There has always been an unwritten rule in Daliang official circles, that is, important ministers of the two governments will not set foot in each other's official offices.

Although the two official offices are both located in the Chengtian Gate of the imperial city, with a distance of only more than a hundred feet, they have always been distinct from each other for decades. The reason is not complicated. After all, this is in the palace. As a minister, you must understand the principle of avoiding suspicion. There is no way.

A king is willing to see the government and the military come too close.

However, this rule was finally broken today.

When the sky was dark, Hou Guliang of Guangping entered the palace and walked straight to the east, entering the political hall under the curious and awed gazes of a group of Dongfu scribes.

Luo Ting, the right-hand governor, went out to greet Gu Liang in person and led Gu Liang to his duty room. The scribe quietly left after serving tea.

This moment was obviously not the time for polite greetings. Gu Liang asked straight to the point: "Is your Majesty okay?"

Luo Ting sat upright and said in a deep voice: "The knife stabbed His Majesty in the abdomen, and the knife was smeared with poison. Fortunately, it was a relatively common poison. There is a ready-made antidote in the palace pharmacy. But His Majesty is still in a coma after treatment.

, you also know the nature of those people in Tai Hospital, they never dare to say anything except kowtow."

Gu Liang frowned and said, "Master Mo is still in the harem?"

Luo Ting nodded and sighed: "What a mess. Concubine De said what she said at the altar of sacrifice to heaven. The empress obviously lacked confidence. Concubine Wu and the prince naturally couldn't trust her, but matters in the harem could not go directly beyond the empress, so they had to

Please ask Mr. Jun Xing to stay in the harem for the time being. Don’t worry, brother, Mr. Jun Xing should be able to hold on. I have asked Wu Cunren and others to accompany me."

Gu Liang asked again: "Is the prince okay?"

As a big shot in the army, Gu Liang knew very well about the background of Taishitai Pavilion. He was certainly aware of the special nature and strong strength of this yamen. Luan Yiwei had already launched a top-to-bottom self-examination in the palace, but Taishitai Pavilion

It is still completely in Shen Moyun's hands. Even though there is a thread behind some people inside, it is difficult to resist Shen Moyun's decision at this time.

Logically speaking, Silent Cloud, as the most trusted minister of Emperor Kaiping, should not be suspected by the important ministers of the two palaces. However, Concubine De was able to enter the Taimiao Temple with a dagger and even knew the secrets of the palace. It is difficult to disassociate this matter from Taige.

.

Gu Liang thought for a while and said: "Silent Cloud told me that there are indeed people from Taige in Luan Yiwei, but the matter of De Fei has nothing to do with him. To put it simply, the people he placed in Luan Yiwei are not actually his.

The person is most likely the chess piece that Wang Pingzhang ambushed more than ten years ago. He asked me to tell Mr. Mo and you that Taige will do its best to dig out the details in the city. Judging from my perspective, Silent Cloud is not lying."

Gu Liang said lightly: "Although Brother Yue has been setting up in the south a long time ago, in fact he just wants to protect himself. If we really let him know about these undercurrents in the capital, he will definitely not sit back and watch His Majesty fall into despair. But he obviously doesn't understand.

Or maybe they don’t want to understand that simple truth. The emperor’s trust is only temporary. If His Majesty is allowed to wipe out all rebellions safely, there will be no peace in the Zhongshan Marquis Mansion in the future.”

Gu Liang's face became more relaxed, he picked up the tea cup and took a sip of the warm and suitable tea.

Luo Ting said with shame: "Brother, I don't doubt your loyalty -"

This sentence made Luo Ting breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, he knew how powerful Gu Liang and Pei Yue were. Even though Luo Huanzhang had already raised his flag to follow Wang Pingzhang, his son Luo Kedi was still dreaming about taking control of Beiying.

Gu Liang raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Before entering the palace, I went to Taishitai Pavilion to meet Shen Moyun."

Luo Ting changed the subject and said: "Two battalions of rebels have arrived at the city, but I don't know what banner and name Wang Pingzhang is using?"

Gu Liang interrupted him and said: "You and I have known each other for nearly thirty years, so you should know that I will not deceive you. When it comes to loyalty, I, Gu Liang, am indeed not as good as you and Mr. Mo, but this time I am sure Wang Pingzhang will not be allowed to get his wish. The reason is actually very simple. If he and Liu Zhi gain power, it is still unclear whether the Guangping Marquis Mansion can be preserved, and the Zhongshan Marquis Mansion will definitely disappear."

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sneered: "The assassin must be real, but the real assassin has died long ago, and the assassin on the altar of sacrifice is just a cover. I will never underestimate your majesty, so I will only watch silently , just to make it easier for those people to travel when necessary."

This is a mature and prudent policy, and Gu Liang naturally has no objection.

Upon seeing this, Luo Ting asked: "How is the situation in the capital?"

Luo Ting sighed softly, with a slight hesitation on his face, but he did not continue the topic after all. He said slowly: "I will try my best to coordinate the various ministries in the court, at the same time appease the people in the city, and provide support for my brother and the Marquis of Xiangcheng. ."

After passing through the deep opening of Chengtian Gate and walking out of this majestic palace city, he couldn't help but turn his head and take a look when he heard the sound of the palace door keys being locked behind him.

Gu Liang muttered: "I know, pull back the manpower."

"Saving Liu Xian is to pave the way for Pei Yue's future." Gu Liang said calmly, and then a few words from Luo Ting flashed in his mind, the so-called sudden rebellion of the imperial guards, the insidious assassination, the poison-quenched blade, ordinary poisons and The antidote is readily available in the Royal Pharmacy...

Luo Ting said calmly: "The imperial court should rectify its origins and cannot allow thieves to confuse people's hearts. In my opinion, His Highness the Crown Prince should issue a decree stating that the chaos in the Taimiao Temple was caused by the rebellion of the Sixth Prince Liu Zhi and Wang Pingzhang. He accused the two of them of committing crimes in the world, and strictly ordered the soldiers of each battalion of the Beijing army to bring order to the chaos. At the same time, he sent a red-feathered messenger to urgently mobilize the border troops to Beijing to serve the king."

Gu Liang nodded and said: "Xiao Jin is very steady in using troops, and defending the city is his best field. The 30,000 elite garrison divisions are not just a bunch of people. As long as there are no problems in the city, the rebels will never be able to attack Kyoto. Before I came here I will make peace with Xiao Jin, and he will be solely responsible for defending the city. I will recruit veterans in the city as soon as possible to deal with the subsequent war."

The man nodded clearly and said, "In that case, why don't you tell me the truth?"

The world is like a chess game, no one is immune.

Gu Liang said slowly: "There is no need to blame yourself. After all, it is difficult to know the heart when you know the person. Xiao Jin told me that all the relatives of Wang Pingzhang, Xu Shou, Qu Jiang and others disappeared. I don't know whether they took advantage of the chaos to leave Kyoto or... Hidden in the city."

…

Gu Liang stopped and turned around. Looking at Luo Ting's hesitant expression, he couldn't help but said calmly: "Don't worry, I'm not Wang Pingzhang's."

Luo Ting stared into his eyes and asked directly: "Brother, although you and I both know that Luan Yiwei is responsible for guarding the Jingning Palace, but what Concubine De said at the altar of sacrifice to heaven today has nothing to do with the Taishitai Pavilion. Does it matter?"

Presumably he was in extremely complicated mood at the moment he took action.

After boarding the carriage of Guangping Marquis Mansion, the wheels slowly rolled over the flat bluestone ground. Gu Liang closed his eyes slightly, and after a long time he said, "Chen Xizhi still lives in Shen residence?"

Gu Liang was actually very aware of Luo Ting's worries. What he said before was not false, but there were still some unfinished words.

Gu Liang said calmly: "It's nothing more than the rhetoric of killing national traitors. Wang Pingzhang had people shout outside the city that the second prince was plotting to commit regicide. Xiao Jin and I were his lackeys who were working as a provocateur. He ordered the officers and soldiers of the garrison to be killed within three days.

Kaicheng surrenders, otherwise we will be regarded as traitors and accomplices and be executed."

Thinking of his relationship with Pei Yue, Luo Ting finally felt relieved and finally understood why Gu Liang was willing to take action at the Temple of Heaven.

Luo Ting's face softened slightly and he said slowly: "His Royal Highness's right leg was injured. Fortunately, you and Li Zi dealt with it in time. After the imperial doctor applied medicine and bandaged it again, it was confirmed that there will be no major problem. It is just that he has been unable to move recently."

After pondering for a moment, Luo Ting said in a deep voice: "There must be many Wang Pingzhang's people hidden in the city. If these people cannot be found as soon as possible, I am afraid there will be flaws in the city defense."

The most pressing issue at the moment is the hidden dangers in the capital. Without the help of internal agents, even if Wang Pingzhang has two battalions with more than 100,000 troops, it will be difficult to break through Kyoto.

Gu Liang said: "The city is generally quite stable. I have asked Su Ping, governor of Kyoto, to inform all the residents and tell them that all the people will enter a state of martial law in the near future. However, what happened at the Ancestral Temple today cannot be covered. All kinds of

Rumors are rampant, and you don't need to think about it to know that this is Wang Pingzhang's trick. I came here to ask you for an excuse, how should the court determine today's chaos."

There was another person in the carriage, but he seemed to be invisible in the dim light, and said unhurriedly: "Yes, sir. Previously, the fourth young master sent back the news that Chen Xizhi was placed in Xing'an Fucheng by his uncle, so our people secretly watched

. Silent Cloud’s confidants drove away my uncle’s people and quietly returned to Kyoto with Chen Xizhi. After entering Shen’s house, they never came out again.”

He paused and said with a complex expression: "I wonder if you still remember that more than two months ago, the barbarian trouble broke out in northern Xinjiang. Ge Shuyi led the army and was defeated by the barbarians. At that time, Xu Shou strongly recommended Pei Yue as the commander.

I had a dispute with Qu Jiang over this matter. I thought it was strange at the time, but now I think about it, this was probably Wang Pingzhang's way of spreading doubts, and making Xu Shou and Qu Jiang openly confront each other, in order to strengthen His Majesty's decision to send Pei Yue north.

idea."

Gu Liang stood up and said, "Okay, I still have some things to discuss with Xiao Jin. I'll say goodbye."

"Beiying..." Luo Ting stopped talking.

Before he left, Luo Ting suddenly shouted: "Brother."

"How ridiculous." A fierce murderous look appeared in Luo Ting's eyes, and then he said solemnly: "Brother, we must not let the rebels invade Kyoto. If the situation evolves into street fighting, the damage to the capital and the imperial court will be immeasurable.

Even if we finally kill all the rebels, the country will be severely weakened."

The night is as dark as ink, and the light is faint.

The man hesitated for a moment and asked in confusion: "Sir, since you decided to stand by and just stay in the capital and not care about the emperor's life or death, why did you save the prince before?"

Gu Liang took over his words and said: "I sent someone to Beiying to deliver the order a few hours ago, but I guess the messenger may not be able to get there smoothly. Even if Pei Yue takes away the Zangfeng Guard and Tai'an Guard, Wang Pingzhang will not

Ignore the existence of Beiying. However, there is no need to worry about this matter, Beiying has already made arrangements."

As the most powerful city in the world, Kyoto is extremely difficult to capture. The Western and Southern Camps of the Beijing Army must be fully prepared. Wang Pingzhang is not yet able to cover up the sky with one hand, and his private arrangements cannot bypass the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion.

However, from the beginning to the end, neither Luo Ting nor Gu Liang received any notification from the Governor Xu Shou, which shows that there was a problem with this crucial link.

Luo Ting was silent for a moment and said guiltily: "I don't know how to recognize people. I didn't expect Xu Shou and Wang Pingzhang to be in cahoots."

The man said respectfully: "I understand."

Gu Liang lowered his head slightly and laughed self-deprecatingly: "Your Majesty wants to use me to check and balance Wang Pingzhang, but he is always on guard against me. Generally speaking, he treats me pretty well, so I have hesitated during this period, but

Thinking of the scene where my late father had his body mutilated and was put to death without resting in peace, I felt an irresistible depression in my heart."

A look of anger and grief appeared on the man's face.

Gu Liang exhaled a breath and said softly: "In the chaos in Kyoto, everyone has their own goals. All we have to do is to gently push the situation in a certain direction. Go ahead and follow the instructions before

Don’t be vague about the strategies you draw up and what should be done, and you can turn a blind eye to some people and things.”
Chapter completed!