Taiping Inn

When the news of Qizhou reached the Imperial Capital, the whole Imperial Capital was filled with gloom. Read М

Even the aged Prince of Yan went to the palace to meet His Majesty the Emperor at night and discuss with the important ministers of the cabinet. Although the young emperor looked calm, everyone could clearly see the real anger that His Majesty was suppressing.

Qin Daofang and Qin Xiang were called the two Qins by the people of the court, but everyone knew that the biggest worry of the court was not these two Qins, but Qin Li, referring to the father-in-law and son-in-law Qin Qing and Li Xuandu, one was called the King of Liao and the other was called the King of Qi. Now the one in charge of Qizhou was Li Xuandu, and everything the two Qins did was instigated by Li Xuandu behind them.

The officials of the court could only say that Li Xuandu's actions were unexpected but reasonable. Thinking carefully, Li Xuandu's so-called new policy is somewhat similar to Zhang Suqing's new policy, but Li Xuandu is more radical and more resolute than Zhang Suqing. If Zhang Suqing just wanted the gentry to cut flesh and bleed, then Li Xuandu wanted the gentry to die. This made many people regret it. If Zhang Suqing's new policy was successful, there might not be today's Qin Li. Cutting flesh and bleeding is better than losing life. It's just a heroic act.

In fact, at this time, there is nothing to discuss. Qizhou is lost, but the key is that the two armies are besieging the imperial capital, and the troops from all over the country have not yet arrived. If the imperial capital is lost accidentally, then everything will be over.

When the King of Yan left the palace, it was already dawn. He did not return to the mansion, but went to Yuying Temple outside the city.

Now the Grand Princess Xuanzhen lives there and rarely returns to the Princess Mansion in the city.

It was no secret that Grand Princess Xuanzhen and Li Xuandu were very close, but from the emperor to the Confucian school, no one did anything to her. After Grand Princess Xuanzhen began to practice in seclusion, the huge imperial capital seemed to have forgotten this second-in-command of the royal family. In fact, the reason was very clear. The more powerful and difficult it was to control Li Xuandu, the safer Grand Princess Xuanzhen would be.

The court was prepared for the worst case scenario, and it needed someone who could come forward to negotiate peace when things were impossible. This person had to have enough weight and a certain relationship with the upper echelons of the Taoist sect. Moreover, unlike the Grand Priest Sikong Daoxuan, he had to represent the interests of the royal family Xu family, so Grand Princess Xuanzhen was the most suitable candidate and irreplaceable.

When the carriage of the King of Yan arrived outside the gate of Yuying Temple, they happened to see a young female crown who seemed to have just returned from outside and entered Yuying Temple before them.

The King of Yan lifted the curtain of the carriage, looked at the back of the nun, and asked, "Who is this woman?"

An attendant had already recognized her: "It seems to be Miss Yao."

"The official lady who was kidnapped by some sect?" The King of Yan had some impression of it. The big case not long ago did make a big fuss in the city.

The attendant said, "That's right. This lady is also unfortunate. She was kidnapped by a villain and her reputation was ruined. Although she was rescued, her husband's family also broke off the engagement. In the end, she had no choice but to become a nun and worship Taoism. She was accepted as a disciple by the eldest princess and practiced in Yuying Temple."

The King of Yan nodded slightly and no longer paid attention to this matter.

The nun was Yao Xianglian, also known as Wu Xian.

Li Xuandu was forced by the situation and did not pursue Wu Xian's crime of robbing the immortal stone. Wu Xian knew that he was in the wrong and restrained himself. Not long ago, he attended Li Xuandu's enthronement ceremony and just returned to Yuying Temple.

King Yan noticed Wu Xian, and Wu Xian naturally

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also noticed King Yan. She had only been reborn for a short time, and even though she was influenced by Yao Xianglian, she still didn't care much about the powerful and noble, and preferred to judge people by their realm. After all, in the era of the Ten Witches of Lingshan, there was no emperor, and the Emperor of Heaven, who was similar to the emperor, was the most powerful person. Probably, the higher the realm, the higher the status, and weak people could not ascend to a high position at all.

In her opinion, this person was completely corrupt from inside to outside, and his time was running out. He was very weak, so naturally there was no need to care about him. When she came back this time, she actually took on the responsibility of a messenger, and had to hand Li Xuandu's letter to the hands of Princess Xuanzhen.

Neither of them thought that the other party was actually quite important in their respective camps, and they just passed each other by.

The reason why the King of Yan came to see the Grand Princess Xuanzhen was not that they had reached the point of negotiating peace, but that they wanted to first test the Grand Princess Xuanzhen's attitude and make preparations in advance, so as to avoid being in a hurry when the time comes.

This is the thinking of the old men like the King of Yan. They should consider defeat before they can win. This is what is called maturity and prudence. The young Emperor Tianbao probably spent most of his energy to calm his anger at this time, and he didn't think of this section at all.

After the King of Yan and other important officials of the court left one after another, Emperor Tianbao left his study and came to the Taisheng Temple where the coronation ceremony was held. Yang Lu was guarding outside the door.

Emperor Tianbao walked slowly forward, climbed the steps, sat on the dragon throne, facing south and back to north.

Because the Taisheng Temple was not used several times a year, the incense burner in the temple was empty, and there was no scene of purple smoke.

Emperor Tianbao looked up, as if the world was under his feet.

But he knew very well that the so-called common master of the world was just a joke.

He couldn't help but think of his father, Emperor Muzong.

Emperor Muzong had four ministers headed by Zhang Suqing, and military generals like Qin Xiang. If his father could live longer, perhaps the world would not be like this, and his father might be able to become the leader of the revival.

But where did all those people go?

Zhang Suqing and the four ministers are all dead. Qin Xiang simply became a traitor.

Can't this world give him some time? Give him another ten years, and he will have the confidence to make the world peaceful.

Thinking of this, Emperor Tianbao clenched his fists.

But Emperor Tianbao didn't understand one truth, time and fate.

The reason why Li Xuandu could create such a situation in a few years was not because of how great Li Xuandu was, but because of the general trend. Since the Ning Wang Rebellion, the Taoist sect has been committed to resisting the Confucian sect. The efforts of many generations have accumulated, and it can be said that everything is ready except for the east wind. Li Xuandu stood on the basis of Zhang Jingxiu, Li Daoxu, Qin Qing, and Xu Wugui to integrate the Taoist sect. In other words, the most promising Situ Xuance died, and Li Xuandu stood up. If Li Xuandu didn't stand up, there would be others.

Li Xuandu was the first hundredth step. Without the previous ninety-nine steps, he could not have achieved initial success. Without the other hundred steps of future generations, it would be impossible to achieve the final success and real peace.

Emperor Tianbao didn't understand this truth, and always secretly envied Li Xuandu, thinking that if Li Xuandu could do it, he could do it too. Li Xuandu can integrate the Dao Sect in a few years. Then he can rectify the government in ten years, quell the rebellion, and become the leader of the revival.

How can it be so easy to ascend to the sky in one step?

Li Xuandu has Li Daoxu, Xu Wugui, and Zhang Jingxiu in front of him

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Lu Zhuji, all of whom are outstanding people of the time. Although they have their own shortcomings and mistakes, the overall direction is correct. Li Xuandu is nothing more than continuing their path.

Who is ahead of Emperor Tianbao? Emperor Muzong did something, but his grandfather Emperor Shizong and his mother Empress Dowager Xie Zhi left him a huge mess, which is difficult to reverse. If Li Xuandu or Qin Qing sat in his position, they would not dare to say that the country is stable. At most, they can patch up and maintain it, let alone say that there will be peace for ten years.

It is a good thing to be ambitious, but it is another matter to be ambitious.

This is not the fault of Emperor Tianbao. He lost his father at a young age, was born in the deep palace, and grew up in the hands of women. He had never seen the sufferings of the world. Xie Zhi was busy fighting for power and neglected to teach him. Old Man Long and Emperor Tianbao were considered master and apprentice, but Old Man Long had ulterior motives. He just provoked Emperor Tianbao's ambitions and aggravated the gap between mother and son, making Emperor Tianbao a sharp sword for Confucianism to deal with Xie Zhi.

In a sense, Xie Zhi represented the interests of Taoism in the court. At that time, there were also voices within Taoism that Xie Zhi should be left and the court should be in a state of internal strife, which would be more conducive to the plan of entering the pass.

However, Li Xuandu still forcibly eliminated Xie Zhi in the name of revenge, which helped the court to achieve initial integration.

It's not that Li Xuandu didn't understand this truth. Even if he put aside the reason for revenge, Li Xuandu also advocated getting rid of Xie Zhi first to achieve a complete cut between Taoism and the Wei court, without carrying burdens, and avoiding the situation of you in me and me in you in the future. Furthermore, even if the imperial court unified its policies and stopped fighting internally, it was completely rotten and had accumulated many problems. It was no match for the emperor.

Emperor Tianbao punched the armrest of the dragon throne fiercely, his face was ferocious and terrible.

The dragon throne was safe and sound, but blood flowed from Emperor Tianbao's palm.

Because of his anger, Emperor Tianbao did not feel too much pain. He suddenly understood his mother. From the second year of Tianbao to the eighth year of Tianbao, in six years, his mother was good at dancing with long sleeves and wandering between various forces. What was she struggling to maintain?

Although Emperor Tianbao did not realize that he could not have peace for ten years, he understood one thing, that is, he could not have ten years.

At this moment, he suddenly realized that he might be wrong and mistaken his mother for an enemy.

But now, everything is too late.

The court said that the queen mother was sick and could not go out. Emperor Tianbao himself knew that the queen mother was no longer in the imperial capital and might have died for a long time.

In the court today, the so-called "many righteous people fill the court", even the Imperial Household Department has to succumb to the Confucian scholars.

Emperor Tianbao whispered: "My ministers have misled me, and all civil officials can be killed."

Outside the Taisheng Palace, Yang Lu, the eunuch who holds the seal of the Imperial Household Department, stood silently, his eyes watching his nose and his nose watching his heart, his ears not hearing and his eyes not seeing.

Not far from Yang Lu, stood an old man in a Confucian robe.

The Golden Toad Old Man seemed to be whispering to himself, and seemed to be explaining to Yang Lu: "Senior brother knows that your majesty has an extreme temper, so he specially ordered you to take good care of him and not let your majesty do anything out of line."

In the Taisheng Palace, Emperor Tianbao could not see the Golden Toad Old Man, but could only see Yang Lu with his back to him, but he seemed to know the existence of the Golden Toad Old Man, leaning on the back of the dragon chair and closing his eyes.

What is the difference between me now and a bird in a cage?

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