Huan Rong

Huan Rong bid farewell to Huan Shixiu, Huan Si, etc., and left Xunyang County, boarded a ship in Xincai County, and traveled eastward along the waterway.The ship landed in Liyang and diverted to land, hoping to return to Xuyi before the end of the month.

When the fleet docked in Liyang County, it happened that the prefect of Liyang County was leaving with his family.

The new Liyang prefect is the offshoot of the Xie family, who once had a relationship with Huan Rong.Recognizing the person who landed, he immediately smiled and invited Huan Rong to stay for a few days, so that he can fulfill his friendship as a landlord.

Huan Rong hurried on his way, but politely declined.

Xie Taishou felt a little regretful, but he didn't want to force it. He only said that when Huan Rong came here again in the future, he must go to the house to talk about it.

"Definitely." Huan Rong promised with a smile.

Xie Taishou failed to host a banquet, so he ordered his family members to be sent back to the city, and Huan Rong was personally sent to the north.Send the team of more than a thousand people ten miles away, and only then turn around and return until the shadow of the military chariot can no longer be seen.

After returning to the city, Taishou Xie was not busy taking over government affairs, checking files, and selecting officials. Instead, he settled down with his family, and immediately wrote a letter with a pen, and sent it to Jiankang as soon as possible.

Xie Xuan led his troops to the north, and now they have reached Longxi.There is an exchange of benefits, and the Xie family of Chen Jun and the Long Kanghuan family are temporarily allies.It is not unrelated to his success in being selected as the prefect of Liyang.

It should be known that Huan Huo was the leader of Yangzhou Mu, and Huan's power in Yangzhou was not comparable to that of Jing, Jiang, and You, but it should not be underestimated.

Earlier there were rumors that Huan Huo wanted to hand over Yangzhou Mu to Xie An.

If the news is true, Chenjun Xie's power in Yangzhou will increase, which will definitely break the existing balance.

However, there are pros and cons to everything. If you want to gain benefits, you have to bear certain risks.

After receiving Huan Huo's letter and confirming that the other party had genuine intentions, Xie An carefully considered and began to make arrangements.Arranging Xie's son to Liyang can not only block the waterway, but also make it easier to communicate with Youzhou. It is not an exaggeration to say that it kills two birds with one stone.

Xie Taishou was born in a side branch, and being able to be entrusted with a heavy responsibility by Xie An shows that he has extraordinary talents in literature and martial arts.

When encountering Huan Rong crossing the border, naturally he would not hide it, but reported to Xie An as soon as possible.

The two are on good terms now, and it is hard to predict what will happen in the future.

After all, he was not Xie Xuan, he didn't know Xie An's plan, and he didn't know that the two parties had divided interests in the Western Regions trade routes. Out of prudent considerations, he was careful in everything and put Xie's interests first.

As soon as Huan Rong arrived in Linhuai County, the letter from the prefect Xie An had already been delivered to Xie An.

At that time, Wang Tanzhi was terminally ill, there was no cure for medicine and stones, and he was hanging on the elixir every day, just drinking poison to quench his thirst and survive.

In the court hall, Xi Yin's authority became stronger and stronger, and he almost said the same thing.All things require him to nod, and the three provinces can draft an edict, and ask the emperor to review it and seal it.

Wang Tanzhi was not in court, and the Taiyuan Wang family became cautious in their words and deeds.As long as it doesn't hurt the interests of the family, he won't be in trouble with Xi Yin easily.

Chenjun Xie's and Langya Wang's eyes were attracted by other things.

Especially the Xie family of Chen Jun was busy making arrangements in secret, and after Huan Huo made a statement, he successfully took over Yangzhou Mu.For a while, he also had no time to compete with Xi Yin.

Therefore, Xi Min's power in the court was higher and higher day by day, almost surpassing Sima Huan back then.

Huan Wen sat in Gushu, and did not accept the post of prime minister during his lifetime.

Xi Yin is not the case. After Sima Yao came to the throne, he became the prime minister, held the Northern Army in his hand, and controlled the eastern gate of Jiankang. On the surface, the threat to Jiankang was no less than that of Huan Wen, and even two or three points higher. .

I don't know when, rumors spread in Jiankang City, comparing Xi Yin with Wang Dao, and more vaguely pointing to Wang Dun.

It's just Director Wang, but Wang Dun once launched a rebellion and almost changed the dynasty!That's almost the same as saying he's going to rebel.

Thinking about it carefully, the rumors on the surface say that Xi Yin is powerful, and he may have evil intentions. In fact, there is also Wang Xie's family behind him.If you don't handle it carefully, both sides will be led into the ditch and splashed with mud.

The rumors intensified, and everyone outside Jiankang heard about it.

When mentioning Xi Yin, Wang Dao Wang Dun is mentioned, and when the latter is mentioned, "the king and the horse share the world" cannot be avoided.Every time this sentence is mentioned, it is bound to remind people of the decline of imperial power, the power of the gentry, and the emperor being regarded as a puppet.

If it is not handled carefully, the result may be difficult to clean up.

This kind of harming others and benefiting oneself was definitely not done by Wang Xie's family.They dig holes for themselves when their brains are twitching.

In order to find out clearly, the Xie family of Chenjun, the Wang family of Langya and the Wang family of Taiyuan sent people to investigate secretly. After several twists and turns, the clues vaguely pointed to the noble family surnamed Wu in the city.

This result was found to be both expected and unexpected.

Since the Yuan Emperor crossed the river, the power of the nobles surnamed Wu has been eroded by the overseas Chinese surnames.From pointing at Director Wang's nose and scolding "the people" back then, to being marginalized by the court now, the conflicts between the two parties are almost irreconcilable.

With the relationship between the two parties, it is not surprising to seize the opportunity to add insult to injury.

After being rewarded by the healthy servant, Xie An and Wang Biaozhi couldn't help frowning deeply.This kind of layout is very different from the previous methods. They really can't think of anyone with the Wu surname who has such methods.

Xie An and the others were clueless, but they couldn't just come to the door and tell the people sent by the Wu gentry to shut up.

For the current plan, we can only respond to all changes with the same, keep silent for a period of time, and wait for the rumors to disappear by themselves.

In the final analysis, the mouth of Fangmin is better than Fangchuan.

This sentence is not very suitable here, but it can also explain the problem.

Some things get darker the more they are explained, but it is better not to explain them.What's more, the rumors mainly criticized Xi Yin, and he jumped out to defend himself. Wouldn't it be that there is no silver 300 taels here, which makes the world feel wrong and fuels the rumors.

In Taicheng, Sima Yao was very happy when he heard the report.

He was really aggrieved and sad for too long, and his mind was a bit distorted.For him, even if he doesn't get any substantial benefits, it's enough to make Xi Yin Xie'an and others suffer.

When Sima Daozi entered the palace for an audience, he met Sima Yao clapping his palms and laughing, and ordered someone to bring him good wine, so that he could drink freely.

"Brother." Sima Daozi saluted, got up and sat opposite Sima Yao.

Seeing that Sima Yao was still laughing non-stop, and his expression was somewhat crazy, Sima Daozi was puzzled, and asked with a frown, "Brother, why are you happy?"

"What's the matter?" Sima Yao picked up the wine glass, raised his head and drank it down, yelled happily, and said with a smile, "Have you ever heard of the rumors in the city?"

"I've heard it." Sima Daozi nodded and said, "Brother, are you happy about this?"

"Shouldn't you be happy?" Sima Yao said with a chuckle, "What kind of life have I lived since I became the throne? They should also taste the feeling of being aggrieved!"

Sima Daozi was taken aback for a moment, and then looked at Sima Yao carefully.

Since he came to the fief, he learned a lot and saw many things that he couldn't see clearly before.

The rumors are really strange. Wang and the Xie family traced the source, and he also sent people to investigate.Even if the method is not as good as the former, and he doesn't know much, based on the clues he has, he knows that this matter is inseparable from the Wu surname in the city.

From Sima Yao's excited expression, Sima Daozi saw some clues, but he couldn't believe it easily.

It should be known that when Emperor Yuan crossed the river, it took a lot of effort to suppress the arrogance of Wu's noble family, and finally gained a firm foothold in Jiankang.Now, would Sima Yao really take such a big risk to seek the support of Wu?

"Brother, do you know that the rumors are caused by the Wu family?"

"know."

"That……"

"You don't need to guess, brother. I can tell you the truth. I knew this from the very beginning." Sima Yao's smile gradually turned cold, and he picked up the wine glass again, and brought it to his lips with a sneer.

The spicy wine flowed down the throat and into the stomach, instantly burning.

"Brother, do you intend to recruit the surname Wu?" Sima Daozi finally asked.

"So what?" Sima Yao put down his wine glass, and the bottom of the wine glass hit the table heavily, making a dull sound.

"Brother, you are seeking skin from a tiger!" Sima Daozi shouted.He actually pried open Sima Yao's head to see what was inside!

To recruit the Wu surname, thanks to him being able to figure it out!

"Seeking skin from a tiger?" Sima Yao laughed again, "How bad can things go?"

Sima Daozi opened his mouth, seeing Sima Yao's expression, he really didn't know what to say.

"My brother is in Linhai, and he is free and easy all day long, and lives as he pleases. I sit in Taicheng, and I want to worship the queen mother who imprisoned my mother, and I want to pretend to be smiling in front of the officials, and be honest. puppet."

Having said that, Sima Yao broke out completely.

"Do you know what kind of life I live?!"

"I can't interfere in the government affairs. The imperial decree is not up to me. The ceremony of Yuanfu is a joke for everyone in the court!"

"Until now, even big weddings have to be arranged by others!"

"Do you know who my wife is? Wang Fahui! She is Empress Aijing's niece! If Aijing is still alive, she still wants to call me uncle, but now I want to marry her niece!"

Speaking of this, Sima Yao's eyes were red, and his facial features were almost distorted.

"Brother, tell me, tell me, what can I do, what else can I do?"

"Brother, if you recruit the Wu surname, you may not be able to achieve what you want."

Sima Daozi's voice was slightly hoarse. Looking around, he was sure that the eunuchs and maidservants had been sent out of the door long ago. There was no one else in the palace. He lowered his voice and said, "If this continues, sooner or later your feet will be exposed. At that time, brother wants to be a puppet." Impossible."

The Gaomen nobles are so beautiful on the surface, but they are really ruthless, and they will never be soft-hearted!

Sima Yao didn't listen at all, just drank and shook his head blindly.

Sima Daozi persuaded and persuaded, but seeing that the other party didn't listen at all, he was unavoidably a little discouraged.

"Brother, I remember that you left Jiankang last time and discussed with me about taking Youzhou into your hands. Why, did you change your mind?"

Sima Yao suddenly brought up this matter, Sima Daozi froze on the spot, thought for a moment, and immediately felt something was wrong.

"Brother!" The voice rose instantly, and then suppressed immediately.Sima Daozi's expression was filled with panic, and his fingertips began to tremble, "Brother, you are not, you are not..."

"What isn't it?" Sima Yao's smile twisted, showing a bit of ferocity, "I got married in June, and I sent a letter to that old woman in Nankang a few days ago, 'inviting' her to Jiankang to watch the ceremony."

"Brother!" Sima Daozi suddenly stood up.

He couldn't keep listening, he had to go, had to go!

He didn't want to die with Sima Yao!

"Sit down!" Sima Yao said in a cold voice, "Brother, since you asked, you must explain clearly."

Sima Daozi's face was pale, and he looked at Sima Yao blankly, as if he didn't know him.

"I'm not afraid that you know that the emperor's golden seal is not in my hands. I have searched for a long time, but I still have no clues. The only possibility is that I have been taken out of Taicheng."

"When Emperor Father was seriously ill, Xin'an entered the palace several times. After that, the golden seal disappeared."

"She won't return to the fief, but insists on staying in Xuyi, so she must have something to rely on. It is very likely that the golden seal is in her hands!"

Sima Yao is not stupid, in fact, he is indeed somewhat smart.

During these days of enthronement, he thought about many possibilities, and even asked the eunuch who served Sima Yu to inquire, and gradually grasped the clues, pointing the finger at Sima Daofu.

It's a pity that the latter left Jiankang after attending the funeral, and moved to Xuyi without even going to Gushu.In Youzhou, under the eyes of Princess Nankang, it is completely impossible to touch her.

After much deliberation, Sima Yao planned to use the wedding in June to attract Nankang and Xin'an to Jiankang.

It's better if Huan Rong is with you, it doesn't matter if you don't come.

As long as Princess Nankang is trapped, [-]% of them will make him be cautious and dare not act rashly.At that time, force him to resign and hand over his seal, obediently return to Jiankang as a hostage, and hand over the Huan family to Huan Chong or Huan Huo, who should always remember his "kindness".

If Huan Rong ignored Princess Nankang, he would never have the good reputation he has today!

"Brother, how will the world think of you if you act like this?" Sima Daozi said dryly.

After hearing Sima Yao's plan, there were only four words left in his mind: whimsical!

Are Nankang and Huan Rong fools?

"How do you think of me?" Sima Yao laughed, as if hearing a very funny joke, "What reputation do I have? What does it matter how you think of me?"

Sima Daozi froze on the spot again.

He didn't know what to say, and how to persuade Sima Yao to completely dismiss this idea that would drag the Jin family into the abyss.He regretted going back to Jiankang, regretted coming to see Sima Yao, and regretted it even more... It was too late to say anything now.

Sima Yao is crazy, completely crazy.

Trying to use such a ridiculous method to deal with Huan Rong who holds military power in vain is simply ridiculous!

Didn't he think that if the matter fails, even if he abdicates, the face of the Jin family will be trampled into the mud.

At that time, if someone raises an army to rebel, the people of the world may not condemn him for being unrighteous, but will applaud him instead.Even the royal family of Wang Xie may not stand on the side of the Jin family.

It is a big taboo for Sima Yao to recruit nobles surnamed Wu and let him spread rumors.Being poached by others and cutting the foundation by yourself with a shovel are completely different things.

Thinking of this, Daozi Sima Yao couldn't help shivering, and a terrible thought came to his mind: Could it be that someone opened up a big net from the very beginning to lead Sima Yao to a dead end, but the latter didn't know it and thought he was smart?

No, not possible!

Sima Daozi shook his head quickly.

However, once the thought arose, it could not be completely eliminated, and it took root and sprouted in his mind, which made him feel chills all over his body.

At this moment, Sima Daozi wished he could have two wings, and immediately left Taicheng, ran out of Jiankang, ran back to the fief far away, and never came back.

In Qingxili, in the Zhou family's house, Jia Bing sat opposite the head of the Zhou family.A chessboard was placed in front of the two of them, each held black and white, and strangled on the chessboard.

This chess game lasted for half an hour, and in the end, Jia Bing won with three pieces.

The Patriarch of the Zhou family stroked his beard and smiled, "Jia Sheren is as wise as a hundred dragons, and I am ashamed of myself."

"Duke Zhou has a great reputation." Jia Bing said with a smile, "This matter can be done, it depends on Duke Zhou. Officials like to practice small wisdom, pretending to be smart, Duke Zhou has a sophisticated layout, let him fall into the urn."

When the two were talking, a maidservant came to report that King Donghai left Taicheng, instead of returning directly to the mansion, he turned around and rushed to Wuyi Lane.

"The king of the East China Sea is smart." Zhou Chudao, "It's just that it's a foregone conclusion, and he can't shake it."

"Duke Zhou, I believe that the King of the East China Sea may not have that intention."

"Oh?"

"Duke Zhou also praised him for being a bit smart. It is not known whether he is going to Bird Clothes Lane at this time to find a way out."

After pondering for a moment, Duke Zhou nodded and said, "This statement is reasonable."

Later, Jia Bing got up to say goodbye.

When he left the Zhou Mansion, he raised his head and looked in the direction of Taicheng, with a smile in his eyes, but somehow there was a hint of cruelty.

"According to the letter, Minggong should arrive in Xuyi, right?" Sitting in the car, Jia Bing half-closed his eyes, and tapped his knees with his fingers one after another, very regularly.

The chess piece is settled, the big net has been opened, and the moment when Huan Rong gives an order is to close the net completely.