Plan to cut off the nine states

Following Meng Senglun and Tang Weitian into the city was a box-type carriage, which was tightly covered with carvings and paintings. It was accompanied by two handsome young men on foot. Others did not notice it, but Xu Chu could tell at a glance that these two people were. Eunuch.

Xu Chu was shocked, thinking that the King of Jibei had sent his daughter Zhang Shiqing here. He never felt that he was responsible for this wife. At this time, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. However, when he thought that Zhang Shiqing had "divorced" his husband first, he couldn't help but Then he thought he was at fault, and instead worried about the reaction of his other wife Xue Jinyao.

King Wu stood there motionless and did not speak. A young man accompanied him and whispered: "It is not convenient for the master to appear in public. I hope..."

"Okay, follow me to the camp." Xu Chu came to his senses. No matter what, this was a negotiation. If the King of Jibei really sent his daughter, it would indeed show some sincerity.

Tang Weitian did not care about other people's business and chased the King of Wu to talk about things.

He successfully found Wang Dian, conveyed King Wu's order, and led his troops to defect to Yecheng.

They met Jizhou soldiers on the way. The two kings of eastern Hunan and Jibei and Wang Tiemei were hesitant. After seeing the envoy of King Wu, they were overjoyed and immediately sent troops to cross the river and go straight to the east capital.

Wang Dian and his Wu soldiers were left a hundred miles away, while Tang Weitian was sent back to the city to show the sincerity of the officers and soldiers.

"I've been here a long time ago, but the officers and soldiers refused to let me go! I tried to run several times, but they stopped me." Tang Weitian said angrily.

Xu Chu was in urgent need of loyal and obedient subordinates, and he valued Tang Weitian very much. When he arrived at the camp of the Four Princes' Mansion, he took off the stick from his waist and presented it with both hands, "This is the real stick from the king who gave it to me before his death. From now on, it will be given to me by the king." You keep it for me."

Tang Weitian took a breath. He also had a wooden stick on his waist. King Wu randomly found it to bluff people, but he always took it seriously, thinking it was a "relative" of the stick. But after all, relatives are just relatives, not as powerful as the original owner. .

"Really?" Tang Weitian couldn't believe it.

"The people are great."

"Yes, Grand Governor, don't worry, it is more important than my life." Tang Weitian promised generously. The more formal the entrustment by King Wu, the happier he would be.

Xue Jinyao was staying in the Guangling Prince's Mansion, and Xu Chu took the envoy from Yecheng to the Jibei Prince's Mansion. If the person in the car was really Zhang Shiqing, he was at least going home.

In a small courtyard of the palace, Tang Weitian and others retreated, followed by two young men. Only Meng Nilun refused to leave and reminded in a low voice: "Don't be careless when in power, in case there is an ambush hidden in the car..."

Xu Chu really had to consider this possibility, so he took Meng Nilun forward. He lifted the curtain and took a peek inside, then turned around and said, "No problem, General Meng, please step back. I will call you after the negotiation. "

"Is there really no problem?" Meng Nilun didn't see anything and felt uneasy.

"Um."

Meng Silun then left and turned back after a few steps.

When the courtyard door closed, Xu Chugang was about to ask the envoy from Yecheng to get out of the car. The man in the car poked his head out and said with a smile: "They are all gone?"

The person sent by the King of Jibei was not his daughter Zhang Shiqing, but his eldest son Zhang Shiyu.

Xu Chu was confused. He didn't understand why he thought of Zhang Shiqing in the first place. He probably thought that the King of Jibei was reluctant to let his son be involved in danger.

"The King of Jibei is really..." Xu Chu didn't know what to say.

"I came here myself." Zhang Shiyu jumped off the carriage, looked around, and said in surprise: "Isn't this my home?"

"This is the rebel camp now."

"Haha, my brother-in-law is really good at choosing places."

"Come inside and talk. It's dark and cold outside." Xu Chu acted like a master.

"Okay. Brother-in-law, does he know who originally lived in this small courtyard?"

"I don't know."

"She is one of my father's concubines. Her surname is Ruan. She is best at singing and dancing, especially after she is drunk. Her skills are even better. My father loves her so much that he lives here for half of the year. I saw her when I was a child. Ruan Ji’s dance, tsk tsk, is still unforgettable.”

"Did King Jibei take her to Yecheng?"

While talking, the two of them had entered the main room. Although Zhang Shiyu was the master of the palace, he only remembered roughly. Xu Chu lit a lamp and asked him to sit down. "Only herbal tea."

"I'm bringing it with me." Zhang Shiyu, wearing a fox fur robe, took out a slender wine flask from under his robe, touched it with his hand, and said with a smile: "There is charcoal in the car, and I have been using it to heat wine. "

Zhang Shiyu took out two more cups from his arms, filled them up respectively, and said in a toast: "It's been a long time since I had a drink with my brother-in-law. Come on, let me toast you a glass first."

"It's really good wine." Xu Chu praised after finishing the drink.

"I don't know where it came from. I tasted it and thought it was good, so I brought it here. What did my brother-in-law ask me just now? Yes, Ruan Ji lives here. She didn't go to Yecheng and died a few years ago. Speaking of which, It's ridiculous. She drank a little too much that time and found a place to vomit after dancing. She shouldn't have done it. She actually went to the well and held the railing with her hands. No one noticed... Oh, God is jealous of the beauty. That’s what I mean. After Ruan Ji’s death, my father was depressed, sealed the wells, and invited himself to leave the country. He did not return to the Eastern Capital for two or three years. "

Xu Chu drank in silence. He was not here to listen to the story, but he was a little moved. He felt that Ruan Ji's death was not worth it.

"Oh, that's how it is sometimes. You live your life seriously, but the gods and Buddhas in the sky see you as a joke. With just a flick of your finger, you are pushed into an extremely embarrassing situation." Zhang Shiyu made a cry that did not match his age. sigh.

"I heard that the crown prince has been named the King of Guanzhong. Congratulations." Xu Chu changed the subject.

Zhang Shiyu smiled and said: "Don't mention it, things are troublesome. The Empress Dowager made me king so that I could go to the He Rong Department to negotiate. No one objected at that time. When I came back, a group of ministers who fled to Yecheng did not agree. , saying that the Empress Dowager is not qualified to be crowned king, and I can only be regarded as a false king, and I must wait for the imperial decree to become a real king. Look, I was also lightly nudged like Ruan Ji. "

"The emperor fled to Jiangdong and refused to make you king?"

"Even if he is willing, I can't accept it. Accepting the title of king in Jiangdong is equivalent to admitting that the orthodox emperor is there." Zhang Shiyu shook his head, "I must wait for the new emperor to ascend the throne in Yecheng before I can be crowned the orthodox emperor." king."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "By then, Prince Yu will not only be crowned king, right?"

"What do you mean, brother-in-law? Oh, I'm sorry, I can't change my words. You are the King of Wu now."

"Like you, I am not the true king. I am the ruling king of the Wu Kingdom. After I find the true king, I will give up the title of king."

Zhang Shiyu smiled quite happily, "When my brother-in-law said this - I'd better call you brother-in-law, it's easier to say - you are not the real king, I feel much more at ease."

"how?"

"Brother-in-law, don't think too much. I'm not saying that you don't deserve to be king, but...it's easy to get the title of king, but it's hard to get rid of it. Brother-in-law is not a real king, so it saves you a lot of trouble."

After Xu Chu surrendered, he had to remove his royal title and change his title to Wu Guogong.

There were sounds of footsteps outside, and Xu Cuzheng was wondering who dared to break into this place without permission. He saw Xue Jinyao wearing armor and holding a knife entering the house. When he saw Zhang Shiyu, he was stunned.

Zhang Shiyu didn't know the details, his face turned pale, he fell down from his chair, and said in a trembling voice: "King Wu, you, you really want to attack me?"

"Don't be afraid, Your Majesty, this is..." Xu Chu mumbled, stood up and came to the door, and asked in a low voice: "What are you going to do?"

Xue Jinyao heard rumors that King Wu's other wife had come to the city. He was furious and came with a sword in hand. What he saw was a young man. He couldn't help but feel ashamed, but refused to show it on his face. He sheathed the sword. , "I heard you have guests, I'm here to propose a toast."

Xue Jinyao walked around King Wu, came to the table, picked up King Wu's cup, and said to Zhang Shiyu who was sitting on the ground: "Don't be afraid, I'm not here to kill you. I'll toast and leave."

"Yes, yes, why does this general..."

Xue Jin shook his head and drank it all in one gulp, turned around and left.

Xu Chu pulled Zhang Shiyu up and said, "It's okay, let's continue talking."

Zhang Shiyu was still in shock and sat motionless on his chair. He had lost all the carefreeness he had just now. "Is that a general under my brother-in-law?"

Xu Chu could no longer hide it, so he had to say: "That is... the daughter of the descendant king, my wife. She was once captured by soldiers. The prince has never seen her?"

Zhang Shiyu suddenly said, "It turns out to be her. I just came from Yecheng yesterday. I have heard of her but never seen her. Haha, my brother-in-law has changed his mind when he saw something different, but I never thought that my brother-in-law would... like such a woman."

"Didn't the prince also marry a girl from the He Rong tribe? We are still the same."

Zhang Shiyu laughed and finally returned to normal, "Yes, if you want to win people's trust, marriage is always the most common method, but it seems to be of little use. My brother-in-law did not stay with his father, nor did he keep the King of the World. "Forget it, it's all a trivial matter. Even if my brother-in-law marries ten or a hundred more daughters, his first wife will still be my sister. You are Zhang's son-in-law, so I can't rely on him."

Zhang Shiyu couldn't help but glance outside, fearing that Xue Jinyao was still outside and would break in and chop him after hearing these words.

"The king of Jibei sent his son to the city, which shows his sincerity. I have no doubts and am willing to submit as soon as possible. There is a problem. The kings in the city are at odds, especially King Ning, who refuses to obey my orders. If I submit, he will immediately He will burn the eastern capital and fight with the officers and soldiers."

"Is that man a lunatic? He goes to challenge the officers and soldiers again and again, but he doesn't dare to fight. He is as disgusting as a fly."

"King Ning thought that this would show his bravery and win the support of the rebels."

"Oh, but my brother-in-law must have a way to deal with him."

"Yes, we need Yecheng's cooperation."

"How to say?"

"The day after tomorrow in the morning, I will order the kings to attack in all directions. The east, west, and south are all bluffs. The officers and soldiers do not need to pay attention, and the assault cavalry will be concentrated in the north..."

"Brother-in-law, there is no need to say anything. I already understand. But when Thief Ning sees the strength of the officers and soldiers, he will never dare to fight. He will definitely lead his troops and flee back to the city."

"I will seize the city gate in advance."

Zhang Shiyu laughed loudly, clapped his legs and said: "Brother-in-law, this move is really awesome. Okay, I will act according to your plan. Brother-in-law sends the Queen Mother, if you can get rid of the Ning thief, it will be the King of Xiangdong and Princess Huanyan who will attack you." There will be no more doubts.”

"King Xiangdong still doesn't believe me?"

"It's okay for King Xiangdong, Princess Huanyan...she is different now than before. She stays by the Empress Dowager's side every day. She is deeply loved and obeys her words. I don't know what she thinks. She regards her brother-in-law as an enemy. What you said Don’t believe a word of it.”

"She is probably afraid that I will be a threat to her when I arrive in Yecheng."

"It's possible that Huanyan is good at strategizing and is the same type of person as my brother-in-law. Don't worry about her, there are us. My father and I are looking forward to my brother-in-law coming to help."

Zhang Shiyu blinked in response to Xu Chu's previous words.

If there is a new emperor in Yecheng, Zhang Shiyu will not only be called the true king.