After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

Catching a flash of hesitation in Li Sikong's eyes, Pei Jiaoran curled his lips slightly.

Family interests are often more important than anything else. If you don't know how to fight for power, you will die and your entire family will be wiped out. It's not selfish, it's just human nature.

Li Sikong coughed a few times, his voice a little hoarse, "From the moment he chose this path, there was no turning back. I had already suffered, and wanted to find him a safe path. With the help of his family background, he will be able to enter the government without worries. Although the Li family has produced military generals in recent generations, one of our ancestors was also a prime minister. If he had not been suppressed by the imperial power, why would he have given up his pen and joined the army." After a pause, he continued, "If he is to be plotted against this time, what can our Li family do with its own strength? And you, Pei Xianggong, do you have any foundation in the court?"

Pei Jiaoran was slightly confused. Indeed, the Li family alone could not fight against both parties at the same time, and he had no foundation in the court. For the Li family, which had made great military achievements, it seemed better to maintain the status quo.

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

After a long while, Pei Jiaoran sneered, "Does Li Sikong think that Li Xiujing can return to Chang'an alive? He has been in charge of the Shen Ce Army for several years, and his influence is immeasurable. Even though he was born in the Guanlong Li family, he is an alien to the aristocratic families such as the Cui Wang. Now that Zhang Rang has lost power, the Lieutenant of Shen Ce is still his man. Although Your Majesty still has a master-servant relationship with Zhang Rang, he has finally despised him. Others only need to light a fire and burn Nanzhao. If Li Xiujing dies, Zhang Rang can be eliminated and Shen Ce can be annexed. This is a very cost-effective deal."

Li Sikong sneered, "Is this what they meant, or is it your guess? Don't you want to kill him? Even if Erlang dies, they will accept you."

Looking at Li Sikong with interest, Pei Jiaoran chuckled and said in a low voice, "Sikong is old and cunning like a fox, how could he give birth to someone as simple and honest as Erlang. You've gone through so much trouble just to know how confident I am and who my allies are. Why don't you tell me right away?"

Suddenly, he was startled, remembering the look in his son's eyes when he mentioned Pei Jiaoran. Li Sikong coughed hard for a long time, and said slowly: "Mr. Pei is also like a fox, and the unfilial son is obsessed with you. I have to be more careful, so as not to be ashamed to face my ancestors in the future. The Cui and Wang families do not tolerate my family, so my family will fight back. But time is unforgiving, and I am already old and frail. I am afraid that some things will be difficult to do."

Pei Jiaoran also understood that Li Sikong did not want to be suppressed by the Cui and Wang families, but was trapped by the current situation. He was born in a powerful family and was an old noble. He was more concerned about whether he could get something from the changing situation or what impact he could make. Only by participating in it could he gain more benefits and pass on this legacy to future generations.

The old man asked this simply because he was worried that if Li Xiujing really did something earth-shattering, the Li family would need her to provide a guarantee independent of their relationship.

Pei Jiaoran understood Li Sikong's intention instantly, raised his eyebrows, and smiled, "I am willing to cast a sheng and a qing with bronze myself, and offer it to the Li family's ancestral hall. From now on, the Li family and I will share weal and woe. As for the others, the honor can ensure the peace and security of the Li family, and the rest are not for the tide, so there is no need to try. In this storm, there is Mr. Cen in the government hall, and there are many people who owe me favors."

Li Sikong laughed out loud when he heard this, his beard trembling slightly. He looked at Pei Jiaoran with a smile, "If you, a little raccoon, were born in my family, it would be a blessing for my family. It's a pity that your last name is not Li. Fortunately, that boy married you... It's also a good thing."

Hearing the regret and indignation in Li Sikong's tone, Pei Jiaoran couldn't help but frown. Could it be that Li Xiujing really planned to do something shocking?

Since they had reached a consensus on joining forces to fight against the Cui and Wang families, Li Sikong stood up and lifted the silk cloth behind him, revealing a very detailed map.

"Ever since Erlang went to war, I have been looking at this map and estimating his daily expenditure. I believe in his ability, but I don't believe in others. I know that you are in charge of the food and fodder. Let me ask you, if this war cannot be ended within three months, how many months of military supplies can Zuo Zang allocate at most?"

Pei Jiaoran said: "According to the budget planned when the accounts were drawn up in August this year, it can only be supplied for two months. But we also need to take into account the consumption of various places during the rain and snow disasters. It can only be supplied for one and a half months, unless various exorbitant taxes are re-imposed."

Li Sikong frowned and shook his head, "Nowadays, the people in the Political Affairs Hall and the Ministry of Revenue are becoming less and less useful."

Ignoring the dissatisfaction in Li Sikong's words, Pei Jiaoran said in a deep voice: "It is just a temporary plan, so it is naturally impossible to allocate too much money to the rain and snow disaster. But now that the taxes of the three towns in Heshuo have all been returned to the court, the pressure will be relieved. And if Your Majesty can adopt my strategy, it is not bad."

Stroking his beard, Li Sikong said in a gentle voice: "You have a plan to defeat the enemy? No wonder you are so confident."

"Yes. I want to make Tubo isolated and helpless, and gather the strength of all parties to attack it, so that it can't take care of itself. In this way, the Shen Ce Army will not be trapped by the baggage." Pei Jiaoran smiled, "The current danger of Shen Ce is not outside, but in the court. The Cui and Wang families are both cunning and treacherous, and can only be defeated one by one. I happen to have a knife in my hand that can hurt the Cui family. As for the Wang family, I still have to rely on you, Sikong."

"You and I are one, I understand that." Li Sikong smiled slightly.

The demands were agreed upon, and Pei Jiaoran said nothing more. He stood up and said goodbye, and was led by a servant to the corridor and left Li's house.

When he left the house, the heavy snow had stopped. There were not many pedestrians on the road except for the night patrol of Wu Hou. There was no curfew in the neighborhood, so naturally no one paid any attention to Pei Jiaoran.

Back in the house, Pei Jiaoran took off his fox fur coat. He sat beside the charcoal basin, hugging the fur coat, greedily absorbing the warmth. He fumbled in his sleeves for a while and took out a piece of letter.

This was the list she was going to show Li Sikong. It was the names of officials who defected in Chang'an after the Jingyuan Rebellion. She concealed the charges of those who committed minor crimes. In order to repay her, they became her helpers and eyes and ears.

Each one is placed in a seemingly inconspicuous but actually very important position.

Originally, she planned to hand the list to Li Sikong so that she could see her confidence, but after a conversation, she suddenly felt that it was unnecessary, after all, no one else could covet or interfere with the throne.

Pei Jiaoran lowered his head and looked at the letter in his hand, and sneered. His hand loosened, and the letter fell into the charcoal basin. The flames burned the letter, swallowing up the words on it bit by bit.

Pei Jiaoran didn't look away until the letter and the charcoal were integrated. A faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. She was glad that she didn't give the list out because of her momentary urgency. Otherwise, things would become out of her control.

Pei Jiaoran shook her head and rubbed her forehead. As expected, some things still require calming down and thinking more. She almost fell into a trap because of Yuan Zhengze's words. Fortunately, she stopped the loss in time.