Plan to cut off the nine states

King Ning left, and Queen Mother Luan leaned against the door, unable to move for a long time.

The female officer hurried over, pulled the cloth from her mouth, and shouted: "Someone help the Queen Mother!"

Finally, a brave maid came over and helped the Queen Mother back to the soft couch.

"Oh my God, my God, I thought... I thought I was going to die. Are you okay?" the Queen Mother asked with concern.

The female officer shook her head and said, "I'm fine. The Queen Mother will bear with you a little longer. I heard that after nightfall, King Wu will send the Queen Mother outside the city."

"Outside the city?" The Queen Mother looked a little frightened, not knowing what was outside the city.

The female official sighed: "Has the Queen Mother forgotten? The King of Eastern Hunan and the King of Jibei took the Queen Mother to Yecheng in Jizhou. Now the two kings led their troops to rescue the eastern capital. King Wu knew the current affairs and wanted to send the Queen Mother away. Go to the Jizhou military camp outside the city."

"Really?" Queen Mother Luan was still frightened. To her, the officers and soldiers outside the city were as scary as the rebels inside the city.

The female officer sighed again, "People like the Queen Mother should not live in troubled times."

Empress Dowager Luan forced a smile, "What can be done about things that are destined to happen?"

"Don't say such things, Her Majesty. There are always ways in life, but some people don't want to do it or dare not do it. Her Majesty, please listen to me. Rather than living and being humiliated, it is better to die and be righteous."

"If I commit suicide, I will fall into hell." Empress Dowager Luan shook her head, "I have been a Buddhist for many years, how can I fall short of my achievements?"

The female officer smiled bitterly and said: "The Queen Mother is living like this, why do you think she will fall short of her achievements?"

The female official's words were disrespectful, but Empress Dowager Luan was not angry. She smiled and said, "Thank you for coming forward just now."

"It's a pity that I'm too weak and couldn't kill the shameless traitor. I even lost my dagger."

"Fortunately, Prince Ning didn't kill you."

"That's because the Queen Mother begged for mercy." The female official knelt in front of the Queen Mother and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, make a decision early. You can avoid the pain of life and your reputation will last forever. What's wrong with that?"

"Famous for eternity... I don't think the world even knows my name, and will never remember that there is a person like me. So do you -" Queen Mother Luan showed a hint of apology, "You have stayed with me for almost three years, right? I I don’t even know your last name, where your hometown is, or who your parents are.”

The female officer was stunned for a moment, "My surname is Lin... It doesn't matter who I am. The Queen Mother is different. You are unique in the world."

"Am I?"

"Of course, there is only one crown princess, one queen, and one queen mother in the world, and that is you."

Empress Dowager Luan signaled Miss Lin to stand up, thought for a while, and said, "Oh, I don't ask for fame, but you insist on using it to suppress me."

Ms. Lin refused to get up, "The Queen Mother, I think about it again and again. Which one is better, sinking into the mire or purifying yourself by death?"

"Get up."

"Queen Mother..."

"I can only speak to you if you stand up."

Ms. Lin stood up slowly.

"I still can't commit suicide, but if I am killed by someone else, it will be God's will. Gods and Buddhas feel that I have paid all my debts in this life."

"Although Prince Ning is a reckless traitor, he will not kill you. He will only... only..." Ms. Lin could not continue.

"I don't want to die in his hands, I want... to die in your hands."

"Queen Mother!"

"This is the only reasonable solution. I don't want to commit suicide, and you want me to die for my name. If you kill me, we will each get what we deserve. Maybe I owed you something in my previous life, so I am destined to die at your hands in this life. We owe nothing to each other." . There is a reason for your killing me, and you will not be punished by the Buddha."

Ms. Lin was stunned for a long time, "But..."

"If you think it's too difficult to kill me, you should understand that suicide is even harder."

Ms. Lin gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, if we can't get out of the city smoothly, or there will be trouble again after leaving the city, I will send the Queen Mother away. Unfortunately, the dagger is gone, but there is always a way. If I kill the Queen Mother, I will also commit suicide to apologize. I am not afraid of falling into hell. ”

Queen Mother Luan smiled and said, "That's it, then? I haven't finished reciting the scriptures today."

Ms. Lin resigned, feeling sad and angry for a while.

When it was getting dark, Xu Chu came.

Hearing that King Ning broke into the palace and left, Xu Chu was a little disappointed and a little ashamed.

He was disappointed that the plan failed to succeed. Prince Ning's behavior was within his expectation, but Niu Tiannu's reaction surprised him, and he felt more and more that he had underestimated Prince Ning's wife.

Ashamedly, he took advantage of Queen Mother Luan, only to pretend to be a good person later.

"Now is not the time to talk about benevolence and righteousness." Xu Chu comforted himself.

Official Lin didn't understand what King Wu was thinking. When she saw him arriving, she breathed a sigh of relief. She immediately opened the courtyard door and asked, "Is King Wu here to see the Queen Mother out of the city?"

"Exactly. I didn't take good care of her, which frightened the Queen Mother, and she made her desperate."

"This cannot be blamed on King Wu. When will we set off? The Queen Mother is already ready."

"You can set off now." Since the Queen Mother could not be used to drive a wedge between Prince Ning and his wife, Xu Chu decided to send her out of the city in exchange for the temporary trust of the Jizhou army.

"King Wu, wait a moment." Ms. Lin hurried back to the house to invite the Queen Mother, and came back after a while, "The Queen Mother wants to see King Wu."

"Huh?" Xu Chu was not ready to see the Queen Mother.

"The Queen Mother would like to thank King Wu in person."

"This...please lead the way."

This time Xu Chu was not left in the yard, but was taken into the living room.

King Wu was also a traitor and one of the murderers of Emperor Wu. Queen Mother Luan didn't feel panic at all when she saw him. "Thank you King Wu for sending me out of the city."

"Maybe it's just temporary. The Queen Mother can return to the old palace in the future."

Queen Mother Luan smiled slightly and said, "I would like to borrow the auspicious words of King Wu. When I see King Wu, firstly I want to thank you, and secondly I want to ask for something."

"Queen Dowager, please speak. As long as I can do it, I will never refuse."

"Zhang is immoral, Tiancheng lost the tripod, but the palace ladies are innocent. Please treat them well, King Wu, and don't let them be displaced."

Xu Chu was stunned, and Lin, the female official who was listening, was also stunned. He didn't expect that the queen dowager, who had always been cowardly and inactive, would say such a thing.

"I will do my best." Xu Chu said perfunctorily.

"I am just a woman with little knowledge. I have only met King Wu twice, but I believe that King Wu is not a cruel person. You killed the Emperor of All Things, and you probably don't want to see another Emperor of All Things appear. Alas, what nonsense am I talking about? Everything is God's will. King Wu will do good and he will also get good results."

Queen Dowager Luan stood up, "You can set off."

Xu Chu sent the queen dowager and the palace maids to the car, and personally led the troops to Xicheng. He was worried all the way.

Ning Baoguan didn't come to make trouble.

The city gate opened, Xu Chu stopped, and Lei Dajun escorted the Queen Mother out of the city. The officers and soldiers had received the news and sent people to wait outside.

Xu Chu climbed the city wall, comforted the soldiers, and looked out. It was already dark, and the Queen Mother and her entourage could not be seen. The only scene that caught his eye was the little fire in the distance.

He once again thought of the Queen Mother's parting words, and wondered why Fei Bing, Tan Wuwei, and Queen Mother Luan all thought he was a "good man"? The kings were standing side by side, and it seemed that only he could practice benevolence and righteousness.

Xu Chu did not want to be a "good man", at least not at this time. In troubled times, what was fought was strength and wisdom, and "good man" was almost synonymous with weakness.

He was afraid that even his soldiers would think that the King of Wu was a "good man" and lose the respect they should have.

There seemed to be a riot outside the city, and a group of people and horses ran quickly. When they were about to reach the city, Xu Chu recognized that it was Lei Dajun, and hurriedly ordered the gate to be opened to welcome him, and the city was on guard to prevent the officers and soldiers from taking the opportunity to seize the gate.

There were no pursuers behind Lei Dajun. As soon as he entered the city gate, he immediately dismounted and went up to the city wall to meet the King of Wu. "Regent, the King of Ning led his troops out of the city again."

"He wants to rob the Queen Mother?" Xu Chu hoped that Ning Baoguan would make this mistake.

Lei Dajun shook his head, "The King of Ning led his troops to attack the camp of the officers and soldiers. The officers and soldiers were very angry and thought that the King of Wu was cheating, so I came back quickly..."

Xu Chu immediately ordered people to go to the North City to inquire about the situation.

Not long after the dispatched people left, Gan Zhao's people came first and reported that the King of Ning did lead a cavalry out of the city, had a brief confrontation with the officers and soldiers, and soon returned to the city without entanglement.

First, he broke into the Queen Mother's bedroom, and then went out of the city for no reason to fight with the officers and soldiers. On the same day, Ning Baoguan acted on his own twice. Although the former was designed by Xu Chu, in the eyes of outsiders, it was the King of Wu, the military commander, who could not control the King of Ning.

Xu Chu had to do something. He really didn't dare to go straight to the North City. The disputes among the kings were reduced a lot, but the contradictions were increasingly concentrated between the two kings of Wu and Ning.

Xu Chu sent a messenger to the north city to invite King Ning to meet him in the camp of King Shu.

Xu Chu had made up his mind that if Ning Baoguan did not accept the invitation, he would have to issue an order, and if the order was still not obeyed, he had to use the army to force Ning Baoguan to come.

Things did not get too awkward. Ning Baoguan accepted the invitation and came a little later, with only a dozen guards, in military uniform, without reporting, and went straight into the hall.

Xu Chu and Gan Zhao were chatting, and when they saw Ning Baoguan coming in, Gan Zhao stood up, and Xu Chu sat still.

Ning Baoguan, holding the golden whip given by the King of Wu, strode over, nodded to Gan Zhao, and said to the King of Wu: "You are looking for me?"

"If the King of Ning is dissatisfied with my plan to withdraw troops, he can speak directly and we can discuss it together. Why do we have to make trouble in private and make the soldiers of the righteous army confused?"

Ning Baoguan inserted the whip into his belt and turned his head to look. There were only three kings in the hall, no one else. "I have nothing to be dissatisfied with. The King of Wu asked the kings to take turns to attack to tire the officers and soldiers. I am acting according to the plan."

"Taking turns to attack is not a random attack. I sent the Queen Mother out of the city to confuse the officers and soldiers, make them slack, and then attack them unexpectedly. But the King of Ning destroyed the plan and kept the officers and soldiers alert."

"Hey, the King of Wu is so mean. There are always so many tricks, but you have to speak them out clearly. Are you going to let us, the rough guys, guess randomly? "

"I have sent people to inform the kings of every step of my plan."

"That's because your people speak too elegantly and I can't understand them."

Xu Chu stood up, "If King Ning thinks he can defeat the soldiers, that's great. I can give up the position of military leader, or King Ning can do his own thing in the north city, and the other three sides will be under my command. King Ning is a hero, there is no need to be insincere. We all have the same goal, which is to repel the soldiers. Why do we have to use tricks against each other?"

"King Wu is right, why do we have to use tricks against each other? You are still the leader of the entire army. I will not leave the city without your order in the future." Ning Baoguan bowed slightly and turned away.

Ning Baoguan will never be used by others.

Xu Chu apparently defeated Ning Baoguan, but he was not proud of it. He said to Gan Zhao: "King Ning only has the Ning Army in his heart, not the Yi Army."

Gan Zhao stepped forward and said: "King Ning is good at fighting. If he can be used, he will be like a tiger with wings. If he can't be used, King Wu should be careful."

Xu Chu smiled but said nothing. He couldn't trust Gan Zhao too much.

Back to the Wu army camp in Xicheng, Lei Dajun reported that a team of envoys had come from the officers and soldiers and had been waiting for a long time.

Meng Senglun and Tang Weitian also entered the city with the envoys.

When Tang Weitian saw King Wu, he knelt down and kowtowed a few times, then stood up and said: "It's great that the Grand Commander is not dead."

Xu Chu also missed this personal guard and smiled: "You have worked hard. Who is the envoy sent by Yecheng this time?"

Meng Senglun stepped forward and replied: "We didn't see him, but Fei Bing said, 'The King of Wu wants a guarantee, and the King of Jibei will send one.'"