Warrior in Turbulent Han Dynasty

It was late at night, and Zhang Yongde didn't even dare to go home, so he stayed overnight in the Crane Control Army barracks next to the city gate.

He tossed and turned unable to sleep. He put on his clothes and got up, went to the desk, picked up a tool next to him and lightly flicked the wick of the oil lamp.

The light in the room was slightly brighter, and at this moment he took out a torn envelope, stretched out a palm, and poured out a piece of paper from the envelope. Zhang Yongde leaned under the lamp and read it carefully again; there are many words and the writing is smooth, and it is indeed Wang Pu's own handwriting. It is written entirely in the capacity of a personal friend, not in the name of a privy envoy to issue an order... That means that Zhang Yongde can completely refuse the "invitation" without being accused of disobedience.

But can you really say no? Zhang Yongde thought over and over in his heart.

Zhang Yongde is very famous in front of people, he is the most senior general of the imperial army, his wife is the fourth daughter of Taizu, a real relative of the emperor. But he feels that the past few years have not been so comfortable, because he is too prominent, he is always stared at by others, and he feels very uneasy. Fortunately, he has self-knowledge, otherwise he may not be able to afford it now.

Zhao Kuangyin has already escaped today, and logically the victory or defeat has been divided, so he should immediately understand his choice. But things are not that simple.

... When he was still in Hebei, the emperor was seriously ill, and Zhang Yongde occasionally thought of something very tempting.

The Son of Heaven would rather have a kind, a strong soldier and a strong horse! In this world, the emperor has been a general for many years; and Zhang Yongde is the most senior general under the emperor! He married Taizu's own daughter; from the perspective of his relationship with Guo Wei, it is hard to say who is the son-in-law or nephew (Chai Rong). The current emperor is seriously ill again, and his son is only a few years old.

It is impossible for Zhang Yongde to never think in that direction. Even if he didn't want to, others would think for him... For example, Emperor Chai Rong and his strong general Zhao Kuangyin must have wondered whether Zhang Yongde wanted to go further.

But the last step is the most difficult step. Countless people can't make it. Those who are too greedy can easily lose their lives in one step. Zhang Yongde pondered over and over again, thinking that he had no chance, and there was no need to be persistent.

So when he learned of the Tokyo Mutiny and Zhao Kuangyin's sudden disappearance this morning, he immediately became alert and ran to the Crane Army camp to avoid disaster.

Zhang Yongde had already pondered the conflict between Zhao Kuangyin and the Queen's Party. At that time, he immediately realized that he might be pushed up by Zhao Kuangyin to fight against Guo Shao's troops.

This kind of thing does no good at all! Once Zhao Kuangyin fails, will he not be wiped out with his yellow robe? Even if he wins, everything is done by Zhao Kuangyin, he feels that it is difficult to sit in the top position... The key is that the imperial city is controlled by others, and the chance of winning is not great. And what if Emperor Chai Rong can still stand up? The people in the imperial city were forced to invite the officials out. As the emperor's brother-in-law, Zhang Yongde was deeply favored by the emperor. How should he face it?

Zhang Yongde thought about it, thinking that some things are not his own, and he can't force him... It's really frightening, it's more dangerous than going to war.

Early the next morning, Zhang Yongde came to the gate of Donghua with his entourage, and entered the imperial city alone.

... Guo Shao heaved a long sigh of relief after hearing the news.

With the support of Zhang Yongde, the inspector in front of the palace, the Privy Council can calmly adjust the defense and divide and interpolate the cavalry army. Next, from the center to the generals of the imperial army, who will oppose the queen's ruling? Some people may be dissatisfied, but they are just some small characters with no strength and cannot afford to be a prodigal son.

In the side hall where the ministers were resting outside the Jinxiang Hall, Lu Chengyong and another soldier were putting away the quilts and blankets on the ground. Guo Shao sat on the chair next to him, took a sip of tea, and when he turned his head to look out through the clear carved window, he saw the rising sun emerging from the east, and it was another sunny day.

At a certain moment when he just got the news, Guo Shao felt happy, but then he cast a shadow again. Now his mood can only be relaxed.

For some reason, he couldn't be happy when it was obviously a time to celebrate. He fantasized about the future again, and he could foresee that there would be great power, status, and wealth... But these still made him unhappy, and he was still depressed.

Fu Jinzhan's position in his heart has indeed surpassed his interests. No matter how much power and money, he can't get rid of the shadow in his heart.

This kind of shadow is not because of rebellion against the emperor; in fact, the emperor has always threatened his safety, and everything he got depends on Fu Jinzhan... No one can hurt Guo Shao from the heart, except her.

At this moment, the eunuch Cao Tai came to the door and said, "General Guo, the queen has summoned you."

Guo Shao hurriedly stopped his attention, glanced at the armor on the side, thinking that he didn't need to wear it for the time being, and said, "Please Eunuch Cao lead the way."

He silently walked into the Jinxiang Palace with Cao Tai, recalling Fu Jinzhan's actions along the way, full of trust and kindness to him; if it is about loyalty, the person he should be loyal to is the queen.

Considering the structure of the Zhou Dynasty for a long time to come, the queen will play a central role. Guo Shao immediately persuaded himself to regain his senses, proceeding from the overall situation, and still maintain the relationship with the Queen's cronies... After all, there are more people who rely on him to live safely. He has a responsibility and cannot completely care about his personal emotions.

This time, as soon as he passed through the main hall of Jinxiang Hall and entered the small door on the side, he saw Fu Jinzhan. I saw her sitting in it alone.

Cao Tai waited for Guo Shao to enter, and then gently closed the door. Guo Shao couldn't help but glanced back, clasped his fists and said: "I pay homage to the queen."

Fu Jinzhan's complexion was not very good this morning, and he said casually: "Sit down here, I have something to discuss with you."

Guo Shaoyiyan sat down in front of her, bowed his head and did not look directly at her out of etiquette. He no longer wanted to say those ambiguous words, and seemed sullen.

"This morning, the official family can eat." Fu Jinzhan whispered, "Will his illness get better?"

When Guo Shao heard this, he immediately raised his relaxed mood again, and said in a daze, "I'm already so sick, can I still recover?"

He couldn't help but think a little bit more. If there was a destiny, Chai Rong really shouldn't die now, but he fell ill early for some reason during the Northern Expedition... Could it be that Chai Rong couldn't let it go now, and wanted to make a fuss?

Guo Shao couldn't figure out the situation, so he asked in detail.

"Although I sent someone to control the emperor's bedroom yesterday, I couldn't help but say some angry words, but I didn't intend to treat him badly." Fu Jinzhan frowned, "After all, he is a man who is the emperor. But this morning he took the initiative to drink the soup, and said that he wanted porridge..."

Guo Shao was speechless, and said in his heart: A strong man is a strong man, he can't swallow his breath, dare to muster up all his strength to fight against illness and death!

Of course he couldn't say anything, even in front of the most trusted Fu Jinzhan... After all, the emperor is her husband. But one thing is certain, such a scene has already been created, and the emperor must not be asked to get up to meet other people; otherwise, the people involved, including Guo Shao, will die without a place to die!

"What does he want to do?" Guo Shao couldn't help but asked. Even if Chai Rong is under house arrest, Guo Shao is very stressed when he hears the news... The queen was still under house arrest back then, isn't she in power now?

Fu Jinzhan suddenly said coldly: "I want to kill him!"

Guo Shao was stunned there.

Fu Jinzhan's face was pale, and he said in a deep voice: "I couldn't have bad intentions before, but now it's like this, if he doesn't die, we die! I think so, if you don't feed the official, starving him like this is no different from murder|murder; on the contrary, there are long nights and dreams, and people around me will always know that it's my idea. It's better to be straightforward and do it quietly."

When she said this, her shoulders were trembling slightly. Kill the king and kill the husband! Rao Fu Jinzhan is a bold woman who has seen big scenes before, this kind of thing makes her tremble with fear!

Suddenly, she heard a light "clack" sound, and her teeth chattered crisply, as if she was shivering from the cold. Her voice was out of tune, and she was not talking to Guo Shao, but persuading herself: "I can't help it. He suddenly got better this morning, and he wants to drink porridge again...I'm so scared...I'll go alone and poison him...I can't poison him. I'll tie him up while he's asleep, and then suffocate him with something! No one will know, only you know..."

She looked at Guo Shao again and said, "Everyone knows that the official's family is seriously ill. If he died suddenly, everyone would think that he died of illness. Is that so?"

Guo Shao was silent.

Chai Rong is indeed a strong lord, even lying on the bed and being controlled by others, he can still scare a woman like Fu Jinzhan into such a state. Its aura and prestige can be seen.

"What should I do?" Fu Jinzhan asked again.

Guo Shao suddenly looked at her seriously and said, "Thank you, Queen, for trusting me so much. If it weren't for that, you wouldn't have told me such an important secret."

"It's so important that I can't believe myself. I have to discuss it with someone, so as not to be confused by fear, and the consequences of taking a wrong step are disastrous." Fu Jinzhan said, "I don't even believe you, who else should I believe?"

Guo Shao nodded and said, "You really have to think about it."

Fu Jinzhan stretched out his trembling hands to support his head, and said with a pale face, "If someone finds out that the officials were murdered, even if we already have the chance to win, it will be very difficult for us to have the prestige to control the court...it won't last long."

Guo Shao suddenly thought of Xiao Zhou who was humiliated by painting in history, and couldn't help saying: "The key point will be stigmatized for thousands of years. The world will say that the queen murdered the king and husband, and the crime is heinous... Besides, the queen really has no choice but to kill her close family members. How can I feel safe in the future?"

Fu Jinzhan was the one who should have died. Although he died, he left a good reputation in history. Guo Shao rescued her, but forced her to the present situation. Is it good for her or bad for her?

He pondered for a long time, then took a deep breath and said, "Is there a passage in Jinxiang Hall that can avoid people? The empress took me to see the official house. Let's see what his condition is first, and then we can discuss it in the long term."