Chapter 171: The Eastern Palace Sacrifice

At the beginning of night, the lights in the study of King Yan Zhu Di, the king of Yan, were on. Zhu Di was sitting at the desk and looking at a express delivery that had just been delivered. The express delivery was sent by Leng Qianqiu, the five Jinyiweis, the five Jinyiweis, who were responsible for monitoring Li Wei's mansion, immediately wrote a report. While reporting to Zhu Yuanzhang, Leng Shuangqian also copied the copy to Zhu Di. Zhu Di's expression was very calm. This news was not important. Li Wei was entering Beijing as expected. He had been there.

Eight days ago, I got news of Li Weizheng's comeback from the palace. He knew the purpose of his father's request to enter the Five Military Palace. However, Zhu Di was not optimistic about whether the marriage arranged by his father could succeed in the end. The reason was very simple. Zhu Yunwen and the arrogant Confucian scholars around him would not tolerate Li Weizheng, who had once stripped the Jinshi skin of a professional class. Birds of a feather flocked together. Li Weizheng and them were not the same as him.

After reading the express delivery, Zhu Di said to the guard behind him: "Go and invite Master Daoyan for me."

After a moment, Yao Guangxiao rushed over, and he bowed and said, "Your Highness, come to me."

"Master, please sit down!" Zhu Di asked Yao Guangxiao to sit down, then handed Leng Qianqiu's express delivery to him and said, "Master, Li Weizheng has entered Beijing today."

"He finally made a comeback." After seeing this, Yao Guangxiao couldn't help but sigh softly. After Li Weizheng was demoted last year, Zhu Di sent a pigeon letter from Peiping, which vaguely blamed him for not being able to save it. Yao Guangxiao then went to Peiping in person to apologize to the King of Yan, admitting that he was not dedicated enough to Li Weizheng's affairs, which led to him being almost killed. However, he did not mention his own selfishness, but said that he did not expect that Zhan Hui would still have a trick. Of course, Zhu Di would not punish his most confidant military advisor for Li Weizheng. At this time, his attention had turned to the competition for the position of the Eastern Palace. He immediately ordered Yao Guangxiao to return to Chang'an and pay close attention to the development of the situation.

Yao Guangxiao's strategy to Zhu Di was eight words, "Watch the change and take action." Before the emperor showed his true intentions, exposing his ambitions too early would be more than worth the loss. Zhu Di adopted his suggestion. In the past six months, they were silent and almost faded out of everyone's sight. The name of King Yan Zhu Di was also cut off in the list of new princes of many interested people, but the forest was quiet but the wind was not stopped. The death of the prince once again aroused Zhu Di's ambition to compete for the prince. He arranged the matter in Yan and went to Beijing.

At this moment, Yao Guangxiao certainly understood the intention of King Yan to find him. He smiled slightly and said, "I have a plan to kill two birds with one stone. Is Your Highness willing to listen?"

Zhu Di was very interested and hurriedly bowed and said, "Master, please tell me."

Yao Guangxiao smiled sinisterly and said, "I know Zhu Yunwen likes Li Weizheng's sister very much. I went to Linhuai County to check her background. Before she was changed to slavery by Li Weizheng, she was sold to the Baolan Jiaofang in the capital in the 18th year of Hongwu. The Guo Heng case happened to be the Guo Heng case. I specially checked the Jiaofang Department's files. In the 18th year of Hongwu, a total of 382 people were sold to the Baolan Jiaofang. And there were six people who were as young as her. One of them was the youngest daughter of Guo Heng, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. But Li Weizheng's sister was also surnamed Guo. It is very likely that she was Guo Heng's daughter. I was thinking, if Your Highness told the Emperor about this..."

Yao Guangxiao didn't say anything later. Zhu Di also knew what he meant. Zhu Yunwen would lose points in the matter of becoming a crown prince because of this, and Li Weizheng would probably split from Zhu Yunwen because of this. He pondered for a moment, but shook his head and said, "Although this plan is good, it is not very effective, Yunwen just likes her and did not accept it. Besides, the rest of the Guo Heng case who had issued an order to pardon in the 19th year of Hongwu, the father would not punish Yunwen for this little thing. Of course, the father would never allow Yunwen to have anything to do with her. In this way, the matter would be left unresolved? However, you reminded me that this plan can be used instead."

Speaking of this, Zhu Di glanced at Yao Guangxiao and said, "Do you understand what I mean?"

"I am stupid and do not understand what Your Highness means."

Zhu Di said lightly: "That's because you don't know my nephew. He grew up in the deep palace and was the eldest grandson of the emperor. It can be said that he wants to get wind and rain. He wants to get an ordinary folk woman, which is of course a trivial matter for him. Moreover, my nephew has a very stubborn temper and looks very similar to his father. If he can't get this woman because of Li Weizheng, he will definitely hold a grudge against Li Weizheng. In addition, I was fanning the flames next to him. Can he still tolerate Li Weizheng?"

"Your Highness means to make this matter the fuse for the two of them to break up?" Yao Guangxiao finally understood what the King of Yan meant.

Zhu Di nodded slowly and said, "That's exactly!"

After saying that, he stood up and said with his hands behind his back: "I have considered it repeatedly. Now we don't move Zhu Yunwen, and don't suppress Li Weizheng anymore. On the contrary, we must use them to kill the King of Qin for me, especially Li Weizheng. I know that he is a person with clear grudges. This time he will not let the King of Qin go on his back, both public and private. This person is cruel and ruthless, bold and daring. We want to create conditions for him to seize the King of Qin. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand, let's do it now!"

"Go! Ji Gang is a talent, and you should give him more opportunities in the future."

"Yes!" Yao Guangxiao went down, Zhu Di stared at the roof, and after a long time he shook his head and muttered to himself: "Li Weizheng, since you are unwilling to follow me, why should you accept my letter? Maybe you just can't help but hope I've read you wrong."

After the death of illness in February, the Crown Prince Zhu Biao was buried on the seventh day of the fourth month. He was only temporarily buried. He will be buried with his father Zhu Yuanzhang in the future. Although Zhu Biao was buried, his mourning hall was not removed for officials from all over the country to pay tribute to the tribute after entering the capital. The mourning hall was still set up in the East Palace. Before the new crown prince was enthroned, the sons of the Crown Princess Chang and Zhu Biao still lived in the East Palace.

Li Wei came to the East Palace the next day after entering Beijing, which was the fourth day after Zhu Biao was buried. The Prince's Mourning Hall was set up in the side hall of the East Palace. At the entrance of the mourning hall, a special person changed Li Wei to a white mourning uniform. Li Wei was slowly walking into the mourning hall. The mourning hall was solemn, with huge white curtains hanging on both sides. On the table on the front was placed with the Prince Zhu Biao's soul plaque, and an old monk next to it was gently knocking on the wooden fish.

Li Weizheng came early, and the mourning hall was empty, and there was no one. He slowly walked to the prince's spirit card and silently looked at Zhu Biao's name. This was the former prince of the Ming Dynasty who had the kindness of knowing him. From a chance encounter between them two years ago, he finally entered the Ming Dynasty officialdom, but others had gone and died young at the age of 38. His ambitions and his thoughts on governing the country disappeared with the passing of his life. He had not left a heavy mark in history. No one would remember him again in hundreds of years. Those who remember him had received his favor and were really living in the world, just like Li Weizheng in front of him. The scene of Zhu Biao vomiting blood in the Palace of Supreme Harmony to save him seemed to be flashing in front of Li Weizheng, as if it was just yesterday, but he had already gone.

Li Wei was kneeling down, tears couldn't help but burst out from his eyes. He didn't wipe it, letting tears flow down his face. He kowtowed three times to Zhu Biao, and huge sadness once again surged into his heart. He finally couldn't help crying.

"The person has gone, just be mournful and follow the changes!" A low voice came from behind him.

Li Weizheng burned incense on the prince, then wiped away the tears and turned around. A man in mourning clothes walked out of the curtain beside him. He was Zhu Biao's classmate and close friend Fang Xiaoru. Fang Xiaoru came to the East Palace to guard him every day since the day Zhu Biao passed away. He arrived a while ago than Li Weizheng and kept watching him behind the curtain. Li Weizheng's sadness and crying from the bottom of his heart made Fang Xiaoru feel sad. He walked to Li Weizheng, took three incense sticks, lit it, bowed to Zhu Biao's spirit card, and put the incense into the copper furnace.

He sighed and turned to Li Wei and said, "When did Lord Li come to Beijing?"

Li Weizheng had gradually calmed down from his great sadness. He quickly bowed and said, "I just arrived in the capital yesterday and couldn't send the prince for the last time. I feel very regretful."

"Just just have this kind of heart." Fang Xiaoru pointed to the quiet room next to him and said, "There are some relics of the prince displayed there, so you might as well go and pay tribute to it."

Li Wei nodded and walked towards the quiet room next to him. Most of the items that Zhu Biao usually used were buried with him. Only a very small dozen pieces were left here for future generations to remember. There were pens he used, some of his clothes, and a few books he liked. Li Wei stood in front of a white robe. He still remembered that when he first saw Zhu Biao in Dingyuan County, he wore this white robe.

"Although the prince has a noble status, his life is very frugal. He only has three robes like this, but the most expensive one is paper and pen. The prince has been writing since he was five years old and has been writing constantly. He has copied the book "The Analects of Confucius" no less than a thousand times, and has excellent knowledge. If he can also participate in the imperial examination, he will not be the top scorer or the second place."

Fang Xiaoru sighed behind Li Weizheng, "What a pity! When he goes, I will lose a real Confucian king in the Ming Dynasty."

Li Wei was thinking for a moment and said to him: "When I saw the prince for the last time last September, he gave me a letter, asking me to help the little prince. In other words, His Highness the Prince hopes that the little prince can inherit his father's ambition and enter the Eastern Palace. I wonder what Mr. Fang thinks about this?"

Li Weizheng knew that Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng and Fang Xiaoru had always been Zhu Yunwen's army and had a great influence on him. It can be said that Zhu Yunwen was a work created by the three of them to some extent. Whether Zhu Yunwen could enter the Eastern Palace also had a great relationship with them.

When Fang Xiaoru heard that Li Wei was about to talk about the main topic, he looked at both sides and saw that there was no one on the left and right, he went up to close the door, and then whispered: "We are just about to invite you to participate in the discussion on this matter. Unfortunately, the little prince accompanied his mother to Jiming Temple to burn incense and fulfill his wish, but I can communicate with you first."

The reason why Fang Xiaoru was willing to discuss with Li Weizheng was because when the emperor came to the East Palace to wake the prince ten days ago, he mentioned him, saying that he had decided to make Li Weizheng come back and serve in the Five Military Palaces. He also hinted that Zhu Yunwen had something to do with Li Weizheng. Afterwards, Fang Xiaoru and others discussed, all believed that the reason why the emperor asked Li Weizheng to come back was for Zhu Yunwen. In order to make Zhu Yunwen take the throne, the three of them worked hard to make full use of all the connections left by the old prince. Although they didn't like Li Weizheng and hoped that Zhu Yunwen could stay away from such people, they had to face the reality. The reality was that most court officials were

Disapproval of the emperor's avoidance of his son and grandson, this kind of opposition also affected the emperor. It is obvious that the emperor was always hesitant about the establishment of a new crown prince. Zhu Yunwen could only say that he had a weak hope. Among all forces, Zhu Yunwen's power and strength were the weakest. He stayed in the deep palace for many years and could not make any achievements like the princes. Therefore, after a debate, Fang Xiaoru and others finally decided that they should win over all the forces they could fight for, including Li Weizheng. Li Weizheng had a relationship with the Jinyiwei, and at least could help them find out some news. This led to the fact that Chang Sheng visited Li Weizheng yesterday.

Fang Xiaoru himself has always had prejudice against Li Weizheng, but in order to fulfill the prince's last wish and to repay the prince's kindness, his personal feelings and honor and disgrace are no longer important. He asked Li Weizheng to sit down and said to him: "I knew you had some brains in Haotang Mountain and later inns. I knew you were a little smart and able to deal with the crisis. Now the position of the Eastern Palace has been vacant. The emperor is not strictly prohibited from talking about the establishment of a new prince like last year. All the princes jumped out, secretly competing and attacking each other. The King of Jin even wrote a letter to accuse him.

The Qin King's various acts of virtuousness during his vassal state were very obvious. If the Qin King did not establish him, he would be the eldest. A few days ago, the emperor also stated at the court meeting that the new crown prince should be based on virtue, and the eldest and the youngest. This is very clear. The emperor may not be ranked by the elder and the young. Even the youngest vassal king like Ning has the possibility of becoming the crown prince. In this way, the chances of the young prince will be even dimmed. He only has the only advantage of the eldest grandson. The situation is very unfavorable to us. I wonder if Lord Li has a solution to the current dilemma?"

In Li Weizheng's memory, after the death of the prince, Zhu Yuanzhang did not immediately make Zhu Yunwen the crown prince. But after half a year, that is, Zhu Yuanzhang's opposition to Zhu Yunwen was a result of repeated consideration. In the past six months, the situation could not be as calm as water, and the struggle between the princes for the East Palace must have reached a white-hot level. Therefore, whether Zhu Yunwen could enter the East Palace was also walking a tightrope. As long as he was not careful, history would be rewritten, especially if his arrival as a future generation, would it become a small weight on the scale?

Li Wei was pondering for a moment and said, "Knowing yourself and your enemy is the best strategy for military use. If the young prince wants to win in the end, he not only needs to understand his opponent's every move, but also needs to understand his own advantages and weaknesses, especially his weaknesses, which will often be captured by his opponent. Perhaps a small thing will make him miss the East Palace. Can Mr. Fang agree with my statement?"

Fang Xiaoru nodded. He agreed with Li Weizheng's idea. He always believed that the prince should act with virtue and must not lose points in virtue. As for knowing the enemy, he could leave it to Li Weizheng. The key is to be close friends, just as Li Weizheng said, he should not be caught by his opponent.

He smiled and said, "The little prince is respectful, gentle, cautious, and everyone praises him. It may not be so easy to grasp his inappropriateness."
Chapter completed!