Chapter 143: Sending You to the Sky (11)

"My Lord." Seeing that the two had reached a consensus, Xie Zhifei coughed lightly.

"My Lord needs soldiers and horses. If it were someone else, he would have to raise the banner of rebellion and recruit people in the fields and forests. In this way, it is inevitable that the good and the bad are mixed, and they cannot be used without long-term training and rectification. But my Lord is different. My Lord is the prince of Yong State, the legitimate heir. Zi Zheng asks my Lord to return to the country as soon as possible, first to settle Yong State, and then to take over Yan Jin."

Xie Zhifei drank a sip of tea and prepared to discuss with Shen Minghuan how to return to Yong State safely, and how to seize power and then take over the army in a logical way.

Shen Minghuan also coughed lightly: "Zi Zheng, since you are my adviser, there are some things I should tell you."

"My Lord, please speak." Xie Zhifei sat up straight, his face stern.

Seeing Shen Minghuan's serious expression, he immediately thought of many bad situations, such as being restricted by Emperor Yan and unable to return home, and Shen Minghuan's situation in Yong State was even worse than he imagined.

For example...

Xie Zhifei's expression froze, he almost lost his grip on the cup, and interrupted in surprise: "Wait, wait, my lord, are you saying that the bandits on Mingshan Mountain outside the city are your people?"

"What do you mean by my people?" Shen Minghuan said dissatisfiedly: "It's called an ally!"

"They became mountain bandits because they were forced to live by the nobles. They are self-sufficient on Mingshan Mountain, robbing nobles and accepting many refugees. This is why they have become a major concern for Yan State. We have common aspirations and goals, as well as common enemies and obstacles. Is there a problem with uniting?"

Shen Minghuan said confidently: "Since we have united, I am smarter than them, so is there a problem with following my command during the operation?"

"No wonder..." Xie Zhifei's eyes were a little dazed, "No wonder I heard that Li County would ask for help from Yecheng, and Yecheng sent out the government troops but could only return empty-handed."

There are basically bandits on every mountain in the country. They occupy the terrain, and it is not easy to eliminate them.

Moreover, every time the army moves out of camp, it costs a huge amount of money. Therefore, unless the threat from the other side can no longer be ignored and the court allocates funds and orders, local governments usually pretend not to know.

This time, the bandits in Mingshan robbed the Duke of the current dynasty. The loss of money is secondary. The main thing is that the Duke has lost such a big face. The Duke must get back the place.

That's why Yecheng sent troops, but the Duke didn't expect to return in defeat.

Now everyone in the court is in danger because of the poisoning of the royal family. The Duke can't care about the small bandits outside the city, so it's nothing.

Xie Zhifei suddenly remembered the □□ in Hongcheng. The bandits broke into the nobles' farms and looted them, and then burned down the slave market.

Nowadays, unrest is common in various places, but the consequences of this incident are particularly bad for the court.

The farms are outside the city, not to mention that there are no soldiers stationed in Hongdu, so the court did not pay too much attention to the other party's strength, but just thought it was a momentary negligence.

Xie Zhifei probably knew more than what the local authorities reported to the emperor.

This riot started from within. It seemed that a commoner broke into the slave market to save a friend and killed a slave trader. Later, it turned into a melee between slaves, civilians and slavers.

After that, the riot became more and more serious. Someone took advantage of the chaos to open the city gates. The mountain bandits drove straight in, walked around the city warehouses in style, and finally left with a group of "rebels" who caused the riot.

This incident seemed absurd, but after thinking about it, it seemed so natural that it was unremarkable.

Xie Zhifei took a breath, "My Lord, is the matter in Hongcheng also related to you?"

Shen Minghuan blinked, "Liang Da, the leader of the Hongshan bandits, was saved by a family of officials named Qi when he was young. Now the family has been demoted to slavery. Liang Da is short of money and can only use other means to save people."

"He went to the nearby Mingshan to ask Zhou He for help. Zhou He and him are like old friends. As an ally, it's not too much for me to make some small suggestions?"

He stretched out his fingers to indicate that it was indeed very small.

Xie Zhifei smiled bitterly, "My Lord, what else did you do?"

"Not much, right?" Shen Minghuan was not sure. He had buried a lot of strategies, and perhaps less than half of them worked.

He thought for a moment and said solemnly, "In addition to allies, there is another important thing. I have had brief contact with Wang Suizhi a few times. Wang Suizhi is responsible for the transportation of military rations. Zizheng, I think this job is suitable for me."

Xie Zhifei understood, and he smiled gently, "Don't worry, my lord, there is a lot of money in transporting grain, but I will give Lord Wang a reason that he cannot refuse. In the court, I will trouble my lord to cover it for me."

Emperor Yan would not allow any military-related affairs to fall into the hands of other countries, so they had to make a fortune in silence.

Just after discussing the preliminary plan, the housekeeper knocked on the door and reported, "Sir, someone came from the palace and said that His Majesty summoned him."

Sui Qing's pupils shrank suddenly. He had just finished talking about such a treasonous topic, and the emperor suddenly wanted to see Shen Minghuan, which really made him frightened.

The control that he could not escape in the past turned into a nightmare, and he suddenly regretted it.

Perhaps he should not tell Shen Minghuan what he thought, perhaps his death would be the best result.

Xie Zhifei stood up, with a slight worry between his eyebrows, "It should be related to the poisoning of the third prince."

"Don't worry." Shen Minghuan said seriously: "It just so happens that I also have a score to settle with His Majesty."

He motioned Sui Qing to follow, and before leaving, he turned around and smiled at Xie Zhifei, confident and proud, relaxed and unrestrained.

Xie Zhifei's nervousness and anxiety were swept away, he returned a gentle smile, and began to believe in that future from the bottom of his heart and without reservation.

Believe that they will succeed in the end.

*

Emperor Yan hadn't had time to speak when he saw Shen Minghuan enter the hall with a cold face, looking sullen. He found a seat and sat down without saying a word, which was very rude.

Emperor Yan was a little dissatisfied, but more curious. He said indifferently: "My dear nephew, who made you unhappy? Just tell me, I will seek justice for you."

Oh, it's really strange, is there anyone who can make Shen Minghuan so angry?

The words were gentle, but there was not much warmth in the tone, more like warning Shen Minghuan to put away his emotions.

Not only was Shen Minghuan not afraid, he even said in a weird tone, "Your Majesty can go back on his words, how can there be any justice?"

The Emperor of Yan was confused: "When will I regret it?"

He sank his face, "Did someone say something to you in my name?"

"Your Majesty, are you shirking responsibility?" Shen Minghuan snorted and complained angrily: "Your Majesty, have I reduced your monthly dividends? Why do you have to use such vicious means to attack my caravan? I said that I just want to do business and there is no threat to your country. Are you doing this for money or targeting me?"

"What do you mean? What did I do?" The Emperor of Yan frowned.

He didn't plan to tear his face with Shen Minghuan for the time being. This person is very useful. He wants Shen Minghuan to work for the State of Yan.

Shen Minghuan said sarcastically: "Yesterday, my caravan was robbed at the foot of Ming Mountain. Your Majesty can't say you don't know, right?"

The Emperor of Yan thought it was outrageous.

What does it have to do with him? The tone was as if he was sure that he was the mastermind behind the scenes.

The Emperor of Yan said unhappily: "Bandits are rampant in the mountains, and being robbed and robbed is common. Even my Duke was hit by bandits a few days ago."

Forget it, just bear with it. Shen Minghuan is just like this. Since he wants this person to do things for him, he will bear more.

"If I don't have evidence, do I dare to talk to your majesty like this?" He dared.

Shen Minghuan put the teacup on the table with a little more force, and the ceramic collided with the wood, making a dull sound.

He took out a scroll from his sleeve and unfolded it, pointing at the pattern on it and gritting his teeth, "This is what they drew when I got the news and asked people to collect the body. Your Majesty, you should be able to see that this broken arrow is an official product of your Yan State, right?"

"And I have long told them to be careful and concealed along the way, and would rather spend time taking a detour to protect themselves. How could they be caught in one fell swoop? Except for me and Your Majesty, who else can know their route!"

The Emperor of Yan was almost laughed out of anger, "Shen Minghuan, with your intelligence, how could you fall for such a clumsy trick? Your caravan was built with my money, why should I do this?"

"That's hard to say."

Shen Minghuan was not angry when he saw that the other party was so angry, but he was not angry. He leaned on the chair and said slowly: "I only believe in evidence."

The Emperor of Yan was not stupid. He looked at Shen Minghuan's rogue appearance and knew that this person was not unaware of the trick, but just found it profitable, so he took the chicken feather as a token of approval.

It was indeed a businessman's mindset, full of the smell of money, and the Emperor of Yan sneered in his heart. Scholars, farmers, merchants, and artisans, a prince of a country only thinks about gold and silver all day long, which is simply shameful.

"I know." The Emperor of Yan calmed down, "I am not interested in your business, and I will not ask about related matters in the future. In fact, I have been too lazy to look at your account book, so I really don't know where your caravan went."

The Emperor of Yan also noticed something unusual when he said this.

He thought that this matter was done by a family with a disloyal heart, or a spy from the court who entered the Jin State, but even he didn't know the situation of the caravan, how did the person behind the scenes know?

The Emperor of Yan did not doubt that Shen Minghuan directed and acted by himself. This person has been under his surveillance all the time since he entered the Yan State. How could he have the ability to direct such a big drama?

In addition to Shen Minghuan, the only one who could get the account book was Sui Qing.

It was Sui Qing who betrayed him.

Shen Minghuan was not satisfied. He said bluntly, "I don't believe it."

You got the account book, and all the arrangements were seen by your people. You said you didn't ask?

Shen Minghuan didn't say anything, but the surprise in his eyes was so strong that it was full of contempt.

Emperor Yan was furious. He was too lazy to argue with Shen Minghuan and simply said, "What do you think? I asked Sui Qing to commit suicide?"

Shen Minghuan sneered, "Sui Qing? Your Majesty, you finally admitted that you asked Sui Qing to find out the caravan's movements and then sent people to kill them, right? The 18 lives of the caravan, can Sui Qing's life offset it? Your Majesty, as the emperor, actually used such despicable means, don't you think it's too much?"

"Shen Minghuan, I say it again, this matter has nothing to do with me!"

Emperor Yan tried to remain calm, "I don't know about this matter, if you don't believe me, you can interrogate Sui Qing."

He waved his hand without waiting for Shen Minghuan to agree, and ordered the eunuch, "Go and get Sui Qing's indenture."

Shen Minghuan had to "reluctantly", "know the times", "stop at the right time" and "be forced" to accept it, with a very reluctant expression.

*

A little guard who is no longer loyal, in exchange for Shen Minghuan's calmness, this deal is worth it for Emperor Yan.

Even if there is one less person to monitor, the airtight chess pieces in the Shen Mansion are enough. Although he can't repeat every word like Sui Qing, Shen Minghuan can't be so powerful that he can change the situation with this little private space, right?

The most important thing is that Emperor Yan will use Shen Minghuan next, and he feels it is necessary to show his magnanimity of "trusting people when employing them".

"These princes of mine have made my nephew see a joke." Emperor Yan said with a smile, as if talking to friends about his beloved son who he was worried about, and his helplessness was mixed with doting, "I heard that my nephew once said , Our country of Yan has no successor?”

Shen Minghuan rubbed the rendition contract in his hand and glanced at Sui Qing with a half-smile.

Suiqing lowered his head. Compared with last time, he was indeed scared now.

Sui Qing doesn't understand politics, he just understands Shen Minghuan. He knows that Shen Minghuan won't blame him. Maybe he was just pretending to pave the way for today.

He knew everything, but he was still terrified, guilty, and terrified.

"I have said it before, doesn't Your Majesty feel the same way? Otherwise, he would not have established a prince yet." Shen Minghuan said calmly and confidently.

Good things happen to people. The emperor will establish a prince as soon as possible after he ascends the throne. In order to stabilize his rule and reassure his courtiers, even if something happens to him, at least he can immediately find an emperor who can preside over the overall situation.

But Emperor Yan was already over fifty years old, and he was at an age where he could encounter unexpected events at any time. Fortunately, he still had control over the Yan Kingdom, otherwise he might have changed.

The ministers have never stopped admonishing him, and Emperor Yan also knew that he could not delay for long, but over the years, his requirements for heirs had been lowered again and again, and now he just wanted to be taller among the short ones. Unexpectedly, his group of Son is so united on this.

Each is stupid in its own way, but equally incompetent.

Emperor Yan looked at Shen Minghuan carefully, "I wonder if my nephew has any clever ideas?"

In fact, he originally wanted to ask Shen Minghuan to teach the prince, but it was not like he had never found a great scholar in the world before, so he probably couldn't learn it because Emperor Yan hated iron for not being able to become steel.

Moreover, although Shen Minghuan was quite talented and learned, he was not suitable to be an emperor. Don't teach his already unintelligent prince to become even more stupid.

Shen Minghuan shook his head wildly, "I can't help, there's nothing we can do, the Yan Kingdom is over."

Before Emperor Yan could get angry, Shen Minghuan continued: "Your Majesty, you have seen that the adult princes are all unworthy. The Ninth Prince is young and may have a chance to be educated from an early age, but Your Majesty, you can protect them until Does it stop when you grow up?”

The truth was always harsh, but Emperor Yan was very tolerant of Shen Minghuan, who had such "character flaws". He frowned, "Then according to your opinion, which prince should I make the crown prince to ensure that the country of Yan is safe?"

It doesn't matter, you can draw lots, choose one person first, and he doesn't require that the other person can make a career, just don't destroy the country.

Shen Minghuan was particularly surprised, "Your Majesty, are your demands too high? These are troubled times!"

No, no, no, you don’t really think your good-for-nothing son can hold on to his territory, do you?

Emperor Yan's eyes twitched, but he had to admit that what Shen Minghuan said made sense.

The Yong Kingdom was once so powerful, but now it still wants to give away protons and beg for mercy? He has no guarantee that one of his grandchildren will be able to send a proton as outstanding as Shen Minghuan.

Today is also a day when I am shocked by Shen Wei's blindness.

Shen Minghuan gloated: "Your Majesty, your children and grandchildren will have their own blessings, so don't worry about it. After all, it's useless for you to worry. If it were you, just find a way to invite those celebrities who live in seclusion in the government and the public and have the reputation of contemporary crouching dragons and phoenixes. You If my son is obedient, maybe Yan will be able to support the next monarch with great talent and strategy."

Although he knew that Shen Minghuan was being sarcastic, Emperor Yan actually became moved after thinking about it carefully.

If he can find a prince who will be reincarnated as Zhuge to assist him, why worry about the Yan Kingdom not being prosperous? As for whether the other party will be loyal to Prime Minister Zhuge...

Most famous people have noble aspirations and choose one master for life, and will not allow themselves to have such a big reputation as usurping the throne.

At worst, he would leave a secret order to his confidants. If the minister had any objections, he would be killed at all costs.

The details can be planned later, but such celebrities have always been rich and powerful, unable to be lewd, powerful and unyielding. It is not easy to invite them to come out.

Emperor Yan looked at Shen Minghuan thoughtfully, feeling a little moved.

Shen Minghuan was shocked, "Gu can't do it, Gu can't get along with trash... No, Gu means, Gu is weak... Yes! Your Majesty, Gu might leave earlier than you!"

If he had agreed straight away, Emperor Yan would have suspected whether he had any evil intentions, but he was so repulsive that Emperor Yan was relieved.

"I know that you just want to do business." Emperor Yan scolded with a smile, "You kid is really obsessed with money. I didn't deprive you of food."

There is indeed some sincere concern for the younger generation.

Shen Minghuan was noncommittal: "Making money is my hobby."

Emperor Yan said: "Then shall I discuss another deal with you?"

"No!" Shen Minghuan flatly refused, "I don't want to visit the thatched cottage for your son. It's too tiring. These celebrities can't be beaten or scolded. Who knows how they will embarrass me?"

"Your Majesty, please hire someone else. These gentlemen are not interested in profit, but they are probably not willing to bury their knowledge in the mountains and forests. If you want to leave a name in history, you must enter the mortal world and choose a master to assist you. Your Majesty, please send someone to have a good relationship with them." "The hope of success is still high."

Shen Minghuan's words were sincere, heartfelt, and loyal. It was extremely touching to hear them.

It shows how much he rejects this job.

Emperor Yan felt that he was very eloquent, so he became even more urgent, "The shop on Pingkang Street, the Huangzhuang in the north of the city, I can also make your chamber of commerce the number one imperial merchant in the Yan Kingdom."

Shen Minghuan looked a little shaken when he heard this, "I am going to open chambers of commerce all over the Yan Kingdom..."

"I will order all places to cooperate with you." Emperor Yan heard the song and knew its elegant meaning.

Shen Minghuan was satisfied, "I will not travel far. If Your Majesty can invite someone, I will try my best."

Emperor Yan was also satisfied, "I believe in my nephew."

Shen Minghuan hesitated and asked again, "But Your Majesty, which prince do you want me to persuade the gentlemen to assist?"

He said this with difficulty, as if as long as he thought about the level of those princes, he felt that there was no hope of success in this task, and even wanted to give up.

Back to the original topic, Emperor Yan had a headache, "My nephew, what do you think?"

"The establishment of a crown prince is a major event of the country. I dare not interfere. As long as it is not the third prince, Your Majesty can choose anyone."

The third prince's guilt was conclusive and he had been demoted to a commoner, but he still held a grudge. Emperor Yan laughed dumbly and explained, "After all, he is my son. I spared his life, but that's it."

He hinted that if Shen Minghuan wanted to seek revenge on Zhao Yuanqing, as long as the person was not dead, he could pretend not to see it.

For Emperor Yan, even his own son could be used as a bargaining chip.

Shen Minghuan understood the hidden meaning of Emperor Yan, so he naturally returned the favor and sincerely advised: "Your Majesty, please make a decision on the matter of establishing a crown prince as soon as possible. As long as the crown prince is not decided, the princes will not stop fighting and waste the national strength."

"Your Majesty, if you choose a good person early, you can also cultivate the way of being a monarch early and pave the way for the crown prince, so that there will be a smooth transition. As for the candidate, I don’t know the princes as well as your majesty, but I think it’s better to choose a dull... uh, particularly dull, rather than a smart one."

Shen Minghuan advised kindly, "Stupid people who are smart can often do more stupid things."

Emperor Yan agreed with him and decisively kicked the second prince Zhao Yuanduan out of the reserve candidates.

*

Your Majesty intends to establish a crown prince.

I don’t know how this news came out, but within half a day, everyone who should know knew it.

This is a big deal.

Countless eyes in the court have been waiting for this day for more than ten years. The number of court officials who remain neutral has been decreasing year by year due to interests or threats, and now they basically have their own sides.

Although the Emperor of Yan is old, he is still in good spirits, so they dare not make any big moves for the time being.

Originally, they thought that the Emperor of Yan was planning to raise Gu and let the princes decide the winner themselves.

They were already preparing for the foreseeable struggle for the throne, but the Emperor of Yan actually planned to establish a crown prince.

The Emperor of Yan is absolutely qualified to support the heir to sit firmly on the throne.

What a struggle for the throne, what a struggle, right now is not as important as getting the approval of the Emperor of Yan.

But who knows what the standard of the Emperor of Yan's approval is? They don't even know why the Emperor of Yan suddenly agreed to establish a crown prince, or whether he has a candidate in mind!

Oh, there is one person who should know.

Shen Minghuan.

The princes and court officials of Yan have never been so speechless in their lives.

For so many years, the memorials they submitted could fill up a room, but the emperor just refused to listen.

Shen Minghuan went to the palace for less than an hour, and he decided to establish a crown prince? Is Shen Minghuan the prince of Yong or the illegitimate son of their Emperor Yan!

Everyone just complained in their hearts, but never really doubted Shen Minghuan's identity.

Other evidences are secondary. The most important thing is that with the "favor" of Emperor Yan to Shen Minghuan, if Shen Minghuan is really an illegitimate son, the position of prince would have been decided long ago.

Wait, Yan State has not appointed a prince for so many years, could it be that Emperor Yan is waiting for Shen Minghuan?

The court officials quickly got rid of this idea. The secrets of the royal family are unknown.