Plan to cut off the nine states

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The word "submit" pulled Shen Cong out of his panic. He walked up to Xu Chu in a few steps and looked directly into his eyes, "Interesting, interesting..."

Xu Chu took a step back and asked, "What did Shen Gongbu think of?"

"Don't be so polite. Since you are sworn brothers with your fifth brother, we can also be considered brothers."

Shen Cong suddenly became friendly, but Xu Chu didn't adapt. He held his hands and said, "Then I will take the liberty of calling him 'Brother Shen'."

"Brother Xu Xian." Shen Cong even had a smile on his face, "There is something I have always wanted to ask."

"Brother Shen, just ask."

"Well...you participated in the assassination, and the Prince of Jibei's family doesn't seem to have any hatred towards you."

"Maybe the Emperor of All Things is not popular."

"No, it doesn't matter if others don't like the Emperor of All Things. The King of Jibei and his compatriots, Prince Yu, are deeply loved by the Emperor of All Things..."

"How can Prince Yu be favored more than Prince Duan?"

Shen Cong used to be a close attendant of the Emperor of All Things, so he naturally knew who was more favored. Among the clan members, Zhang Shoutuan could be said to be unparalleled, and he was still sentenced to death.

"Well, this is a reason, but it doesn't mean that I don't have any hatred for the assassin. Prince Yu saw you on the street before he got out of the car. This kind of friendship is rare."

"Brother Shen, please guess the reason for me."

Shen Cong laughed a few times and turned to Guo Shifeng, "I'm just guessing. I don't know if Mr. Guo has the same feeling as me. The King of Jibei's family seems... very happy to see the death of the Emperor of All Things. After all, it doesn't mean anything to them. The downside is...haha."

"What's the opposite?" Xu Chu continued to ask, but he refused to say it himself.

"On the contrary, it is of great benefit."

Xu Chu thought for a while, "I can't tell that the prince has ascended the throne, and the King of Jibei has been changed from a minister of the Suwei to be in charge of the imperial army. There is no sign of a close confidant."

Guo Shifeng stood aside and smiled without saying a word.

Shen Cong laughed loudly, came closer and patted Xu Chu on the shoulder, "Yes, in addition to the current emperor, the Emperor of All Things has several sons. What benefits can the King of Jibei get? It's just my imagination. Brother Xu Xian, don't worry about it. Come on, don’t talk nonsense.”

"I don't even understand what Brother Shen wants to say, how can I talk nonsense?"

"Haha. But the King of Jibei's family is so kind to you. They even sent the princess here, which means they still recognize you as their son-in-law - my dear brother, please pass a message to me."

"Okay, I may have to visit Prince Yu again in the next two days."

"Don't mention 'these two days', it's today. I'll go there later. Please tell Prince Yu, dear brother, that although I am a member of the Shen family, I have different ideas from my father and other brothers. I have been forced to flee to nowhere and have stayed here till now. As long as the imperial court says something, I am still willing to be a loyal minister of Heaven, without any second thoughts.”

"Brother Shen only cares about himself and doesn't care about the rest of the family?"

"State affairs come first, family affairs come second. Loyalty and filial piety cannot have both, so I choose loyalty." Shen Cong turned sideways and cupped his hands, his head slightly raised, with a solemn look on his face.

"Okay, I will convey Brother Shen's intention to Prince Yu."

"There is also Lan Yong and Lan Zuojun. Prince Yu is still young after all, so he may still want Lan Zuojun to make the decision on his behalf."

Xu Chu smiled and said: "Brother Shen was so anxious that he asked me to plead with the Lan family."

The Lou and Lan families were at odds, Xu Chu was assassinated, and the Lan family had no feelings for him at all. Shen Cong slapped his forehead and said, "I am confused. I will find a way to communicate with Lan Yong myself. The two of us are in Dongdu." We had some friendship...Mr. Guo, why didn’t you speak?”

"What I mean is that you have to make a trade-off between taking action or surrendering..."

"There is no need to weigh it. The assassination was a helpless move, and the result was unpredictable. I actually don't agree with it in my heart. Now I feel that it is a wrong move. While the situation is not yet clear, there is still a chance to surrender. When the imperial army moves north, Shen The whole family and the two of them cannot escape death. "

Guo Shifeng was not a serious person and nodded, "That's right. Let me discuss it with Mr. Xu again and come up with a comprehensive solution."

"Don't be empty-handed when you meet Prince Yu. The two of you discuss it first and I'll find some suitable gifts." Shen Cong hurried out. He brought a lot of things. In addition to bribing the governor, there was still a lot left. He wanted to use it to collect Sold the generals of Jizhou, but did not send out a few boxes.

As soon as Shen Cong left, Guo Shifeng immediately said: "Prince Yu must not be the one in charge. Even if you want to surrender, you should not go to him."

"Brother Guo thinks it's Lan Yong?"

"No, Prince Yu's visit came at a strange time. It seems that he has even moved here. It doesn't seem like he is here to win over the generals in Jizhou, nor does he seem to be going north to negotiate peace with He Rong's tribe." Guo Shifeng glanced outside and lowered his voice. He said: "If Brother Chu can find out the true purpose of Prince Yu and his party as soon as possible, there may be a chance of success. Otherwise, we are afraid that we will be completely defeated."

"Brother Guo has not made up his mind to surrender?"

"Hey, it's not like ups and downs in the world. You have to let the other party know that you are really indispensable. Know the enemy and know yourself. Now we only know ourselves and not the other. To surrender is tantamount to death."

Xu Chu felt that he could not even be a "confidant" now, "I will try my best to inquire."

Shen Cong ran back, holding a wooden box in both hands, and carefully handed it to Xu Chu, "Of the treasures I brought, this is the most precious. It is a Buddha statue consecrated by a famous monk in Tianzhu. It is made of pure gold and decorated with gold." The seven treasures are extremely valuable. The Empress Dowager and the King of Jibei both believe in Buddhism, so this gift is perfect."

"Isn't it too expensive?"

"But, this is just a token of my gratitude. If the court has an order, I will obey it, no matter what it is." Shen Cong deliberately emphasized the last sentence. Some words are hard to say, and he hopes that the other party can understand.

In order to surrender, Shen Cong was willing to sell out even his own family. Xu Chu certainly understood, but he didn't understand why Shen Zhi was not on guard against this son, "Well, I'll send the gift and the message."

Shen Cong breathed a sigh of relief, "Please remember my loyalty to the court and don't bear grudges about Jinyang. When we return to the Eastern Capital together in the future, I will kneel in front of your house and apologize."

"Just treat me to a drink."

Shen Cong laughed, "Please treat me every day, every month, and taste the fine wines in the world."

Xu Chu said goodbye, and suddenly remembered something, and said to Guo Shifeng: "Brother Guo, have you visited Mr. Fan?"

"Fan Bi of the Valley of Repentance?" Guo Shifeng shook his head, "I and He is not well connected, no one introduces him, and he wants to see you but cannot. "

Xu Chu remembered that Guo Shifeng once said that he had visited Fan Bi before, but was really "rejected", so he said: "We should try again another day."

Before Guo Shifeng could speak, Shen Cong said: "I know Mr. Fan well. My father once offered him a large sum of money to be a guest of the West. Mr. Fan declined due to illness, but my father still often sent people to visit him. It turns out that Mr. Fan is also in Yecheng. It's easy to talk. Wait for me to introduce him. He will definitely meet you, but don't be anxious."

"Of course." Xu Chu went out with the gift box. When he returned to his residence, he immediately sent someone to bring gifts to see Mr. Huang and asked him to deliver the name card to Prince Yu.

Mr. Huang was so honest that he refused to accept the gift and sent someone else to deliver the name card. He soon received a reply that Prince Yu would accept a banquet from Governor Zhou tonight and asked the Seventeenth Prince to meet him tomorrow morning.

It was getting dark, Xu Chu was having dinner, Guo Shifeng came hurriedly, uninvited, "Good news, the Jiangshi Army has not been destroyed."

Xu Chu put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up and said: "Where did the news come from? Are the three kings alive or dead? Who holds the two cities of Mengjin? Did the Jinyang Army participate in the war?"

Guo Shifeng shook his head, "The military report from the court only said how the officers and soldiers performed. It seems that they are still chasing the remaining bandits, so I guess the Jiangshi Army has not been destroyed yet, and there is no other news. In the next two days, Shen Bingzhou may send someone to deliver a letter, and then we can know more details."

The military report from the court is not entirely credible, and the Jiangshi Army The army has no contact with Yecheng. Only by waiting for the news from the Shen family can the truth be found out. Xu Chu sat down, "Brother Guo, let's eat together?"

"I have no appetite. The more I think about it, the more I feel something is wrong. How could it be such a coincidence that the news of the Battle of Mengjin came on the same day that Prince Yu arrived in Yecheng?"

"And Prince Yu insisted on meeting me on the street."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing, just reminiscing about the past."

"He deliberately let the people in the city see that your friendship is still there."

Xu Chu nodded. He felt strange at the time, but he never figured out the reason.

Xu Chu continued to eat, and Guo Shifeng sat opposite him in deep thought. Until Xu Chu finished eating, Guo Shifeng still didn't speak.

"Brother Chu, let's go to the teahouse." Guo Shifeng finally spoke.

"Brother Guo, don't you want to go together?"

"Go by yourself and see how other people react. This may be what Prince Yu is up to... Brother Chu is quite familiar with Prince Yu. What kind of person do you think he is?"

"He is definitely not someone who is good at using strategies."

"Unless we think too much, Prince Yu must have a master behind him. I have to ask about it. I will come again at 2:00 p.m." Guo Shifeng said goodbye.

Xu Chu waited for a while, then got up and went to Xuanwen Pavilion.

There were several times more guests drinking tea than last night. When Xu Chu came in, everyone looked over and then looked away.

Xu Chu asked for a pot of tea and waited while sipping it.

Wang Dian of Jiangdong came first and sat down as if he was familiar with the situation. He whispered, "Victory and defeat are common in the military. Although the officers and soldiers win, it may not last long. Although the Jiangshi army loses, it may not be impossible to revive."

"I think so too." Xu Chu smiled.

After the polite words, Wang Dian quickly turned to the main topic, "I see the son of the King of Jibei entering the city. His father has great ambitions and may not be satisfied with the position of commander of the imperial army. Since Mr. Xu has a long history with his son, why not persuade him and his son to establish themselves?"

"This kind of thing cannot be persuaded by someone who is not close to you, but I can try."

"I must try." Wang Dian nodded slightly with deep meaning, got up and left.

Several people came one after another, either to inquire about the situation or to make requests, which were nothing more than the two ideas of Shen Cong and Wang Dian.

Xu Chu drank half a pot of tea, and no one came again. He got up and went back to his residence, feeling that he did not get any useful information.

It was past the second watch, and it was almost the third watch. Guo Shifeng came again, and he also came in uninvited, closed the door, and did not speak for a long time.

Xu Chu sat there waiting.

"The court is going to move the capital, right?"

"Move the capital?" Xu Chu was surprised.

"I got the news that there are more than ten eunuchs hiding in Prince Yu's team, acting furtively, as if they are protecting someone. Could it be - the emperor himself?"