kvmb Chapter 122 Yuan Gongyu, Pei Xingjian
Chapter 122 Yuan Gongyu, Pei Xingjian
In the magnificent palace, Li Zhi, who was no longer the younger brother Zhi Nu but the second father, sat lazily on the dragon throne. His mood seemed calm, but his heart was actually churning with turmoil.
His eyes were half-closed, as if he was thinking about a problem that would give everyone in the palace a headache—such as what to eat with Consort Zhao tonight, or how to arrange a perfect new dynasty for himself.
The atmosphere in the palace became tense—at least that's what the "big shots" who had just suffered defeat seemed to think.
"Empress Wu, you're becoming more and more discreet in your actions."
Li Zhi's lips curled into a smirk, and he suddenly said, "When did you secretly send someone to comfort Li Yifu? Is this an indication that I'm 'changing shifts'?"
Xiao Si immediately began to frequently exchange glances with Zi An.
As expected, Empress Wu had always mastered the art of "doing things discreetly and quietly." The "envoys of comfort" she sent out were like spies lurking in the palace—no one knew what she was up to, but they exuded a powerful aura!
Meanwhile, important officials such as Xu Jingzong, Cui Yixuan, and Yuan Gongyu had almost surrounded Li Zhi like a Go board, and each of them looked like a newly emerging noble and powerful figure helping Li Zhi to maintain his "imperial aura".
However, these heroes all carried a cautious air of "I don't follow the usual path"—after all, after the Emperor's attempt to support his own people failed last time, everyone knew that if they failed again in the next round, it would be their turn to be embarrassed...
"Alright, since we put on such a 'full of twists and turns' show last time, we need to make up for it this time."
Xu Jingzong lowered his head, his expression cold and stern: "This time I've come prepared, and I definitely won't make myself look like a 'failed little minion' like last time."
“That’s right,” Cui Yixuan nodded, looking confident. “I’m ready. This time, I’m going to make Changsun Wuji and his gang understand that we can not only fail spectacularly, but also bounce back spectacularly.”
Yuan Gongyu stood aside, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes gleaming with the light of a carefully brewing conspiracy in the darkness. He had already devised a plan for a "perfect counterattack" in his mind.
"I think, 'If we're going to do something, we might as well go all out,' or we might as well just lie low and never go back to work!"
Little Si yawned, "Dad, I'm sleepy. I'm going back to my palace to take a nap."
Li Zhi doted on An Ding Si, giving him a big kiss on the forehead as a goodnight farewell.
Turning to his newly recruited tools, he gently tapped the armrest of the dragon throne and said very seriously:
"Since you're so confident, then tell me, can the forces you've assembled this time fight a great battle? Don't make it as embarrassing as the last sumo wrestling match."
Upon hearing this, Xu Jingzong's eyes widened, and he whispered:
"Your Majesty, 'the second time' is no joke. This time we will definitely 'turn the world upside down'! We will definitely succeed this time!" He put on an "invincible posture", as if he could easily crush even Changsun Wuji.
Not to be outdone, Cui Yixuan casually remarked:
"Failure is only temporary, success is forever. Besides, I have already predicted all the possible scenarios, and this time I will definitely turn this 'minor incident' into a 'climax'."
Yuan Gongyu smiled mysteriously, thinking:
"Oh? 'Climax'? Then I'll have to think carefully about how to put myself in the 'most dramatic' position."
He rubbed his chin, starting to think about how to add a "transition" scene to his performance.
Li Zhi, with an expression that seemed to say, "You guys should be very useful this time," finally smiled.
"Alright, since everyone is so confident, let's begin! But remember, don't try any more 'dare's, or you'll become a laughing stock again!"
Upon hearing Li Zhi's order, the members of the leadership team exchanged glances, silently praying that things would not turn out like last time, where the newly rich seemed more like extras than the established noble families.
At this moment, a slight commotion could be heard inside the palace, and a new storm was brewing.
The new team quietly completed its second assembly—this time it was no longer a matter of "taking a chance," but rather a charge forward brimming with "confidence" and "explosive power"!
“Well then,” Li Zhi stood up, lazily glanced out the window, and a confident smile appeared on his lips, “I’ll wait and see whether everyone will have a ‘comeback’ or a ‘crash’ this time.”
He yawned, clearly indifferent to the impending turmoil.
Everything in the palace seemed to freeze. The wind blew through the windowpanes, and the sound of footsteps, like drumbeats, signaling the departure of the new leadership team, carried an air of "either success or disaster"...
"Life," Li Zhi stroked his beard, as if speaking to himself, his tone unhurried, "Just wait and see—who will have the last laugh in the next wave?!"
After Xiao Si finished looking at A Ye's new team, she returned to her palace and asked Zi An next to her, "Which employee is that, Yu?"
Zi'an said, "When Wu Zetian was made empress by Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Xu Jingzong, the Minister of the Imperial Guard, Cui Yixuan, the Grand Censor, and Yuan Gongyu, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, all secretly expressed their loyalty to Wu Zetian. Yuan Gongyu was the one who was in charge of the project!"
Xiao Si said, "Haha, I thought you were an employee surnamed Yu. Now I know! I heard that Pei Xingjian, the magistrate of Chang'an County, firmly believes that if Consort Wu is made empress, then the country's troubles will surely begin from that point. So he closed the door with Changsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang and discussed it privately..."
Zi'an said, "Yes, after Yuan Gongyu inquired about this matter through the man in black, he told Wu Zetian's mother, Lady Yang, that Pei Xingjian had been demoted to the position of Chief Secretary of the Xizhou Governor's Office."
Xiao Si said, "I remember that nightmare about the hada. In July 659, Xu Jingzong sent Yuan Gongyu, who was then a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, to Qianzhou to force Changsun Wuji to hang himself?"
Zi'an said, "That's right, he added more drama to his story later. In 662, Xu Ziran, the son of the Left Chancellor Xu Yushi, trampled on crops while hunting. The landowner was angry, so Xu Ziran shot the landowner with a whistling arrow. The landowner went to the Censorate to file a lawsuit, but the Censorate Director Yang Deyi refused to accept the case."
Xiao Si said, "Oh, could it be that Yuan Gongyu, the scribe of the Western Secretariat, sent someone with a different name to submit a sealed memorial to Emperor Gaozong of Tang, accusing him of this matter?"
Zi'an said, "Exactly! Later, Xu Yushi claimed that it was the generals who were acting tyrannically who were leading troops, and that he himself was a civil official who had no right to act tyrannically! Wasn't that courting death? So Emperor Gaozong was furious and said, 'You don't reflect on your mistakes, but instead resent that you didn't lead troops?' He then dismissed Xu Yushi from his post."
Zi'an had already prepared all the toiletries for bedtime, and the bed was neatly made.
He patted the pillow, glancing at An Ding Si as he whispered:
"It's getting late, you should get some rest. We have important things to do tomorrow, so you need to get a good night's sleep tonight."
An Ding Si, however, widened his eyes, shook his head, and wore a "very energetic" expression:
"Oh dear, my father and mother still have to continue their power struggle! How can I sleep? Who knows what will happen in the palace tonight?" She frowned slightly, her lips drooping down, looking a little worried.
Zi'an was taken aback: "What do you mean by the 'battle for real power'?" He didn't quite understand.
"That's Pei Xingjian! He's the one who's been keeping an eye on Li Zhi's movements! He's been getting quite close to Changsun Wuji lately, and that whole room full of people studying the emperor are all of one mind."
An Ding Si muttered to himself as he fiddled with the books on the bedside table.
Zi'an smiled gently, showing no particular concern.
"These people really like to do dirty tricks behind the scenes, but if something really big happens, no one can stop them!"
An Ding Si nodded, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table:
"By the way! My mother, Empress Wu, has actually been watching all of Chang'an Ling's actions. Pei Xingjian actually invited several important officials, led by Chu Suiliang and Changsun Wuji, to a meeting to discuss countermeasures and hold some kind of 'dealing with the Emperor.' They dare to gather together in private, behind closed doors, to study the Emperor?! Although one of them is my calligraphy teacher and the other is my uncle, this is unacceptable!!"
Xiao Si looked anxious and incredulous. "Is this the path to certain death?!"
Zi'an helplessly shrugged:
"Well, who knows? The ministers are quite shrewd, and their behind-the-scenes struggles are far more complex than we imagine. Since the magistrate of Chang'an dared to do this, he probably has some 'intentions' in mind and wants to make this situation 'naturally successful.' But... will Li Zhi let them arrange things? Especially with your mother Wu Zetian's divine assistance, it's hard to say."
The room suddenly fell silent.
Zi'an shrugged:
"Alas, things in this time and space are hard to say. Who could have imagined that Empress Wu could so smoothly turn the tide in so many years of political maneuvering?"
Moreover, your father, Li Zhi, is not someone to be trifled with.
Just wait and see. Your fathers of both generations are no pushovers; they won't let you plan things out so easily. So what if you have a bad start? The endgame is still up to him!
An Ding Si narrowed his eyes: "Alright then, let's wait and see what happens. But if anything happens, we'd better get involved and see who really comes out on top!"
Zi'an smiled gently and nodded: "Alright, let's begin our pre-sleep meditation. Tomorrow morning, we'll analyze it again and see who can truly reap the 'benefits' from this palace intrigue."