The Grandmaster Strategist

The sacrifice ceremony was completed, and all the sacrificers expressed their sincerity to Emperor Taizong.

On the night of June 15th, chaos broke out in Chang'an. People said that they were planning something treacherous. Taizong wore armor and held a sword, which shocked the capital.

——"Yong Shi·The Chronicles of Taizong"

On June 14th, in the dead of night, in a secret mansion in Chang'an, in a secret room, a man and a woman were having secret discussions. The man was wearing black night clothes and a black cloak, and his face was all hidden under the veil. Next, the woman looks ordinary, but is full of sword energy. She is Wen Ziyan herself. The two of them were silent for a long time in front of the dim light. The man finally said: "Please tell the master, we can't take action this time. As far as the power in the capital is concerned, we and King Yong are only five to five, and King Qi Only he or his military talisman can call the army and horses. It is impossible to participate in the seizure of the heir this time. Besides, His Royal Highness still has a chance. If we act in a hurry, we will fall into a trap."

Wen Ziyan sighed: "The sect master thinks so too, but I always feel that if I don't take the opportunity to kill a few eyesores, I really won't be reconciled."

The man said coldly: "Who can we kill? King Yong has the evil figure Li Shun beside him. Unless the sect master takes action personally, who can succeed in one fell swoop? Jiang Zhe has Master Cizhen beside him, so what if we kill the others?" Using it as an excuse for them to retaliate, are they going to kill Princess Changle who is cultivating in Wuchen Temple?"

Wen Ziyan smiled slightly and said: "Of course we don't dare to kill the princess, but what about Ye Tianxiu, he is in Chang'an now, why don't we take the opportunity to kill him and cut off King Qing's wings."

The man said thoughtfully: "This is a good idea, but Ye Tianxiu is legitimately staying in the capital after all. His status as the head guard of King Qing is unusual. To kill him, we have to do it secretly, or we have to borrow a knife to kill him."

Wen Ziyan said with a cold expression: "Killing Ye Tianxiu is easy. If I didn't want to anger King Qing, I would have done it long ago. Now we take advantage of the chaos to kill him. King Qing can't find anyone even if he wants to raise an army to investigate."

The man smiled lightly and said: "Let's not take action. Let Xiahou go. He is also a disciple of the Demon Sect Yue Sect. Although he seems to have too many martial arts tricks on the surface, he is not that simple."

Wen Ziyan smiled and said: "Okay, I'll do as you say. Master often says that you are her right-hand man, and you are indeed worthy of your reputation."

The man said calmly: "So what if I'm just a right-hand assistant? I can't just take orders from others."

Wen Ziyan said seriously: "Don't worry, you will be satisfied with the arrangement of the sect master after the matter is completed."

The man was silent for a moment and then said: "I have to leave, it's getting late."

Wen Ziyan nodded slightly and said: "Be careful on the road."

The man came out of the secret room, as agile as a flying dragon, and disappeared into the night in a blink of an eye. And a bloody killing is about to begin.

On June 15th, King Yong Li Zhi replaced the prince to accompany the sacrifice in Chang'an. When Li Zhi completed the ceremony respectfully and perfectly, even the most picky scholar could only admire him. King Yong also took advantage of the situation of this ceremony to renew his Returning to the center of power of the Dayong court, this made many people hate it, and some people were happy. Ye Tianxiu is one of them. As the chief bodyguard of King Qing, he is fully aware of his hatred for King Qing and Fengyi Sect. He also understands that there is no possibility for King Qing to win. The only way is to use power, but until today , Ye Tianxiucai willingly admitted that only King Yong was worthy of being an emperor.

Ye Tianxiu reluctantly watched King Yong drive away, and finally decided to go back to his residence. In recent days, Lord Jiang has sent a letter to His Highness Prince Qing. The poisonous injuries of the young Lord have been temporarily controlled, so the Lord hopes that he can Send the young Marquis to Chang'an as soon as possible. However, the current situation in Chang'an is so complicated that it is difficult for Jiang Houye's power to ensure the safety of his beloved son, so he entrusts Prince Qing to him. However, Prince Qing also has difficulties. In Chang'an, Prince Qing's power is not It is stable. Although Fengyi Sect cannot openly deal with Prince Qing’s people, it is not because they are powerless, but because they are unwilling to give Prince Qing an excuse.

If the young marquis arrives in Chang'an and they discover any clues, they can catch all of them in a fair and just manner. Not only will the painstaking efforts of His Highness Prince Qing be in vain, but the young marquis Jiang will also be trapped in Chang'an.

Returning to King Qing's secret stronghold in Chang'an, it was already dusk. Ye Tianxiu ordered his subordinates to keep vigil carefully, and then went to the study to write back to King Qing to explain his opinions. After finishing writing, it was not even the first watch. Ye Tianxiu felt depressed and couldn't sleep well, so he started reading recent information in the study.

And at this moment, a mysterious man stood in the alley not far away, looking here indifferently. He was wearing a gray and black gown, slightly tied around the waist, and his figure was slender, like a jade tree facing the wind. Although he faced He was covered with a green gauze, and his appearance could not be seen, but the eyebrows exposed outside the mask were already very elegant. He looked at the sky and suddenly flew into the quiet house. His figure was flying like a flying swallow. In the blink of an eye, he had jumped over the courtyard wall, and his figure fell high into the courtyard, which had already alerted Ye Tianxiu's subordinates. They sent out a signal to report to the people, and surrounded the man. The man did not panic, but just walked slowly. Walking inside, several guards of Prince Qing couldn't hold it any longer and moved forward to block him. However, they saw a flash of green light appearing like lightning, and blood immediately flowed out. Those guards all had their throats pierced by a sword. .

At this time, Ye Tianxiu had already arrived in a hurry. He shouted loudly: "Who are you? How dare you break into a house at night?"

The man sighed softly and said, "I'm here with orders, Brother Ye." After saying that, he pounced on everyone. Those guards were all experts in martial arts and martial arts. They all attacked in unison to resist, but that man's Qinggong It was very outstanding. His figure was seen flying, and the sword light was like a stream of light, shining everywhere in the gray and black figure. Sometimes it shot through the air, sometimes it flashed dazzlingly. Wherever the sword touched, blood appeared. Ye Tianxiu shouted angrily, drew his sword and pounced on him, but the man did not fight with him, but just chased the guards everywhere. Ye Tianxiu was even more frightened and furious, and shouted: "You guys retreat quickly."

These guards were all well-trained people. They immediately dispersed in all directions, and Ye Tianxiu also took the opportunity to block the man. Both of them were very skilled in swordsmanship. Ye Tianxiu's swordsmanship was spicy, fierce, and fast, but it also revealed calmness. , but the masked man's sword technique was light, fast, and unpredictable. Coupled with his unpredictable Qinggong movement, it was even more difficult to resist. The two of them fought seventy or eighty moves in an instant. The exquisite sword moves are brilliant, the sword energy is surging, and both of them are as dangerous as a boat in a violent storm.

Those guards of King Qing knew that if they took action, it would cause chaos, but they did not want to alert the officers and soldiers, so they could only surround the venue and prepare hidden weapons. They thought that if the two of them separated, they would greet the masked man.

When the two of them were fighting, the masked man suddenly let out a soft drink, and his swords flew towards Ye Tianxiu. The swords were extremely fast, and Ye Tianxiu was very calm. He stopped him with his horizontal swords, and the two swords intersected, and each flew freely. Ye Tianxiu noticed that The man's body seemed to tremble, and he couldn't help but feel happy. He knew that the man's skill was weaker than his own. He flashed an arc and stabbed the man in the back. He accurately calculated the direction of the masked man. Before he could turn around, the masked man was indeed out of breath and stagnant. Ye Tianxiu stabbed his right side with the sword. He was about to succeed, but the man's backhand sword was like lightning. There was a flash of thunder, but Ye Tianxiu was careful and managed to save some strength, but he only had time to dodge the vital point. He cried out in pain, pressed the wound, and shouted: "Break out each other." After saying that, regardless of the pain, he rushed out.

The masked man wanted to catch up, but for some reason he suddenly stopped and turned around to attack the guards who were desperately trying to kill him so that Ye Tianxiu could intercept the enemy. However, this time he was flying in the air, his figure was like a flying falcon, and his sword was like a light. Heavy Rain, with only a dozen moves, killed the few guards who stayed behind. Finally, the masked man looked at the blood on the ground, sighed softly, took out a snow-white silk handkerchief from his arms, wiped off the blood marks on the sword, and then inserted the long sword into the scabbard disguised as a belt. A sharp sword turned out to be a soft sword.

At this time, fire suddenly burst out in the mansion, and the masked man frowned slightly. He immediately knew that it was Prince Qing's subordinate who burned down the mansion himself, so as not to leave any evidence behind. He was not angry, and just hid in the dark before alerting everyone. middle.

However, this bloody battle was just the beginning of this night's nightmare. Shortly after the night guarding imperial guardsmen rushed to the scene of the fire and extinguished the fire, two major events occurred in Chang'an City. One was the assassination of Zheng Xia, and the other was the assassination of Chang'an. Urban accidents.

Zheng Xia was assassinated at the beginning of the second watch. After completing the finishing work of the festival, Zheng Xia walked back to his hometown at night. Although he was a civil servant, Dayong advocated martial arts. He did not like to ride in a sedan chair. He just rode a horse and walked slowly, with people on both sides. The entourage guarded each other, looking around from time to time. Zheng Xia has always been famous for his uprightness, outspokenness and daring to give advice. Therefore, although he is honest and upright, and has a bright character, he still made many enemies, so there are quite a few around him. Some of the guards with outstanding martial arts skills were grateful for Zheng Xia's kindness, some respected Zheng Xia's character and fell in love with him, and some were simply guards sent to him by Emperor Yong. Although Li Yuan was confused about some things, he still criticized the foolish emperor who accepted advice. He respected Zheng Xia very much, so after Zheng Xia was assassinated, Li Yuan ordered four imperial guards to be Zheng Xia's guards. Later, Zheng Xia was awarded the false title of third-class imperial bodyguard to four other guards from Jianghu people. Li Yuan favored Zheng Xia more than any other official, and Zheng Xia became even more loyal to Li Yuan.

Just as Zheng Shizhong greeted the guards guarding the door, not long after he walked out of the Zhuque Gate, a dark figure crawled on the roof on one side of the road. At this time, Zheng Xia's guards relaxed a little because there were so many forbidden troops here. Unexpectedly, right there At this moment, the black shadow suddenly shot out and stabbed Zheng Xia with a sword. This sword was as fast as a meteor and lightning. Originally, Zheng Xia was absolutely lifeless, but it was a fluke. When the black shadow volleyed and assassinated, Zheng Xia happened to remember that although the ceremony to welcome the Holy Emperor back to the capital had been arranged, but according to the You should ask King Yong for instructions on etiquette. After all, the emperor appointed King Yong to perform sacrifices on his behalf, which is equivalent to letting King Yong sit on the throne. Although King Yong was under house arrest during this period, etiquette cannot be taken lightly. Zheng Xia Originally, he valued these etiquettes the most, so he leaned down from his horse and whispered to a guard to send a letter to Prince Yong's Mansion tonight, explaining the reason why he could not visit him tonight. The moment he leaned over, the assassin flew towards him and struck him. By coincidence, Zheng Xia felt a sharp pain, and the sword had pierced his shoulder and back.

And just when the assassin flew out, the bright moonlight had clearly revealed his figure. Although the guards could not stop the sword, they did a good job of making up for it. The guard who Zheng Xia leaned over to talk to him, Zheng Xia was pulled off his horse, and several other guards also drew their swords and surrounded the assassin. However, the assassin was unusual and could not hit with a single blow. The true meaning of floating far away, before these guards surrounded , has broken out of the siege and disappeared without a trace.

Zheng Xia endured the severe pain and said: "Immediately send someone to inform His Highness King Yong, Prime Minister Wei and the Commander of the Forbidden Army Qin Qing." After saying that, he passed out. These guards quickly sent Zheng Xia to the Tai Hospital not far away for treatment, and the news of Zheng Xia's assassination immediately spread to the ears of the major forces in Chang'an.

Just when all the forces were suspicious, on June 15th, a major event that turned Chang'an upside down happened.

The two most prosperous markets in Chang'an are Dushi City (East Market) and Liren City (West Market), and Pingkangfang, which is adjacent to the East Market, is a place that never sleeps. According to convention, the curfews in these two cities are higher than elsewhere. It's two hours later, and Pingkangfang is a good place to stay open all night, so at the third watch, it is a brightly lit and spring-filled night. At midnight, fires are everywhere, and everywhere in the East Market Merchants gathered to put out the fire, but in the chaos, some people were killing people and robbing goods while shouting "Sichuan people swear to die not to surrender to Yong". There was no square gate in the East Market, so the people in the city fled one after another. For a moment, there was chaos. , Chunming Gate, which is closest to Dongshi City, also started to catch fire, and Chang'an was bleeding like a river with people shouting for death inside and outside the city. Since the founding of the Yong Dynasty, Chang'an has been prosperous with singing and dancing. The officials in Dongshi were caught off guard and had no choice but to send people to report to Qin Qing.

If Qin Qing hadn't been alarmed by the incident of Zheng Xia's assassination, it would have been delayed, but he had already gone out with Qin Yong. When he saw the fire in the direction of Dongshi, both Qin Qing and Qin Yong were on the battlefield. The general immediately ordered all the forbidden troops to be dispatched. Qin Qing sent the forbidden troops to protect the important government offices and mansions in Chang'an, and then ordered the city gates to be closed tightly. Qin Qing personally led a group of forbidden troops to surround Dongshi. All this only took more than half of the time. At that time, Qin Yong was responsible for checking the streets and alleys. The imperial army loudly conveyed military orders everywhere, announcing that Chang'an had entered a state of martial law. All residents must stay at home and are not allowed to go out. Anyone who violates the military orders will be killed without mercy. This method is indeed effective. When Qin Qing and Qin Yong met in Dongshi, this was the only place in Chang'an that had not yet calmed down. This was because Dongshi had the largest number of merchants and warriors. Although the fire inside had subsided, they were still killing each other. Qin Qing and Qin Yong Although they also wanted to send the Forbidden Army to suppress it, this is a prosperous place in Chang'an. If the Forbidden Army suppressed it, all the jade and stones would be burned. The two of them could not make up their minds for a while. Now the only people who can make the decision in Chang'an are King Yong and Prime Minister Wei Guan and Wei Guan were civil servants, so they had no choice but to send someone to ask King Yong for instructions.

Before the fire broke out, King Yong Li Zhi was discussing with me what had happened these days. Li Zhi said happily: "Suiyun, now I can say that I have won the military and popular support of Yong. What do you think?"

I said respectfully: "Your Highness is accompanying the Chang'an sacrifice this time so that the world can see His grace. Although Your Majesty still wants to protect the Crown Prince, no one knows that the Crown Prince has lost his moral character. Therefore, I sincerely ask Your Highness not to press hard this time. Instead, Your Highness will continue to do so." Following the wishes of the Fengyi Sect Master, I am here to protect you. If His Highness really criticizes the Crown Prince, everyone in the world will think that His Highness does not care about brotherly love. Moreover, the Emperor has been so hasty in silence that he obviously just wants to teach the Crown Prince a lesson. If His Highness pushes too hard and makes it impossible for the Emperor to step down, I'm afraid His Highness will be angry."

Li Zhi frowned and said: "You are right, but you also know that now that the master of Fengyi Sect has personally taken action, I am afraid that the prince will not make any mistakes from now on. If it drags on for a few years, I am afraid that I will have no chance." .”

I smiled and said: "Don't worry, Your Highness, Fengyi Sect is now desperate. No matter how powerful they are, they can't compete with the people of the world. His Highness the Crown Prince is not a puppet at the mercy of others. His nature is hard to change and he can do anything." , Of course we can't just wait like this. The minister's plan is already in place, but King Qi is too much in the way. Although King Qi is rough and scheming, there are some things that others haven't noticed yet, and King Qi has already used his talent to do it. Astute and aware, His Highness’s top priority is to send His Highness King Qi away from Chang’an.”

Li Zhi thought for a while and said, "It's not difficult. There are some changes when you come to the Northern Han Dynasty. I can recommend King Qi to inspect the border."

I quickly said: "Your Highness might as well invite you to inspect the border."

Li Zhi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Are you talking about playing hard to get?"

I raised my hand and said: "That's right. If His Highness returns to the army, he will be like a dragon entering the sea. How can those people let His Highness go? At that time, there will be no one else qualified except King Qi. Once King Qi leaves, His Highness can An Xin and the prince are fighting, and after the battle is completed, with just a piece of military order, are you still afraid that the King of Qi will not obediently tie himself up and return to the capital?"

Li Zhi nodded and said: "Okay, I will explain this matter when my father comes back. Once the sixth brother leaves, I can rest assured. Now the leading general on the prince's side is only the sixth brother. If he leaves, I can rest easy." worry."

I shook my head and said, "That's not necessarily the case. Jingjiang's Prince Consort also has the power of the king and is proficient in the art of war."

Li Zhi said with a smile: "Suiyun, can you tell me what you didn't do in the Qin family?"

I smiled slightly, thinking of Hualiu, the elite of the secret camp, my former personal guard, isn't he now by Qin Yong's side?

Just as King Yong and I were chatting and laughing, a guard reported that Zheng Xia had been assassinated. King Yong and I were worried. Not long after, the guards from the palace came to report that they had seen fire again. This was the second fire tonight. The location seemed to be Dongshi. King Yong and I looked at each other. I thought quickly, how could so many things happen together? If it was a coincidence, it would be too much.