Plan to cut off the nine states

After finally leaving the tent and living in a real house, Xu Chu slept soundly. However, when the door opened, he was still awakened. He immediately sat up and asked, "Who is it?"

"It's me." The visitor came in the dark without carrying a lantern, his voice slightly hesitant.

"Zhou joined the army... was he a Shanyu or a Zhonggong?"

"Huh?" Zhou Yuanbin stopped.

"Who sent you to kill me?"

Zhou Yuanbin was silent for a moment and replied: "What's the difference?"

"If it's the Shanyu, please take action. I have no objection. If it's the Zhonggong, please tell him that killing me will be useless. On the contrary, it will be counterproductive and make the Shanyu suspicious."

"Hey."

"Someone leaked the secret to Shan Yu, it must not be me..."

"Not me either."

"Zhonggong killed me just to prevent Shanyu from asking the truth from me. But once I die, Shanyu becomes even more suspicious. With his temper, he will definitely not let this matter go. Once the investigation is in-depth, Zhonggong will The letters cannot be hidden for long. I can explain it clearly to Shanyu and make him believe that the so-called secrets are all lies made up by some people who are dissatisfied with the Central Palace."

Zhou Yuanbin showed even more hesitation and said after a while: "How do you know..."

"I can see the knife in your hand."

Zhou Yuanbin lowered his head and saw the moonlight shining in from outside the door, reflecting the waist knife in his hand, so he moved behind him and said, "Did you expect that someone would leak the secret?"

"The middle palace is too trusting and brings in too many outsiders."

"You're not hinting at me again, are you?"

"It's Kou Daogu." Xu Chu said the person's name directly.

Zhou Yuanbin let out a long sigh, "In order to take revenge, he can betray even the middle palace?"

"The palace is in the inn?"

"You... wait a moment." Zhou Yuanbin turned around and went out, closing the door.

The wait lasted only half an hour. Zhou Yuanbin originally did not want to kill Xu Chu, but it was much more difficult for him to convince Shan Yu's eldest wife.

Finally, the door opened again. Xu Chu had already put on his clothes and boots and sat on the edge of the bed waiting for a long time.

Shanyu's eldest wife came in alone, still without a lantern, closed the door, and stood at the door in the dark. After a while, she said, "There are only two of us now, and there is no one outside the door."

"Does Zhonggong... also have a knife in his hand?"

"Well, so just sit there and don't get up. I married outside the Great Wall when I was a teenager. Like the women there, I ride horses, shoot arrows, and am no stranger to knives. Don't take any chances."

"I can't." Xu Chu smiled.

"Zhou Yuanbin has no other skills besides doing business. He can't kill anyone, but there are not many people I can trust now."

"What the Central Palace needs now is such a businessman."

"Hey. But the leaker will definitely not be Kou Daogu."

"Kou Daogu will do anything for revenge."

"Yes, but he only knows that I have something in the hands of Princess Huanyan, and I will take you to exchange it, but Shanyu already knows that the people around him have the letters - the only people who leak the secret are you and Zhou Yuanbin."

"I have no contact with Shanyu."

"That's Zhou Yuanbin. He can get a lot of benefits in exchange for this secret. If you are walking slowly on the road, he can send someone to deliver the message to Shanyu in advance."

"The people around Shan Yu sent the news to the Zhonggong again?"

"Um."

"Then we are indeed walking slowly enough."

"I'm already on my way and met the messenger in advance."

"The palace's original plan was to have Zhou Yuanbin kill me and then kill him to silence him?"

"Zhou Yuanbin is not as smart as you, but he is softer than you. After being persuaded by a few words from you, he went back to persuade me not to kill you. What's the use of keeping such a person?"

"It turns out that Zhonggong has not changed his plan."

"The leaker must be one of you. It doesn't matter which one. I only want a 'death without evidence'. Shanyu will be suspicious and will be very unhappy, but I can always find a way to make him let it go."

"The leakers were not the two of us, but the servants and guards around the palace."

"They don't understand the Central Plains dialect, not a single word. I picked them out specially."

"How long ago was it chosen?"

"Beyond the Wall...four or five years ago."

"What if someone learns the Chinese dialect?"

"impossible……"

"Why is it impossible? If Zhonggong has an informant around Shanyu, wouldn't Shanyu do the same thing?"

The knife in the hand of Shanyu's eldest wife dropped, "Chanyu, believe me, never... never..."

"The strong-armed Shanyu never had any doubts about the death of the old Shanyu?"

The confidence in Shanyu's wife's voice was gone, "Princess Huanyan really told you everything."

Xu Chu didn't answer.

"Maybe your guess is right. The people around me... I can find out who leaked the secret." Shanyu's eldest wife regained her confidence.

"Why did Zhonggong insist on accepting Princess Huanyan's help in the first place?"

"Didn't she say that?"

"She didn't tell her. Even from me, she hid it."

"It was she who sent someone to find me, gave me advice, and sent me poison, poison that is not available outside the Great Wall. In this way, the death of old Shanyu will not be suspected..."

"Old Chanyu..."

"I don't want to mention his affairs." Shan Yu's eldest wife said coldly, lifting the knife in her hand again, "As soon as you and Zhou Yuanbin arrive at He Rong camp, you will be interrogated by Shan Yu. Under torture, no one will It won’t be kept secret.”

"That's right, neither Zhou Yuanbin nor I are people who can endure hardship."

"In that case, why do you struggle? I must kill you, and I will kill Zhou Yuanbin later."

"What I said before was just to see Zhonggong. In fact, there is another way, which is safer than murdering people and silencing them."

"Hey, you're trying to deceive people again. Do you think I'll be fooled?"

"Only if another chanyu dies can the palace and the two sons be safe."

"Shut up!" Shan Yu's eldest wife said angrily.

"This is your original plan, a plan that has been prepared a long time ago." Xu Chu refused to shut up, "But the two sons are still young, so the palace has to wait, but now..."

Zhonggong came over with a knife in hand. After staying in the darkness for a long time, she could roughly pinpoint Xu Chu's position.

Xu Chu spoke faster and faster, "The Chanyu will be able to find the letter soon. If I die, who will make suggestions for the middle palace?"

Zhonggong stopped and pointed the knife in his hand, less than a foot away from Xu Chu.

Xu Chu was not afraid of the knife, or even this woman, but he did not want to resist or take action. "Zhonggong does not think about himself, but also thinks about his two sons. They are too young. Once Zhonggong falls out of favor, Shan Yu will definitely find another love." …”

"No." Shanyu's eldest wife said sternly: "Chanyu is the biggest supporter of our mother and son. Without him, we... it is too early."

"The matter has come to this, we can't wait any longer. Shanyu is determined to be in Kyushu, but He Rong's tribes are not yet fully convinced of him. Shanyu will never allow accidents to happen at this time. He will find other excuses to kill all those who know about it. There will be two sons left behind, but without the care of the middle palace, even if the two sons grow up, will they still have a chance to inherit the father's throne? "

"No, no..." Shan Yu's eldest wife murmured.

"Even Zhou Yuanbin cannot be killed. After Shan Yu's death, the Zhou family will be the biggest backer of the Central Palace..."

"Most of the Zhou family hate me to the core, so it would be nice if they don't kill me."

"The grievances between my family members can always be reconciled."

"Can you and Lou's family reconcile?"

Xu Chu laughed and said, "If we have to reconcile with the Lou family to achieve our goal, I am willing."

Chanyu's eldest wife thought for a while, "Chanyu... He Rong's army will collapse..."

"Yes, the Zhonggong will have to retreat beyond the Great Wall. You can choose who to take back."

"Is this your purpose?"

"I won't hide it. This is indeed my purpose, so Zhonggong can trust me and I will not deceive you on this matter."

The eldest wife of the Shanyu leaned forward slightly, and the tip of the knife was closer to Xu Chu, "When the Shanyu dies, you will have a reason to lie to me and kill me."

"As long as the Zhonggong retreats outside the wall, I can't deceive or kill you."

"You can get the truth out there."

"Even in the Central Plains, few people are willing to believe what I say, let alone outside the Great Wall?"

The eldest wife of the Chanyu put down her sword and suddenly said categorically: "No, the Chanyu must not die now."

But she didn't raise the knife again, turned around and left.

Xu Chu let out a long breath. For a moment, he felt that he could not convince Shan Yu's wife.

Even now, he can't be said to be completely convinced, but at least he saved his life.

No one came again, so Xu Chu sat there until dawn. No food came, and no one asked him to set off.

Until three o'clock in the morning, Zhou Yuanbin came again. He had no idea that he had also walked in front of the ghost gate last night, still smiling, and even forgot that he had brought a knife to kill Xu Chu.

"Hey, why did things come to this point?"

"Which step?"

"Zhonggong went to see Shanyu, let's stay here and wait. Zhonggong also said..." Zhou Yuanbin smiled and shook his head, not intending to say it.

"She reminded you not to be fooled by me again, saying that I would use various methods to confuse you?"

"You and Zhonggong are both smart people, so I won't get involved and will do what I should do." Zhou Yuanbin opened the door, and several servants moved in the bed and bedding and placed them at the other end.

"Mr. Xu, don't you think it's crowded?"

"I don't mind, I'm just worried that there's no one to talk to."

"I can't chat with you, just like last night... Zhonggong was very angry and said I was useless. In fact -" Zhou Yuanbin waited for the servant to go out and continued: "Actually, I have killed people and will not show mercy. I have been there since I came here." I felt it was wrong before, but I didn’t change my mind because of your persuasion.”

"What are the plans of the Central Palace?"

"I can't talk nonsense. The palace is very concerned about leaking secrets."

"She wants to confess the truth to Shan Yu?"

Zhou Yuanbin's eyes widened, as if he wanted to refute, but finally said: "This was originally your idea, it's not surprising that you can guess it."

"If no one leaks the secret, the Central Palace is very likely to be forgiven, but now there is only less than a 50% chance of winning."

"That's what I said, but Zhonggong would rather fight for the 50% chance of winning."

Xu Chu sighed softly, but he had to admit in his heart that for Shan Yu's wife, neither choice had a good chance of winning. In comparison, confessing was the easiest and had a higher chance of winning.

The servants brought food and wine, and Zhou Yuanbin invited Xu Chu to eat with him, "Mr. Xu, please eat more. I don't know if you have another meal. I once thought Liu Youzhong could foresee everything, but in fact he is just an old liar. In terms of foresight, Mr. Xu More than him, how do you think this matter will end? "

"I... don't know." Xu Chu told the truth.

"That means it doesn't end well." Zhou Yuanbin looked gloomy.

A servant ran in from outside and said anxiously: "The news just came that Shanyu has captured Xiangyang!"

Although Xu Chu didn't drink much, he habitually held the cup in his hand. When he heard this, his fingers loosened and the cup fell to the ground and shattered.