Huan Rong

Ningkang three years, May Bingwu

After the court meeting, the officials dispersed, and Sima Yao was invited by the Queen Mother to Changle Palace.

As the niece of Empress Aijing and the future empress of Sima Yao, Wang Fahui was summoned to Taicheng several times by the Queen Mother.The prospective mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were quite harmonious before, but the Queen Mother loved this cheerful, even somewhat masculine girl, and every time she was called into the palace, she would be rewarded with a large sum of money.

Sima Yao is not the case. He has instinctive resistance to Wang Fahui.Compromise with the Queen Mother on the surface, but in private there will always be a bit of compromise.In addition, Wang is not the type of beauty he likes, the two met several times, but broke up unhappy.

Sima Yao rushed back to the Tai Chi Hall, closed the door, and smashed the jade objects all over the floor.

When Wang Fahui returned home, she complained to her mother without hesitation, "A slave is a slave after all! How can my son marry such a person!"

In Sima Yao's eyes, the seniority of the two is always a problem.For the Wang family, Sima Yao's mother's lineage is even more flawed.

They're not yet married, but they've only met a few times, and they've already hurt each other a thousand points.After the big wedding, they face each other day and night, and they don't know how many hurricanes will blow up in Taicheng.

The Queen Mother saw it and mediated twice at first.Seeing that the two of them had no intention of turning around, they simply let go.

Anyway, this marriage is about interests, whether the husband and wife are happy with each other is not a big problem.As long as Sima Yao can give the empress a face, and the Wang family doesn't lose face to the emperor in front of everyone, they can get along with each other.

The Queen Mother thought well.

However, no matter how good the idea is, it can't stand Sima Yao who is bent on hitting the south wall.

She had no idea that Sima Yao secretly planned to take Princess Nankang as a hostage in order to force Huan Rong to hand over power.If he knew, he would slap him 100% of the time and make the same choice as Queen Mother Chu did back then: abolish the emperor!

It's a pity that Sima Yao was determined to do a "big event", and spit out the bad breath that had been pent up in his chest for three years.Be careful not to say anything, you have deceived the Queen Mother, and even recruited the nobles surnamed Wu, with the help of the latter, to make every step of the plan "perfect".

Sending letters to Youzhou three times, and getting a reply from Princess Nankang, Sima Yao was so excited that his face turned red and he couldn't control his joy.

Sima Daozi was not at all excited when he heard the news, instead his face was pale, as if mourning.

He didn't know the whole plan, but he could guess the general idea.Judging from Sima Yao's previous words, he is really going to do "big things", too big to bear the consequences alone, and it is very likely that the entire Sima family will be blamed.

"Brother, is this really the case? We need to know that Huan Jingdao is not without schemes, and Nankang is not a kind person. If the matter is revealed, brother, have you ever thought about the consequences?"

Sima Daozi had already found a way out for himself, but he didn't want to see the entire Sima family being dragged down.Even if he and Sima Yao went farther and farther, the two were brothers after all, they were very close by blood, and they didn't want to see him go to a dead end.

Before leaving Jiankang, he was as ignorant as Sima Yao.

After staying in the fiefdom for a period of time, he finally understood that the so-called watching the sky from a well and being self-righteous can only hurt himself in the end.

However, Sima Yao fell into the fantasy after the success of the matter, and did not listen to persuasion at all.

Looking at Sima Yao, who was flushed, excited and couldn't listen to a word, Sima Daozi secretly shook his head.I made up my mind that after leaving Taicheng, I must go to Bird Clothes Lane again.

What he wants to visit is not Taiyuan Wang family, nor Chenjun Xie family, but Langya Wang family who has gradually recovered since Wang Xianzhi entered the dynasty and can stand up to the former two.

Wang Xianzhi and Xie Xuan led the troops away, and news kept coming back to Jiankang.

The army has captured Guzang, and will soon capture the entire territory of Liangzhou.

After the news came back, countless eyes were fixed on Gu Zang, and many high-ranking families with children who were about to become officials were eager to move, hoping to open up the joints and take the opportunity to select officials to take office.

These families are no better than the top families, and even if they can select officials, their tastes are not very high-end.After several years of hard work in Jiankang and some achievements, he could slowly rise to the eighth or ninth rank.

Going up, you have to face behemoths like Wang and Xie.Unless the children are stunned and talented, more people will stop at the bottom and will not be able to enter the center of power for life.

It's not the case when you go out to the frontier.

Firstly, if you are sent outside as an official, your taste will always be improved; secondly, if you are not in the ranks in Jiankang, if you put it outside the capital, you will have a halo on your head;

Thirdly, and most importantly, Liangzhou was newly conquered, and most of the local government officials had to be re-elected, so there were quite a few opportunities.Moreover, the local tyrants have a dark history of first voting for Zhang Liang, then his minister Di Qin, and then returning to Shi Yiqian in a blink of an eye. Facing officials appointed by the imperial court, they will always lose a bit or two of confidence.

One goes up and down the other, even if you can't hold the power in one fell swoop, compared with the constraints elsewhere, you can definitely relax a little bit.

Thinking of this, Sima Daozi couldn't help shaking his head.

"It's really that simple, [-]% of the sun will come out from the west."

On the bright side, Liangzhou belonged to the Jin Dynasty after it was defeated.In fact, the land was divided by the Longkanghuan family, Chenjun Xie family, Langya Wang family and Hongnong Yang family.

Referring to the examples of Fufeng, Tianshui, and Longxi, the officials who serve in these places are either from the four surnames or the four in-laws, or they are also old friends of the alliance.

No one is a fool, and the territory that has been painstakingly won is handed over to others?

Impossible to think about.

After Huan Yuanzi died of illness, Jiankang didn't take any action, but it was a pity that his return failed.In contrast, Huan developed an astonishing eyeball.Spreading out the map, it can be clearly seen that the Huan clan and its allies almost control most of the Jin land!

Now that the Chenjun Xie family and the Huan family are cooperating, and Huan Huo intends to hand over Yangzhou Mu to Xie An, one can imagine how embarrassing the imperial power will be after this is done.

Xi Yin has the ability to compete with the Huan family, after all, he holds the Beifu army in his hands.

The problem is that Xi Yin is old, and his sons, Xi Chao, dare to be one of the best, but they are not on the same mind with their own father; Small, Xi Fanghui has been cultivating with heart, but it may not be able to support him until he grows up.

The most notable example is that Huan Wen sent two young sons to Gu Shu to raise them. What was the result?

In the end, it was still Huan Rong who took his place.

Xi Yin's health is not even comparable to that of Huan Da Sima, and no one can guarantee whether he will suddenly contract a serious illness, which will cause Xi's "power vacuum".

The more Sima Daozi thought about it, the more frightened he became.

He even considered, after visiting the Langya Wang family, whether he should take the initiative to send a letter to the Huan family to find another way out for himself.Of course, this move would betray Sima Yao, but who made the latter refuse to listen to the persuasion, so that he could shake the tree and go on the road to death.

People do not kill themselves for their own sake!

However, if others know about it, how should I deal with it?

Just as it was swaying, a carriage suddenly came forward and passed Sima Daozi's carriage.

The servant Jian was about to yell at him, but he saw Sima Daozi open the door, saw the emblem on the carriage clearly, and told him to shut up.

"Your Highness?" the servant was puzzled.

"go!"

Sima Daozi knew that he, a vassal and king, seemed to be noble, but he was nothing when he met Wang Xie and the nobles.In addition, for the convenience of travel, no princes and kings were honored, so it is really difficult to investigate the other party's rudeness.

Although the carriage coming towards him was not Wang Xie, it was Gaoping Xishi.

If he did not admit his mistake, the person sitting in the car was none other than Xi Yin's eldest son, Zhongshu servant Xi Chao!

Huan Wen returned west on a crane, and Xi Chao entered the court as an official. Even though he was at odds with Xi Yin, no one dared to underestimate him.

The main reason is that Huan family stands behind him, more precisely, Huan Rong!

Watching the carriage go far away, Sima Daozi's heart sank. Thinking of his future situation, he felt inexplicably flustered.

Xi Chao didn't recognize the carriage, but the guard driving for him recognized the health servant opposite.

"Master Lang, he is the King of the East China Sea." The guard said.

"Don't mind." Xi Chao leaned against the wall of the car, holding a roll of bamboo slips in his hand, and said, "The other party doesn't say anything, so he just doesn't know."

"promise!"

The carriage traveled all the way to Qingxili and stopped in front of the Prime Minister's Mansion.

The porter heard the sound of the assistant's head being knocked. He looked around and recognized Xi Chao.

During this period of time, Xi Chao would come to visit his father every now and then.

At first, Xi Yin still didn't want to see him, he didn't see a smiling face every time, and even sent him away if he had the opportunity.In recent days, Prime Minister Xi's attitude has softened, and he ordered that in the mansion, if Xi Chao came to the door, he would be greeted directly.

Xi Chao jumped out of the carriage, his court clothes had already been changed, he didn't wear a crown and hat, and only tied his hair with a Ge scarf.The outline is slightly thinner, but it does not give people a sense of weakness, but looks elegant and natural.

The loyal servant who was ordered to greet him saluted respectfully, then straightened up and watched Xi Chao's back, feeling in a trance that the eldest son was more like a prime minister than the second and third sons.I just don't know why the father and son came to this day.

Xi Chao didn't see anyone outside, so he strolled to the main courtyard without a guide.After crossing the osmanthus trees in the courtyard, he walked into the room dressed in a delicate fragrance, saluted, and sat opposite Xi Min.

"Father."

"En." Xi Yin did not deal with government affairs, but set out a chessboard, signaling Xi Chao to hold the black, "Talk about a game with me, how about it?"

"promise."

Xi Chao sternly agreed, wiped his hands with a cloth towel, and took the black first.

Black and white fight on the chessboard, and there is no distinction between top and bottom for a while.

Xi Yin dropped another son and said suddenly, "Why are you here today?"

Xi Chao pondered for two seconds before placing a piece on the chessboard, and said: "The official has written to Youzhou three times, my father must know about it?"

"I know." Xie Yin nodded.

"Father also knows about the private solicitation of the Wu surname?"

Xi Yin didn't lift his eyelids, as if he was concentrating on the chess game.It took a long time before he nodded, and said in a deep voice, "I know."

"Since that's the case, my father must already know seven or eight points about the purpose of my son's visit."

Xi Yin didn't speak, just picked up a white piece and hung it on the chessboard.

"I won't agree."

"Father," Xi Chao didn't continue to raise his son, and looked up at Xi Yin, "After Da Sima left, the Huan family still held on to the power and would not be shaken by external forces. There is a [-]% reason that he handed over the power in his hand to Huan Jingdao. "

"What do you want to say?"

Xi Chao took half a step back, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, "My son knows what my father thinks, but has my father ever thought about it? It's easy to refuse, and what will happen to Gaoping Xi's situation in the future?"

Xi Yin frowned and stared at Xi Chao, waiting for him to continue.

"Father is an official to the prime minister, holds the Beifu army in his hand, and speaks his word in the court. But, father, have you ever thought about who will be the successor?"

"It's not that my son underestimated himself. With my son's ability, he is more important than a counselor. The position of Bagong is unattainable. The second brother was able to guard Jingkou, and there has been no trouble so far, all thanks to the man left by my father. The third brother has not yet been married, so what Can you take on the heavy responsibility?"

Every time Xi Chao said a word, Xi Yin's expression darkened.

It's not that what Xi Chao said was wrong, on the contrary, he knew that what Xi Chao said was true, so his heart became heavy and his face became more ugly.

The eldest son was at odds with him, and the court knew it all.

The second son likes to talk, and he is talented and knowledgeable, but he is not as good as the eldest son.Guarding Jingkou these days, relying on the team he left behind, government affairs and military affairs can be carried out smoothly, and there have been no major problems.

The third son is still young, even if he is trained, it may be difficult to convince the whole family.

Not everyone has the luck of Huan Yuanzi to give birth to a son like Huan Rong.

"My father dispatched troops to Guangling recently, presumably because he noticed what the officials did and prepared for the preservation of the family?" Xi Chao changed the subject and said, "If it is someone else, I can't say that this move is wrong. However, the leader The soldier is Liu Daojian, and I think things may not go as my father wishes."

Xi Yin couldn't help frowning.

"How do you say this?"

"This person seems to be loyal, but in fact he has a rebellious mind at the back of his head." Xi Chao said solemnly, "If you can let your ambition go, let it go, if you can't, you must change course and switch to someone else!"

Without waiting for Xi Yin to speak, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, and then a loyal servant knelt down in front of the door, saying: "Master Lang, just now came the news that the Marquis of Lantian has died!"

Hearing this, both Xi Yin and Xi Chao were shocked.

Wang Tanzhi's condition is getting worse day by day, all civil and military officials in the court know that things are not good.However, it never occurred to me that the Wang family in Taiyuan searched for good medicine from doctors, but finally failed to delay it for half a year.

"Has the funeral news been issued?"

"Not yet." The loyal servant replied, "I heard that there is a servant of the Wang family delivering a letter to Xie's mansion, and there is a fast horse riding out of Jiankang. It is said that it is going west."

Xi Yin was silent for a long time, and finally sighed.

"Father?"

"I will consider what you said." Xi Yin's voice was slightly hoarse, as if he had realized the impermanence of life, with a bit of sadness in his tone, "I will send someone to Guangling. If things are as you said, for Gaoping Xi's , I will not be an enemy of Huan Jingdao."

"promise!"

At the same time, an unremarkable team arrived in Guangling County.

The leader of the team is a Youzhou businessman, and he has some friendship with the Jin soldiers who were stationed here before.After the Beifu army entered the city, it was the first time back. More than a dozen carts were loaded with grain, bacon and coarse cloth, which was what the army needed urgently.

"Sheren, we're here."

When the convoy entered the city, the leader walked up to the carriage in the procession, through the window, said to the people sitting in the carriage: "I just asked, General Liu did not live in the prefect's mansion, but chose to camp in the west city."

"En." Jia Bing opened the car window, looked at the city gate not far away, and said with a smile, "The emperor will get married in June, and Duke Ming will arrive in Jiankang. It is better for Duke Ming to control Guangling County. "

The team leader nodded, turned around and walked to the front of the team, met the interrogating defenders, covered them with his sleeves, and handed over a purse.

Youzhou, Xuyi

The three letters in a row are all asking Princess Nankang to go to the capital, which shows that Sima Yao is determined.

Huan Rong discussed with Princess Nankang and soon set a departure date.Someone is looking for death with all his heart and rushing on the road of death, why should he be kind?

On the day the convoy departed, Sima Daofu led his people across the house.

Looking at the two young men driving the car, Huan Rong was slightly taken aback.

As far as he knew, these two were the "popular men" in front of the princess of Xin'an County. Would it be better to just take them out like this, or take them to Jiankang?

Seeing Huan Rong's surprise, Sima Daofu smiled and said, "Xiao Lang, don't worry, these are just for looking at. Just like the decorations in the house, it doesn't matter whether it's useful or not, it's always comfortable to look at."

Huan Rong was speechless.

"Furthermore, Xiao Lang definitely has plans for going to Jiankang." Sima Daofu glanced at Huan Rong, then turned his gaze to Princess Nankang. After the latter nodded, he said slowly, "No matter what Xiao Lang's plan is, , with these two around, at least they can draw some attention away and make it easier for Xiao Lang to do things."

After a moment's pause, Huan Rong said solemnly, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

"If Xiao Lang calls me sister, I will be even happier." Sima Daofu covered his mouth and chuckled, his beauty hard to hide.

Huan Rong didn't speak, Princess Nankang glanced at Sima Daofu and said, "Don't call me sister-in-law, but you are my generation."

Sima Daofu didn't feel embarrassed, instead he laughed and said, "It's true, I didn't think well, so please don't take offense, Auntie."

Huan Rong was speechless for a long time, and finally decided not to say anything, just watch.

However, was he being molested?

It's like... isn't it.