The Grandmaster Strategist

I looked at Xiao Shunzi packing her things, and felt confused for a while. I would be free tomorrow, but I couldn't be happy. After a long time, I made up my mind, why should I bother with someone who would definitely kill me tomorrow? . At this time, a servant from Prince Yong's Mansion came to report that Guan Xiu, Dong Zhi, and Gou Lian had come to see him. They came here to make their last effort, and felt warm in their hearts. No matter what, they are all good people. Since there will never be another chance to drink at the same table from now on, they might as well take a night out by candlelight. I smiled and asked the servant to invite them in.

Guan Xiu and the others are all smart people. After a few words, they knew that I had made up my mind, so they didn't say much. We talked to our heart's content and stayed awake all night. At dawn, I looked at the dawn outside the window and said with a smile: "There is no banquet in the world that lasts forever. If we say goodbye today, I am afraid we will be strangers when we meet next year."

Gou Lian said sadly: "Since Sui Yun knows this, why do you still seek refuge with King Qi?"

I smiled slightly and said: "His Royal Highness King Qi is reckless and straightforward. I will only spend a few days under his command. After a while, I will leave Chang'an. By then, we will be friends, not enemies, so you don't have to worry about it."

Dong Zhi said in a low voice: "I'm afraid His Highness the King of Qi won't let you go either?"

I just said lightly: "Please go back, everyone. Jiang is leaving Prince Yong's Mansion today. His Highness has already said that he will see Jiang off. Sui Yun cannot go to see His Highness like this. He must take a shower and change clothes before he can say goodbye to His Highness."

Guan Xiu stood up and said: "In that case, we won't disturb Sui Yun anymore. We will see him off soon and we won't go, so as not to be sad and ecstatic at parting. It's just a farewell."

After seeing off the three counselors, I walked into the back room. This room is a special bathroom. In the middle of the room is a bathtub about five feet wide. The entire pool is paved with bluestone. The water inlet is in the center of the bath. Above it is There is a water lotus with copper pipes laid under the bluestone at the bottom of the pool. After heating the clear spring water brought from the garden, press the water inlet mechanism, and the warm clear spring water will spray out from the lotus nozzle. When I entered, Xiao Shunzi was pouring water into the pool. The mist was everywhere and the pearls were flying. I smiled slightly. The enjoyment of the royal family is indeed extraordinary. I will think so every time I come in.

I took off my clothes, walked into the bath, and enjoyed the comfort of the hot water bath. I smiled and said, "Xiao Shunzi, do you think I can build a bath like this in the future?"

Xiao Shunzi didn't answer my words. I was a little surprised. Looking back, Xiao Shunzi seemed to be wandering. I shook my head strangely, but I didn't wake him up. He would not hide his thoughts in front of me. Soon he had something to say to me.

After bathing, I put on the clothes prepared by Xiao Shunzi. This was what I specially ordered. From the innermost underwear to the outermost Confucian shirt, they were all white in color. When I put on each piece of clothes seriously , Xiao Shunzi suddenly fell to his knees and said sadly: "Master, please don't embarrass yourself like this."

I was slightly startled, and my hand that was about to take the robe he handed me stopped, and asked, "Xiao Shunzi, what are you talking about?"

Xiao Shunzi said: "Young Master wants to avenge your wife. Xiao Shunzi knows that. May I ask what strategies you have to avenge your wife?"

I looked at him and said calmly: "You and I are closely related. I won't hide it from you. As early as I knew the culprit, I had three strategies in mind."

Xiao Shunzi said: "May I ask what you want to do?"

I took the Confucian shirt in his hand and said slowly: "The most difficult decision is to make. After I escape from Yongdu, I will hide in the market and wait for the opportunity. The so-called wise man will always have a care in his mind. If you wait carefully, you will eventually have the opportunity to assassinate. Li An, even if the assassination failed, the embankment of a thousand miles collapsed in an ant nest. I traveled around the world, cultivating forces that were dissatisfied with Li An. Now that Dongchuan has not surrendered wholeheartedly, Nanchu will soon re-establish a country and borrow the power of the world. If King Yong is still watching from the side, I will one day take revenge.

It's just that killing the crown prince of a country is not a trivial matter. After it is done, I need to disperse all the wealth of my subordinates and wander around the world. If I am not careful, I will be defeated. "

Xiao Shunzi asked in a low voice: "May I ask the master's strategy?"

I put on my Confucian shirt and said calmly: "Zhongce is better. Prince Li An's right-hand man is King Qi. Although King Qi is reckless, he is rough on the outside and delicate on the inside. He is really a hero of the world. If there is no King Yong, King Qi will be a good king. I took refuge in the King of Qi, made suggestions for him, provoked discord between his brothers, and when the time came, I caused him to cause civil strife in Xiao Qiang. Whether I benefited King Yong or King Qi, I eventually made the prince break his wings, even if I failed to achieve my goal. , you can also cause civil strife in Dayong, one to avenge the country, and the other to avenge personal hatred."

Xiao Shunzi walked forward on his knees and said, "Master, what's your advice?"

I tied my shirt belt and said with a smile: "This is the most honest and upright policy. I surrendered to King Yong, borrowed a knife to kill people, and ordered His Highness King Yong to kill his brothers and force my father to abdicate. Not only will my great revenge be avenged, but the world will also get a wise king and holy master. The dawn of unification is just around the corner, and I, Jiang Zhe, can also leave my name in history. After this is accomplished, I can either retire to the countryside or enjoy wealth and wealth in peace. Isn't this the best policy?"

Xiao Shunzi said solemnly: "Young Master, Xiao Shunzi has always been by your side these years. How could Xiao Shunzi not understand the young master's thoughts? The young master clearly knows that surrendering to King Yong is the best choice. Why are you so stubborn? Young Master's The enemy is also the enemy of King Yong. As long as the prince surrenders to King Yong, when King Yong ascends the throne, the prince's great revenge will be avenged. The prince still refuses to submit to King Yong, and deliberately provokes him, forcing King Yong to kill the prince. Soon after, in fact, as long as the young master obeys King Yong and waits for revenge, the young master can go back to the mountains and forests, and he can also win a peaceful life for the rest of his life. Why take such risks? Although the young master has extraordinary medical skills, the poison hidden by the Yong royal family may not be able to save him. If the young master is unlucky, what's the use of Xiao Shunzi just killing King Yong?"

I said calmly: "How come I don't understand these things, but in my life, I can do whatever it takes to deal with the enemy, but I will never use my scheming tactics on those close to me. His Highness King Yong, the Mingjun of Kuang Dynasty, treats Sui Yun with all his heart, and for Sui Yun's sake, How much thought has gone into Yun alone, thousands of miles away, His Highness undressed and pushed food, Sui Yun is not a hard-hearted person, how can he not be moved, but I have been favored by Nanchu in front of me, and I have a grudge with Dayong in the back, there is already a gap in my heart. What's more, if I sincerely obey you, I will do my best to make plans for His Highness. Without my planning, Your Highness may not have a chance of winning. Although it is tragic, my reputation is flawless. If I submit to Your Highness, Suiyun is a mortal, and I will inevitably take the opportunity to settle my personal grudges and work for him. My selfishness hurts the righteousness of the monarch and his ministers. If I am impartial, how can I be worthy of the fragrant soul under Piaoxiang Spring? After thinking about it, I neither want to cause His Highness to leave a stigma in the history, nor do I want to disgrace my wife Piaoxiang. I can only give up. It's difficult. As for the middle strategy, although it doesn't hurt my will, it will inevitably cause great harm to King Yong. I feel guilty that I can't serve such a wise king, and how can I bear to hurt him, so I have to adopt the lowest strategy."

Xiao Shunzi said: "Young Master refuses to serve King Yong, but it is for King Yong's sake, but why should he force King Yong to kill him? If he agrees falsely, there will be no difficulty in escaping Chang'an after a while."

I smiled and said: "I may not be very cautious in small things in my life, but I will never lie or deceive in such matters. At the beginning, I refused to work for Prince De, and I never lied to him. Today, since I don't I am willing to work for King Yong, but I will never lie to him. Besides, if King Yong is not forced to kill me, how can I give up my intention of submitting to King Yong. Xiao Shunzi, remember, I am cheating to death today, which is indeed a bit dangerous. , so if I am unlucky, please remember not to avenge me and hurt King Yong. His Highness King Yong is not wrong. An overlord must never be soft-hearted. I only want you to remember that one day you will kill Li An for me, and then take me with you. My ashes will be returned to Nanchu, and Piao Xiang and I will be buried together, will you agree?"

Xiao Shunzi bowed his head to the ground, and after a long time he cried and said: "How could I not listen to the master's orders? If the master is unfortunate, after I kill that Li An, I will return to Nanchu and guard the master's tomb for the rest of my life." "

I said calmly: "Thank you very much. In fact, I have a good chance of winning. You don't have to be sad. After passing this level, there will be nothing in the world that can bind Jiang. Even if it's revenge, I won't sacrifice the rest of my life. You You can rest assured.”

Xiao Shunzi remained silent. I knew he didn't believe me. In fact, what I said was true. I would never go crazy for revenge.

In King Yong's study, Li Zhi silently looked at a silver pot on the desk. Shi Yu stood in front of the desk and said worriedly: "Why didn't His Highness use the Yuanyang pot hidden in Dayong's secret collection instead of this Zangfeng pot?" Woolen cloth?"

Li Zhi said lightly: "Although the Yuanyang Pot secretly made by the previous dynasty is reliable, Jiang Zhe is familiar with the classics and is good at identification, so he may not recognize the Yuanyang Pot. This Zangfeng Pot was sent by my subordinate in Nanchu. The agency It's exquisite and has no flaws, so just use this pot. The ecstasy pill won't change the color of the silver pot, and Jiang Zhe won't notice it."

Shi Yu had followed Li Zhi for many years. He could feel the sadness in Li Zhi's heart and couldn't help but said: "Your Highness, just now Guan Xiu and the others came to report that Jiang Suiyun claimed that he would not stay with the King of Qi for long. If Your Highness cannot bear it, you might as well let him go. "

Li Zhi said indifferently: "Do you really think so?"

Shi Yu hesitated to speak, and finally said: "It is all the fault of my subordinates. I encourage His Highness to seek talents. However, now that His Highness cannot pacify Nanchu and cannot obtain talents, it is all the fault of his subordinates. But this person, If I don’t kill him, I’m afraid my subordinates will be restless day and night.”

Li Zhi sneered slightly and said: "It's not your fault. It's because I am too confident and think that all the wise men in the world will serve me alone. That's all. Let's go to the front hall to bid farewell to Jiang Zhe. It's a pity that the peerless talent will be buried deep in the loess from now on. This is my fault." The king’s sin is also his misfortune.”

Not far from Prince Yong's Mansion, a gorgeous carriage was waiting quietly. In the carriage, King Li Xian of Qi was beaming with joy. Sitting opposite him was Princess Qin Zheng. Today, Qin Zheng is no longer a woman disguised as a man, but is dressed in a Yue White House outfit. Scanning her eyebrows lightly, she saw the heavenly fragrance and beautiful scenery, and said calmly: "Isn't it that Hanlin scholar Jiang Zhe? Why does His Highness value him so much?"

A trace of ridicule flashed in Li Xian's eyes, and he said in a sincere tone: "Back then, Zheng'er, you had a sharp tongue and could not convince Prince De, but this man convinced Zhao Jue in just a few words. It is said that this man accompanied Zhao Jue to pacify Shu. I have detailed After careful study of Zhao Jue's strategy for pinging Shu, I saw that his style was unusual, which showed that Jiang Zhe was really talented. What's more, I have loved this man's style for a long time. Even his second brother loved him very much. What's wrong with me being so humble? I'm not talking about you. Zheng'er, you are a talented woman in this world. With your family background, appearance, and talent, you are the perfect choice for the best. But your only flaw is that you lack the temperament of humility and tolerance. No wonder, you She is the proud daughter of heaven, and I have something to say. If you offend Mr. Jiang, don’t blame me for being ruthless."

A flash of anger flashed in Qin Zheng's eyes. Back then, he was ordered to approach the King of Qi. This King of Qi was young and suave, and soon he fell in love with Qin Zheng. In Southern Chu, he fell into the trap of the King of Qi because of jealousy. , overnight, she became the fiancée of King Qi, but from then on, King Qi returned to his old ways, either walking around, or chasing eagles and beasts, treating him as if he was away from him, sometimes as dear as honey, sometimes as cold as ice, he has not yet After marrying into the royal palace, she would have three or four concubine children. I hate that I am so obsessed that I can't extricate myself. I didn't get married until recently by the emperor's order. However, although Li Xian respects him very much on the surface, he has set aside a forbidden area in the inner courtyard of the palace, where he can be lascivious and violent. He also told his master and father Crying, but they all said that this was the true nature of King Qi. He could only abide by the ways of women and be bound by tenderness. In desperation, he could only turn a blind eye. But today King Qi went even further and actually let himself She bowed her head to a Nanchu prisoner, but after much deliberation, she finally did not want to fall out with King Qi, so she could only endure it and said: "I obey my orders."

Li Xian smiled faintly. He knew this smart woman very well. She was arrogant, but she was a little less gentle. She didn't have too much persuasion. He knew that Qin Zheng would not openly disobey his orders. Seeing that it was close to the agreed time, Li Xian said: "Okay, let's go to Prince Yong's Mansion now."

The hall of Prince Yong's Mansion is different. It is not as magnificent as other palaces. It is wide, far-reaching, solemn and solemn. Li Zhi is also dressed in plain clothes today. He originally had mourning in his heart. When he saw Jiang Zhe, he was stunned. , Jiang Zhe is also dressed in plain clothes. Taking advantage of his delicate and elegant, slightly haggard appearance, he looks even more graceful and graceful.

There was a feeling of regret in his heart, and his eyes fell on Shi Yu. Since Jiang Zhe was to be killed today, Li Xian only brought Shi Yu to see him off. Shi Yu's eyes were cold and he shook his head slightly. Li Zhi no longer hesitated and said with a smile: "I'm seeing you off today. I know that your character is noble, so I can only send you off with a glass of fine wine. Please don't refuse, sir." After that, Shi Yu brought a black wooden tray with a Zangfeng pot and a bottle of wine on it. Two silver cups.

My eyes passed over the Zangfeng Pot, and I couldn't help but smile. I designed this Zangfeng Pot myself and sold it through Tianji Pavilion. In order to get a high price, I only made three of them, each worth a thousand gold. I never expected that we would see this pot again in Dayong today. There is an interlayer at the bottom that can hold a cup of venom. If you want to use this pot to harm someone, just inject the venom into the bottom of the pot. When pouring wine, just press the lotus carving on the pot handle, and the venom in the bottom of the pot will flow through the wall to the spout. , pour it into the wine cup from the lotus heart carved next to the mouth of the pot. With poison like this, you can kill thousands of people without revealing your identity. Of course, the poison must not change the color of the silver pot, so you can avoid anything. Anyone can use the Zangfeng pot to harm others, and it is also to make the drinker not suspicious. I didn't expect that this Zangfeng pot would be used on myself today. I wonder if this is self-inflicted?

Li Zhi picked up the Zangfeng pot, poured a glass of poisonous wine first, then moved his thumb to pour himself a cup of pure wine. Putting down the wine pot, he picked up his own wine glass and said with a forced smile: "Sir, please drink this cup to the full, and you will be prosperous from now on." , the clouds are rising straight up."

I took the glass of poisonous wine and thought, if I had worked so hard for this man, I would probably end up with just this glass of poisonous wine. I looked at King Yong and saw him forcing a smile on his face. I smiled lightly, thinking of this man's past favor. He couldn't help but said: "His Royal Highness, the Dragon Sun and the Heavenly Watch, are beyond words. From now on, as long as you cultivate military armor externally and moral governance internally, the Prince will not dare to provoke you easily even if you are afraid. As for other matters, there are wise men who will plan for Your Highness. Zhe bids farewell to Your Highness today, and I may not see you again. I hope Your Highness will rule the world as soon as possible, bring peace to the world, and make the people happy. Although Suiyun is far away from the rivers and lakes, I will pray for Your Highness day and night." These words are all from the bottom of my heart. , I really don’t blame him. He wanted to kill me because I pushed him too hard. A real dragon has its own scales. Thinking that we won’t see each other again after today, I couldn’t help but say a few words from my heart. I picked up the wine glass and I can tell the difference. The poison in the wine, the Wandujiang I prepared is also highly poisonous, but it can protect my heart and save my life. Tonight is my chance to fake death. Raise the silver cup, I will drink this cup of poisonous wine.

Li Zhi took the wine glass from Jiang Zhe, feeling very uneasy in his heart. He had never done such a thing of killing a talented person, and he felt a little ashamed. At this moment, after hearing Jiang Zhe's heartfelt words, his powerful right hand unexpectedly He began to tremble. Seeing that Jiang Zhe was about to drink the poisonous wine, blood surged in his chest, and he suddenly stretched out his hand to hold down the wine glass.

I looked at Li Zhi's hand on the wine glass with confusion, and his pale face, and my heart was in confusion. Although Li Zhi was just impulsive at first, he quickly calmed down. He took the wine glass and said lightly: "Mr. He is a scribe, but his mind is not inferior to that of a warrior on the battlefield. He should use a big cup, not this silver cup. Come, bring me my golden helmet."

Not long after, the serving servant brought the golden helmet that Li Zhi wore to fight the enemy. Li Zhi did not use the mechanism of the Zangfeng pot, opened the lid, poured all the wine in the pot into the golden helmet, and raised his hands. He stood up and said: "Jiang Zhe, although you are a talented man from the prosperous land of Southern Chu, your ambition and character are better than those of our border warriors from Dayong. I will give you wine with a golden helmet and wish you a safe journey." At this moment, Li Zhi no longer had any resentment or resentment in his heart, but felt peaceful. He thought to himself, "I can't let Jiang Zhe be used by me. It's because I lack virtue and talent. If I'm good at killing innocent sages, even if the throne is in front of me, what do I have?" You are qualified to sit on it.