Seduction

The summer sun was burning fiercely, Wu Zheng walked all the way back quickly, sweat dripping down his cheeks.

"It's hard to bear such a hot day, it's not as good as winter." Wu Zheng shook his wrist one after another, and the fan made a swish sound in the air.

"You also complain about the cold in winter, and you miss the present when it comes to winter." Zhan Xingruo was crouching in front of the desk and sorting out the scrolls, but was interrupted by Wuzheng's fidgety pacing and couldn't write in them.

"Peace of mind naturally cools."

"I know, I know." Wu Zheng said, walking back and forth while talking, when suddenly the fan closed and slapped on his hand, "Tianguan is probably hotter, Gu Chengyuan must suffer."

Just as Zhan Xingruo lowered his head, he was called out again by Wu Zheng's words, he couldn't help but frowned, and exhaled helplessly.

"Wu Zheng, sit down first. I have something to ask you." Zhan Xingruo pointed to the opposite side, Wu Zheng nodded and sat down.

"Zhang Jiyao hasn't moved for so many days, and the emperor doesn't go to court. You have been inquiring for so long, but what have you gained?" Zhan Xingruo asked.

"I wanted to go to the mansions of some old ministers, but they were all sick and refused to see me." Wu Zheng said.

"Yeah." Zhan Xingruo took a sip of tea and nodded without surprise, "They are all staring at each other at this critical moment. No one dares to have anything to do with you and me easily."

"I don't believe that the court is full of Zhang Jiyao's henchmen?" Wu Zheng became angry when he mentioned it. Since the reform was decided that day, the court has always been slow to implement it. He visited everywhere, but no one wanted to see him.

"That's not true. It's just that they are also gentry after all. It's not easy to stand up against yourself at this time. It's normal for no one to answer you. You should pay more visits to your uncles at this time." .”

"The emperor's uncles are divided so far away, I will go one by one, it will take less than half a year." Wu Zheng said, the first thing the old emperor did when he ascended the throne was to separate his brothers and give each a small piece of land. The two princes were separated by hundreds of thousands of miles, and they were afraid that they might have some connection.

"That's true." Zhan Xingruo said, "Actually, I didn't even think about how far this reform could go. It was just used to stimulate the gentry and buy some time for the northwest. Once the defense line in the northwest is broken." Zhan Xingruo paused, "You don't have a trump card, Wu Zheng."

Wu Zheng was taken aback for a moment, as if someone had suddenly thrown a stone down the quiet well in his heart.

"A Li, what are you talking about?"

"Of course you understand." If Zhan Xing didn't even look at him, he ended the conversation.

"In short, the top priority is to gather the clan and let the princes share some power. If they can send troops to help you, your road will be much easier. This is one point. In addition, it is better for us to survive. Since If the Northwest can keep it, we have to find backers to save our lives." Zhan Xingruo stopped writing and pushed the roster just written to Wuzheng.

"These are the princes I investigated, you can get close to them. Take a look and see which ones have special circumstances."

Wuzheng looked up and down.

"There is one more thing. The Thirteenth Prince's rebellion, such a big event, why there is no movement after so many days."

Wu Zheng didn't see anything from the roster. He was left in the palace since he was a child, and naturally he wasn't very familiar with these distant emperor uncles. He only saw them occasionally during the holidays. Zheng has to sigh for Zhan Xingruo's carefulness, he seems to know his uncles better than himself.

"Didn't the father have already agreed to Zhang Jiyao's request and let Kong Fuyi go?"

Zhan Xingruo frowned, "It's even more strange that there is no movement. Kong Fuyi is Zhang Jiyao's confidant, how could he divide Kong Fuyi's troops at this time. And he said he went out to suppress the rebellion, and he didn't get back any news. It doesn't feel right." He thought for a while, but he didn't have any specific ideas.

"Where's Chen Jiang? Did you report anything to you recently?" Zhan Xingruo asked.

"Yes." After being asked such a question, Wu Zheng suddenly remembered that he didn't bring the letter with him after touching it.

"I have a headache reading it, you can dictate it." Zhan Xingruo said.

"Wu Zheng said that there should be no need to transport the grain and grass in the Northwest for a second time."

"Oh?" Zhan Xingruo turned his head slightly, "What do you say?"

"Gu Chengyuan gave too much at one time. Chen Jiang said that he could eat until next year." As soon as Wu Zheng finished speaking, Zhan Xingruo smiled unexpectedly.

He let out a rare breath of relief.

"That's one thing. On the other hand, the barbarians seem to have no strength, they are limp. It may be that no one was beaten, but some old, weak, sick and disabled came up."

"The barbarian lost so much in this battle?" Zhan Xingruo was a little curious when he heard this, "It was obviously unstoppable a few days ago."

Wu Zheng was a little confused when he was told this, "Chen Jiang said so. It feels like the barbarians are about to be wiped out."

"Have you counted the number of people? How about their casualties?"

"Chen Jiang didn't say anything." There was no answer.

"As soon as possible, in case they use any tricks again. Notify Chen Jiang immediately today." Zhan Xingruo instructed.

"Okay." There was no answer, but Zhan Xingruo called to stop him just as he was about to get up.

"Why are you so anxious, I haven't finished my sentence yet," he said.

Wuzheng smiled embarrassedly, "I'm too busy."

Zhan Xingruo sighed, of course he knew that Wuzheng had been running around for days without a break.

"You have to be stable and calm to see the overall situation. You are not ordinary, you are a prince."

"I understand." Wuzheng lowered his head.

Zhan Xingruo summoned the maid to pour Wu Zheng a cup of tea. The slightly bitter tea seemed to clear Wu Zheng's mind.

"How much do you know about the Thirteenth Prince?" Zhan Xingruo asked.

"He..." Wuzheng thought for a while, "He is in the north all year round, and I should have the least interaction with him. And I remember, when I was very young, he came back a few times during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it was really a long time ago , I haven’t seen him for many years.” Wu Zheng thought for a while and added, “You might not have come to the Prince’s Mansion at that time.”

"so early?"

"Ah."

"It seems that he has not listened to the emperor's call for many years."

"almost."

Zhan Xing nodded thoughtfully, "Could it be that he intended to rebel a long time ago? Has he been accumulating troops for so many years?"

"It must be. If he wanted to rebel a long time ago, he should have started preparing for it a long time ago. There is no such thing as a whim."

"In that case, why didn't we notice it at all." Zhan Xingruo said suddenly.

It was only then that Wu Zheng realized where the crux of the problem was.

"This……"

"It's not just you and me, the emperor and the ministers in the court. No one has mentioned him. It's as if this person doesn't exist. Whether it's good or bad, no news has flowed in."

"If you say that...then why?"

"Why, someone hid him on purpose." Zhan Xingruo said, "Since Zhang Jiyao sent Kong Fu there so reassuringly." He shook his head, sighing his stupidity, "I should have thought of that earlier."

"What?" No dispute.

"Did you forget, where is Kong Fuyi's army? Why did he know Zhang Jiyao back then?"

Wuzheng was surprised.

"He took over Zhang Jiyao's duty to guard the northeast. Marquis Chengfeng sent Zhang Jiyao to the northeast, Zhang Jiyao tried his best to push Kong Fuyi up, and went to the northwest by himself." Wu Zheng said.

"That's it." Zhan Xingruo nodded.

"So Kong Fuyi's army is all in the northeast?"

"Correct."

"Then after suppressing the Thirteenth Emperor Uncle, wouldn't he be able to justifiably bring in the army? Zhang Jiyao had already arranged it?"

"I don't know." Zhan Xingruo shook his head, "I still can't guess. If Zhang Jiyao has been hiding for the Thirteenth Prince all these years, then the Thirteenth Prince's matter is not an accident. This is Zhang Jiyao's hidden arrow. "

Wuzheng exhaled cautiously, waiting for Zhan Xingruo's next words.

"This arrow is just in case at this time." He said, "If Zhang Jiyao knew that it was the thirteenth prince who wanted to rebel, and dared to send his confidant there immediately, I'm afraid it would have been too late." The precise arrangement is over. The Thirteenth Prince is just a pawn. Bewitched by others, he works for others."

"This, what should I do? I ask my father for orders to go?"

"It's useless." Zhan Xingruo waved his hand, "It's been six days, and it should have ended long ago."

"Then there is no way to remedy it?" Wu Zheng asked.

"What is the remedy? I can't even guess what Zhang Jiyao wants to do next." Zhan Xingruo frowned, "It was arranged for him, but for you and me, it was a solid accident. I think Disturbed him, but was disrupted by him."

"If we don't change the law, will he find a chance to kill the Thirteenth Emperor?"

"Not necessarily." Zhan Xingruo shook his head, "It's an excellent excuse to bring Kong Fuyi's army back. Even if we don't do this much, he will do it when necessary. But the time may be later A little bit. It doesn't really make a difference."

"Zhang Jiyao is a barbarian anyway. He wants to swallow Yuezhu completely, so why bother to do so."

"You can't underestimate the power of internal fighting. At the critical juncture of life and death, they will still form a group, and the gentry will hold a group, and it will be difficult to deal with it. If Zhang Jiyao really tears his face, things will be difficult."

Wu Zheng felt that it made sense, and he didn't know what to do. He was a little afraid that Zhang Jiyao, a watertight opponent, would have Zhan Xingruo as his only support, but Zhan Xingruo's frowning made him unable to feel at ease as before.

It was only at this moment that Wu Zheng realized that even though he was the prince, he was so dependent on Zhan Xingruo.

"The top priority." After Zhan Xingruo thought about it, he suddenly said, interrupting Wu Zheng's train of thought, "The top priority is to protect the thirteen princes first."

"This, how can this be kept? Rebellion is a serious crime." Wu Zheng said.

"I'll find a way to fight for him. We can't let the clan's heart be cold at this juncture. We are reforming for the clan. Is it appropriate to kill the thirteen princes at this time?" He asked, Wu Zheng didn't know how to answer, but rebelled Sin is always shot to death, what makes the emperor more angry than grabbing the throne?

Wu Zheng shook his head, "No, let me fight for it. If you say such disrespectful words, you will lose your head, so let me do it. Father, you can't kill me."

"Wu Zheng." Zhan Xingruo called him to stop.

Wu Zheng looked into his eyes blankly, and for some reason, an inexplicable fear rose in his heart. He was afraid that Zhan Xing would lift another stone and smash it into the well in his heart.

Zhan Xingruo did as he expected.

"Be more mature, the overall situation is the most important thing." Zhan Xingruo said, "Prince, compared with your life, the minister's life is as light as a feather. I will pave the way for you, and you can walk over without looking at what you are stepping on." Zhan Xingruo said, "We are also fighting, and we must not be afraid of bloodshed. Didn't we say that earlier?"

Zhan Xingruo used honorifics again.

Every time Zhan Xingruo talks like this, he expresses that he doesn't want to talk anymore, and wants Wuzheng to think about it for himself.

But this time was different, Zhan Xingruo took the paperwork, turned and went back to the room, leaving only Wuzheng staring blankly at the teacup, the strong tea reflected his eyes, which turned out to be full of confusion and helplessness.