feng sat back in his seat, "I've been looking for Chunyu Xiao's whereabouts."

"Um."

"I have no contact with the queen mother, but some people in the palace are willing to pass on information to me, so I know more. The emperor was indeed sick at the beginning, very suddenly, and the queen mother was indeed abnormal for a while, she thought she was cursed , all the emperors around have had accidents."

"That was when Wu Xiu quietly returned to Beijing?"

Yang Feng nodded. Uncle Huang was not that easy to deceive. He returned to the capital because the news of the emperor's illness was unquestionable.

"Poisoned?" Han Ruzi was really surprised.

"The news I got is this. In short, the Queen Mother's condition has begun to improve, and she has been looking for someone to detoxify the emperor. She even introduced many warlocks to this end. Probably during that time, she formulated a revenge plan."

"Vengeance who? Poisoner? It must be someone from the palace."

"Presumably so, but the main messenger must be outside the palace."

Han Ruzi was silent for a while, and gradually came to understand a lot of things, "So the queen mother called Taifei Cui into the palace, which was her first target of suspicion, followed by the champion, the second person to be doubted, but the queen mother felt that it was not enough. , so he made up the so-called contest for the throne, and brought me and the King of the East Sea back. According to the Queen Mother's idea, the poisoned main messenger will definitely participate in the contest for the throne."

"Well, that's probably part of her thinking."

"The queen mother asked me to leave the capital, which means that she no longer doubts me. What's the reason?"

Yang Feng pointed to the letter on the bookcase. The only person who could change the Queen Mother's mind was probably Wang Meiren.

Han Ruzi's fingers crossed the letter, and he could almost feel the breath left by his mother, "The Queen Mother's plan is very grand, and finding the main envoy who poisoned it is just an additional part."

"The queen mother's goal is always to hold power. She has relied on ministers and criminals, but she is not stable enough, so she wants to build an army that belongs to the Shangguan family."

"No, if that's the case, the empress dowager is too early, the eighth battalion of Suwei has not yet matured, and the strength of the southern and northern armies has not weakened. General Han Xing is still leading the army at Hangu Pass. If I were the empress dowager, I would definitely provoke it first. The battle between the southern and northern armies, and then deprive Han Xing of the seal of the Great General, and then..." Han Ruzi closed his mouth.

Yang Fengdao: "The queen mother was forced to act in advance, and her plan was disrupted."

"It wasn't the queen mother who sent someone to assassinate King Ying." Han Ruzi murmured, "Maybe it was the reckless act of the champion when he was in a hurry, or it could be the king of the East Sea... the King of the East Sea, only the Tan family can invite the Jiangyang thief as an assassin, and he also It was possible to hide it without a trace, but it also revealed flaws, the Queen Mother recognized that the assassin and poisoner could only be the Cui family, so she will attack the Cui family at noon tomorrow!"

"My guess is the same as Hou Juan." Yang Feng said.

"But this still doesn't explain why the Queen Mother asked me to leave the capital. What is this? Is the net open to you?"

"Obviously, Hou's mother persuaded the queen mother. As for the means used, I can't guess."

Han Ruzi couldn't guess it, he only knew that the storm was coming, he had the opportunity to hide in a safe place, or he could choose to break into the storm and compete for the treasure inside.

"The queen mother asked me to leave, but asked Yang Gong to stay, 'do what you should do', what is that?" The question that Han Ruzi was most concerned about was Yang Feng himself.

"I know the queen mother, and the queen mother also knows me. I have always told her that there are a group of mysterious people. They can reach almost everywhere from the rivers and lakes, but they never show their faces. A small part, there is a stronger group of people behind them."

Han Ruzi had heard this rhetoric, and Yang Feng had obviously said something similar to all possible power holders.

"You still... believe?" Han Ruzi couldn't help asking.

Yang Feng nodded, "I have never given up chasing Chunyu Xiao, he is in the capital, I can feel that he will not stay away from such a good show."

Yang Feng looked up and looked around, as if the hound could smell the faint scent of its prey, and for a moment, he showed a trace of madness that made Han Ruzi uneasy.

"The Queen Mother has already identified the Cui family as the main messenger of the poison, but she did not completely ignore my speculation. She let me stay, that is, to give me all the power to track down the hopeful people again."

Han Ruzi didn't ask Yang Feng what clues he had found. Yang Feng was a smart man, but he had his own paranoia, and no one could persuade him that Han Ruzi didn't want to get involved.

The two sat silently like this, Han Ruzi didn't say whether he was going or staying, and Yang Feng didn't say whether he wanted to continue to investigate the "mysterious organization" or whether he wanted to assist Marquis Juan with all his heart.

Meng Che quietly entered the room and asked, "How is it?"

"I just need to leave the capital, the Queen Mother has no other request?" Han Ruzi asked.

"The order I received is this. If Hou Juan is willing to leave, I will escort you out of the city. My sister will greet you outside the city and take you to the Northern Army."

Han Ruzi raised his eyebrows. This was the first time he heard about Meng E's whereabouts in many days. "The queen mother forgives her?"

"Well." Meng Che didn't explain much.

"It's useless to the Northern Army. It's hard for me to persuade them to return to the frontier, and it's hard to support such an army in the frontier."

"I have two imperial edicts, which can only be given to you after leaving the city."

"Holy decree? It's really rare, what's the content?"

Meng Che did not answer.

Han Ruzi thought for a while, "I have to take two people with me."

"Yes." Meng Che replied.

Han Ruzi turned to Yang Feng, "Trouble Yang Gong to call Zhang Youcai and Loach."

Yang Feng snorted and went out to call someone.

Meng Che said: "Don't come back after you leave. You and my sister are the same. The magnanimity of the queen mother is only this time."

Han Ruzi didn't say a word, thinking in his heart what moves the Queen Mother, the King of the East Sea, and the Champion Hou each would make.

Zhang Youcai and Loach arrived soon. Loach was sleepy and yawned, but Zhang Youcai seemed very energetic.

"Bring three horses and go out with me." Han Ruzi said.

"Yes, Master." Zhang Youcai replied, glanced at Meng Che in surprise, and recognized that this was the guard in the palace, Meng E's brother, but he didn't ask anything, and went to prepare the horse with Loach.

There was nothing to bring in the house, Han Ruzi waited quietly, and Yang Feng and Meng Che did not speak.

They left the house from a side door without disturbing others. Yang Feng sent it to the door and cupped his hands: "Forgive me for not being able to send it away, I have to see someone."

Han Ruzi cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Yang, stay behind."

The Marquis Mansion is not far from the north city gate. It was still dark when the group arrived. It was not before the city gate was opened, but today was a special case. Several eunuchs were guarding the city gate. A gap that allows horses to pass through.

Zhang Youcai became more and more startled, but he didn't ask any further questions.

Meng Che only sent it here, handed the two letters to Marquis Juan, and said, "What does it mean to leave the city, Marquis Tien understands?"

The so-called contest for the throne is just a hoax, but for many people who don't know it, it's true. When Marquis Juan leaves the city, it means giving up the throne to these people.

Han Ruzi smiled, he had nothing to say to Meng Che, he didn't even stop, and rode out of the city gate, Zhang Youcai and Loach followed, very surprised.

The city gate is closed, and after a while, it will open normally.

Meng Che left, but the eunuchs stayed behind. In the next few days, they would take over the city gate.

Meng E stood by the road on the other side of the moat, riding a horse alone.

Han Ruzi continued to walk, Meng E followed, and no one spoke.

After turning a corner and out of sight of the city wall, Han Ruzi pulled back his horse and turned around and said to Loach, "Go find someone. From today, the two will meet at night on the third day."

"Yes." Loach patted the horse and left.

Zhang Youcai, who was full of confusion, showed joy.

Han Ruzi looked at Meng E, "Did you see my mother in the palace?"

There was a bamboo bookmark in the mother's letter, which he gave to Meng E. It was originally intended to be given to Cui Xiaojun in the palace, so that she could rest assured, and after a round trip, it returned to Han Ruzi.

Meng E nodded.

"What did she say?"

"She asked the tired Hou to read the imperial edict."

Han Ruzi took out the letter, opened it and read it again. It was indeed an imperial decree stamped with a seal. One was to appoint Han Ruzi as the Chief Sima of the Northern Army, and the other was to remove Cui Hong from his post. The Queen Mother not only wanted Marquis Juan to guard the frontier, but also wanted him to capture the Southern Army.

Han Ruzi put away the imperial decree and said, "I have left the capital, so I don't have to abide by any rules anymore."