After rebirth, I made the princes cry

Jiang Mo can be a benevolent monarch, but he is not qualified to be a hero in troubled times.

But compared to Jiang Tailai, at least he has Jiang Xiongying as his biological father and a wise biological mother. For the Ran clan, Sasuke Jiang Mo was originally a political investment with the lowest input and the highest return.

Princess Ran thought back then that no matter how she tried to dissuade him, Jiang Mo would not change his determination to go to Dongyu. Now she finally knew the answer. She believed that Jiang Mo had listened to Jiang Gaofan's slander and decided that only by going to Dongyu first could he protect himself and put himself in the safest situation, waiting for "rectification of the chaos" and returning unscathed to inherit the throne after everything was calm. Princess Ran couldn't explain her complicated feelings now.

"The reason why Your Highness listened to Jiang Gaofan's words is not only to protect himself. If he gets out of the chaos first, Jiang Tai will not move the people in the palace without authorization." Ran Zhugu knew that his daughter had admired heroism since she was a child, but the world is often full of twists and turns. Prince Zhenyuan is not heroic and sometimes indecisive. If he had not lost his position, it would have been difficult to protect Concubine Wen and his wife and children. Prince Zhenyuan was even willing to exile himself and live freely in Kunlun Xu from then on, but Jiang Tai would not repeat the mistake of "letting the tiger go back to the mountain", just as Taizun eventually ended up dying an unnatural death. If Prince Zhenyuan continued to fight back, once Jiang Tai had secured his power, he would inevitably wipe out his entire lineage.

Princess Ran took a long breath.

"We don't need to inform my brother. When my brother sees His Highness, His Highness will tell my brother that he will not return to the country for the time being. This is His Highness's decision, and my brother will not force it."

Ran Zhugu nodded. Jiang Mo was not a self-willed lord, but the Ran clan had never had the idea of ​​controlling their lord. Moreover, things had come to this point. In fact, whether Jiang Mo delayed his return home had nothing to do with the overall situation.

Princess Ran suddenly became excited again: "His Highness actually cooperated with Jiang Gaofan's plan, trying to take advantage of the opportunity of the Northern Zhao army's attack on our dynasty to change the administration and regain power. Doesn't he realize that Jiang Gaofan, this treacherous man, is trying to instigate our tribes to kill each other?!"

"How could our fratricide be caused by the instigation of outsiders?" Ran Zhugu also sighed, "Since Jiang Tai's rebellion, it has been difficult to avoid internal strife. Your Highness wants to survive and must regain power. Even if there is no external invasion, we will definitely gather all our forces to fight Jiang Tai and his followers while Jiang Tai's power is not stable.

My previous plan was to show my goodwill to Northern Zhao first and gain its support. The price I paid was to assist Your Highness in ascending the throne and then immediately launch an expedition to the south to capture Bashu and help Northern Zhao capture Jingxiang. However, this plan would also cause great damage to our national strength and military power. "

"Father, if we can't defend Tongguan..."

"I am confident that I can defend Tongguan." Ran Zhugu raised his eyes, his eyes shining brightly: "As long as we take Kyoto first and force Jiang Taiwei's troops to retreat, people like Jiang Baiji will not be able to resist anymore. I also have a plan to limit the reinforcements from Northern Zhao."

But what he was worried about was Jiang Gaofan. He would not believe the lies that Jiang Gaofan would sell out Jiang Tai and join Jiang Mo for more benefits. It is true that people in power are driven by interests, but if Jiang Gaofan switches to Jiang Mo's interests, the benefits will inevitably be greatly reduced, unless... Jiang Gaofan has another master!

"There is no victory without a price. I need to know what the price is. You don't have to worry about it. I will fight Jiang Gaofan directly."

In Ran Zhugu's eyes, Jiang Gaofan, although of Han descent, is no different from Gong Xianglu of Northern Zhao. They will not be loyal to Eastern Yu. They only care about their own wealth and glory. It is their luck to be born in troubled times. If there were no troubled times, they would always be as humble as ants in the unified country of Great Yu.

In their eyes, there is no distinction between Hu and Han people, and the only constant between people is respect and inferiority.

Jiang Gaofan's behavior seemed extremely strange.

Ran Zhugu had many opportunities to chat with Jiang Gaofan privately, but he was not very willing to do so in the past. But now the situation is different. Ran Zhugu did not investigate the cause of Taizun's death in order to protect Concubine Wen and Jiang Mo. Jiang Mo has not returned to the country yet, so it is natural for Ran Zhugu to have contacts with Jiang Tai's confidants, and among all the confidants, Jiang Gaofan is the most suitable candidate.

Jiang Gaofan has no military power, and all his power must be granted by Jiang Gaofan.

To support an exiled lord in his rebellion, one must make a risky investment backed by one's brains. Such a person would not be without courage, and when he succeeds, he would certainly not be so easy to betray and make another risky investment.

Jiang Gaofan may be important to Jiang Tai.

But to Jiang Mo, it is actually insignificant.

Therefore, Ran Zhugu would not believe the lie that Jiang Gaofan switched to Jiang Mo because of his insatiable greed.

Smart people should know that every time you betray your master, the trust you gain will become less and less. Since Jiang Tai will not give Jiang Gaofan military power, if he betrays another master, the result will inevitably get worse and worse, until... the rabbit dies and the dog is abandoned.

Ran Zhugu at least thought that Jiang Gaofan was a smart man.

The letter left by King Zhenyuan stated that Da Shangchen's intention was to contact King Xinsu to cooperate in this attempt to seize the throne.

As for the legendary Fourth Prince of Dongyu who was a master of military strategy, Xiuyaosi was not capable of figuring out the truth. Ran Zhugu could not help but doubt whether Xinsujun was specially "cultivated" by Sikong Tong to be the prince in charge of the imperial guards. Although the princes of Dongyu would learn archery and horse riding from an early age, knowing how to ride and shoot does not mean they are familiar with military tactics. For example, the Qiang people originally lived a nomadic life. The Qiang men could ride a horse as well as walk steadily on the road, and most of them could draw the bow and shoot arrows at the age of ten. However, even the Ran clan, which was famous for its bravery, had produced many young heroes who could fight on the battlefield before the age of twenty, but it was impossible for them to be the main general commanding an army of 100,000, let alone command and deploy the battle situation.

Therefore, Ran Zhugu guessed that although the battle in which Dongyu defeated Beizhao was ostensibly led by Prince Sikong Yuehu, the real credit should actually be attributed to veteran generals like Shangcai Liang.

Could it be that what Jiang Gaofan really hopes for is that the throne of Dongyu will eventually be obtained by Sikong Yuehu?

Jiang Gaofan expected Ran Zhugu to come to see him.

Although Jiang Tai was wary of the Ran clan, he could not shake this towering tree for a while. In addition, he had reached a temporary reconciliation with the Ran clan on the two conditions of welcoming back Jiang Mo and lifting the house arrest of Concubine Wen. There was no need for Jiang Gaofan to be sneaky when talking with Ran Zhugu at this time. However, in front of many officials including Shangchen Mansion, Ran Zhugu naturally had to put forward a reasonable purpose. He advocated that even if the monarch followed the Chinese national funeral rites to hold a funeral for the Supreme Lord, the subsequent funeral ceremony should still follow the old Qiang customs and hold a sky burial.

This topic was very sensitive, so Jiang Gaofan dismissed his officials as a matter of course.

"Who will the Grand Chancellor choose as his master?"

When the two of them were alone, Ran Zhugu went straight to the point.

"I don't choose my master, I only choose my enemy." Under the mask, Jiang Gaofan only revealed a pair of surprisingly calm eyes.

"Choosing an enemy?"

"If Luoyang had not been lost, I might not have ended up alone and helpless with my family torn apart. Northern Zhao is my enemy."

"How dare you, Da Shangchen!"

"The world is now divided into seven kingdoms. Northern Zhao, Northern Qi, and Northern Han all have ambitions to dominate the world. Dongyu is naturally unwilling to give up half of its territory. For a brave general like Lord Ran, it is actually difficult to predict the outcome, isn't it?"

Ran Zhugu snorted coldly.

Jiang Gaofan didn't seem to mind the other party's indifferent attitude: "The future situation is unpredictable, but for me, as long as Northern Zhao is defeated, I won't be living in vain for the past few decades."

"Do you think that with Jiang Tai as the ruler, our dynasty will always be subordinate to Northern Zhao?"

"Northern Qi has already negotiated peace with Eastern Yu, and there will be no war between the two countries for the time being. I think if Northern Han and Eastern Yu join forces, they will be able to conquer the two Xiongnu tribes first." Jiang Gaofan analyzed the situation of the seven countries seriously, but he was actually talking nonsense. "Although Jiang Tai wants to become the overlord of the world, his proposition has always been to destroy Eastern Yu first. He does not have such great ability. Do you agree with me, Lord Ran?"

"Then why did you help Jiang Tai seize the throne?"

"If I don't help Jiang Tai seize the throne, how can I rise from a soldier to an important official of a country? If I were just a soldier, would King Zhenyuan accept my advice?" Jiang Gaofan tapped the table with one finger. "If King Zhenyuan didn't have the help of the Ran clan, he would be defeated. But since Northern Han has the Ran clan and Lord Ran is firmly assisting King Zhenyuan, it's only a matter of time before King Zhenyuan turns defeat into victory. Jiang Tai can't even sit firmly on the throne of a country, how can he possibly become the overlord of the world?

I admit that if I hadn't planned this, King Zhenyuan wouldn't have sought refuge in Dongyu. I did this, in the final analysis, to facilitate an alliance between Northern Han and Dongyu to destroy Northern Zhao and Northern Jin first."

"I'm afraid what Da Shangchen said is untrue. You clearly want to secretly help Dong Yu and destroy the six nations' alliances one by one!"

"I have made such great contributions to Jiang Tai, but I have not been rewarded with a single soldier. The powerful families in Dongyu are more powerful than the Qiang nobles in Northern Han. Can I get more rewards from the Emperor of Dongyu just for facilitating the alliance between the two countries? Or does Lord Ran think that Dongyu has such great strength to take advantage of the internal strife in Northern Han and directly capture Chang'an, and then stop the resistance of the six-department coalition forces and firmly hold Guanlong?"

Ran Zhugu sneered again.

Of course, he didn't believe that Jiang Gaofan had the ability to help Dongyu conquer the Han Dynasty alone.

The conversation seemed to end unpleasantly and no conclusion was reached.

But Ran Zhugu actually had no choice.

The King of Zhenyuan has already "fallen into the trap". Even if he knows that he must pay a certain price to welcome the King of Zhenyuan back, he can no longer stop the Northern Zhao from attacking Tongguan. Jiang Tai will not trust the Ran family. If he reports that Jiang Gaofan has ulterior motives, how can Jiang Tai believe it? Maybe because of his report, Jiang Tai will trust Jiang Gaofan even more!

Only when Prince Zhenyuan regains the throne will his advice be accepted, and the Han Dynasty can quell the civil strife and slowly make plans for the future.

After this interview, Ran Zhugu actually wanted to determine whether Jiang Gaofan's conspiracy was aimed at the Ran clan.

There is a possibility that Northern Zhao would never send troops against the Han Dynasty. Jiang Gaofan only lied to King Zhenyuan and the Ran clan to give them evidence of treason. As long as he mobilized the troops of the vassal state without authorization, Jiang Tai could take the initiative and execute him.

There were only 2,000 soldiers from the Ran clan in Chang'an City. The 8,000 soldiers originally outside the city had already followed Ran Qiji to Xiangyang. If he was not convicted of a crime, Jiang Tai certainly would not dare to attack him. However, if he mobilized the main force of the vassal state without authorization, he would be guilty of treason.

But if Jiang Gaofan really wanted to lure him into a trap, he would have thrown out bait to make him ignore the risks and rush for success, but Jiang Gaofan was just responding to his questions.

That is, they didn't want to lure him into mobilizing the troops in the vassal state first.

In other words, Jiang Gaofan had indeed gained the trust of Dong Yu. He was certain that Northern Zhao would definitely send troops, and he also concluded that the Ran clan had no other choice. Jiang Gaofan was confident, and he even admitted that he did not focus on Jiang Tai or Jiang Mo.

The national mourning was still going on, so Yingshu didn't want to bother Madam Wei often. However, court officials like Jiang Gaofan had already resumed their normal duties. As an envoy, it was very reasonable for him to meet with officials of the Northern Han Dynasty to learn about the progress of matters such as the abolition of Wumei Cang - such trivial matters could not be directly asked to the king of a country.

Therefore, Yingshu knew that Ran Zhugu had "received" the hint from King Zhenyuan.

When she returned to Baoguang Palace, Yingshu saw that Sikong Yuehu and Liang Hui were playing chess in the pavilion, and the Palace Master was watching the game on the side. She hesitated for a moment and had not yet decided whether to go over. Then she saw Sikong Yuehu turning his head to look over here, and seemed to have said something to Liang Hui. He actually stood up and walked towards this side. Yingshu could not avoid him, but she did not think that the news she heard today was worth discussing seriously with Sikong Yuehu.

I felt an itch on my shoulder again.

Wen Ji flew over from somewhere and landed on her shoulder.

It was a bit strange to have a bird standing on the shoulder. Just as Yingshu had this thought, Wen Ji flew away again, and this time landed on Sikong Yuehu's shoulder.

In the pavilion, Dianjun became even more depressed when he saw this scene, and he couldn't muster the energy to resume the chess game with Liang Hui.

"I plan to let Wu Huan withdraw from Chang'an first. What do you do with your two maids?" Sikong Yuehu asked.

He didn't care about Wen Ji standing on his shoulder, and seemed even less interested in sitting down and having a long talk with Ying Shu, standing under a osmanthus tree.

Ying Shu raised her eyes and said, "Your Highness, have you received the information from Northern Zhao?"

"Yes, at the latest in early August, before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Northern Zhao will officially raise its army."

Due to the war, the pass was closed and ordinary people were of course not allowed to enter or leave the pass.

"They evacuated with Wu Huan." Ying Shu did not hesitate.

Letting Bai Mian and Xuan Mian sneak into Northern Han was originally intended as a precautionary measure, and it really worked - Bai Mian found out some information about Jiang Gaofan, and Xuan Ying even successfully "cut off" one of Sikong Beichen's minions. Now Ying Shu and Jiang Gaofan have a temporary cooperative relationship, and it is no longer necessary to let the two Mians stay in Northern Han. For their safety, of course they have to evacuate in advance.

"Are the two of them willing to evacuate first, or do they need Deputy Envoy Zuo to persuade them personally?" Sikong Yuehu asked again.

"No need. I have already told them to obey Yu Wuhuan regarding evacuation. They will follow orders."

The orders were really enforced without any delay.

A faint smile flashed across Sikong Yuehu's eyes.

He was speechless for a moment, but still stood under the shade of the tree. He knew that if he continued to remain silent, the woman in front of him would turn around and walk away, just like in the past. She had been excited to find Wang Jie, but when she saw him, she immediately avoided him if she could. She also said to Wang Jie: "Look, who said your fifth cousin is fearless? Isn't she very respectful of me?"

Wang Jie laughed twice.

It's not awe, it's disgust, and he may not be aware of it.

The little girl has grown up now and is no longer able to tolerate unpleasant words. He hasn't picked on her for a long time, but between them... they are still strangers.