The Bad Guys: Playing the Fake Li Xingyun at the Beginning

"This matter, the king does know."

After these words were spoken, Kong Xianwen was like a chicken with its neck strangled. His eyes widened, his lips trembled, and he could not utter a word.

He didn't understand why Li Siyuan wanted to stab him in the back at this time, since they were obviously in the same group.

With the endorsement of Prince Jin, the court officials naturally would not make a fuss about this matter anymore.

At this time, Li Siyuan saw the smile on Su Ming's face on the dragon throne fade away, as if he was a little disappointed. However, because of the crown, he couldn't see clearly even if he used all his eyesight. He could only guess his thoughts based on some subtle expressions.

In his eyes, the man on the dragon throne is not as simple as he seems. He can easily control Li Cunli, so how can he easily deal with the people in Tongwenguan? The death of a woman has caused him to change so much. The original silly Li Xingyun was so good, with so many flaws that he could be easily controlled. How come he has turned into a hedgehog covered with thorns and is impossible to bite.

Noticing Su Ming's expression, Li Siyuan secretly felt lucky that he had not fallen into the trap.

Zhang Zifan was also a little surprised by Li Siyuan's words. He didn't know why he didn't deny it, but this didn't stop him from suppressing the arrogance of the ministers. "Everyone, the Khitan King signed this letter completely for the sake of your Majesty's face. It has nothing to do with you. His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin also admitted that this matter is true. Do you have anything else to say?"

At this moment, Su Ming, who was sitting on the dragon throne, was also very surprised. He was ready to support Zhang Zifan, but he did not expect Li Siyuan to admit it. It really surprised him.

However, Yelu Abaoji's relationship with them could be exposed, but the fact that they were brothers could not be told, because this was against etiquette and would be criticized by court officials and even cause an uproar.

Just like when he was in the royal court of Mobei, Yelu Abaoji avoided talking about this matter.

Chapter 67 Su Ming's Plan

What a deep calculation.

At this moment, Li Siyuan finally understood why Su Ming had sent Zhang Zifan to the Khitan as an envoy. With this relationship, Yelu Abaoji had to give him face. In this way, everything made sense.

At this time, the ministers were unable to refute. The grace of saving a life was greater than heaven, so it was natural for the Khitan leader to give Zhang Zifan this face.

Kong Xianwen was indeed an experienced man, and he quickly adjusted his mood. "Since Your Highness the Prince of Jin admits that this matter is true, then this old minister would like to apologize to you. I hope you can forgive me. After all, we are all working for the country, and it is inevitable that we have disagreements."

A trace of disgust flashed in Zhang Zifan's eyes. He hated this kind of guy who took advantage of his seniority and took advantage of his status the most. Although he didn't want to give him face, this was in front of everyone in the court, so he couldn't turn his face against him, so he could only hold his nose and forgive him.

He glanced around and continued, "Since everyone has no objection, then there are no other problems with this letter of credence, right?"

Li Siyuan did not say anything, because he had admitted the matter before, and naturally he could not raise any objections to the letter now, otherwise he would be slapping himself in the face.

No one spoke, so Zhang Zifan turned his attention to the officials from the Ministry of Rites, "Master Kong, Master Yan, what advice do you have for me?"

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At the same time, the news that the Tang Dynasty and Khitan were going to negotiate an alliance spread like wildfire in Luoyang City. Gossip is human nature, not to mention that talking about state affairs and giving advice on how to govern the country is what the lower-class peasants like to do most.

At a tavern on the street, a group of rough men in short linen clothes were drinking. They were fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans and drinking the water mixed with the wine. They were shouting, "What do you think? We want to form an alliance with the Khitan barbarians. Can this be accomplished?"

A bearded man glared and slapped the table, saying, "Humph, the Khitan barbarians are simply untrustworthy. Have you forgotten that we fought with them a few years ago? If they are negotiating peace now, they must be deceiving us."

"Your Majesty sent an envoy to Khitan a few months ago. I heard that they brought back a letter from the Khitan leader. Could this be false?" A sturdy man with a knife on his back said unconvinced.

"How do you know the delegation brought back the letter? Did you see it with your own eyes?"

The sturdy man with the knife on his back said proudly, "We just came back from the grassland last month and killed a few sand bandits. This news has spread all over Khitan."

"Yes, I've heard about this, too. I heard that Khitan sent people to escort our delegation last month. My uncle is doing business there, and he also heard about it from the Khitans." A drunken guest at the next table interjected.

As if infected by their words, an elderly drinker said with emotion, "If we really negotiated with the Khitan, that would be a great thing. In recent years, the Khitan often came to plunder the grass valley, and many people died every year."

Similar scenes took place throughout Luoyang City, in the streets and alleys, academies and teahouses, and even in brothels, there were patrons discussing this matter, as if they were the masters in the court and could decide the affairs of the court with a single word.

This was of course done by the people of Xuanming Sect arranged by Su Ming. If you don't occupy the high point of public opinion, someone else will. In terms of power, he is naturally not as good as Li Siyuan, but he can seize the initiative and be one step ahead.

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In the hall, Kong Xianwen and Yan Suchen narrowed their eyes slightly, "We have no objection, you can continue."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Zifan smiled slightly and said, "I have already done the mission to Khitan on behalf of the Ministry of Rites. Do you want me to do the specific discussion of the articles and the formulation of the policy?"

This sentence stabbed the two of them in the heart. They glared at Zhang Zifan, "You! You little brat, how presumptuous!"

Zhang Zifan looked calm and didn't take him seriously at all.

After the officials finished reading the letter, the scroll returned to Su Ming's hands. "Do you have any more objections to this, my dear ministers?"

At this point, it was useless to object any further. "Your Majesty, we have no objection."

Li Siyuan's hands, clenched in his sleeves, turned white as he thought of a possibility: Yelu Abaoji had betrayed him. Over the years, as he expanded his power under Li Cunxu, he must have had to deal with the Khitans.

After a while, it is normal for both parties to have transactions.

Li Siyuan became alert when he noticed Su Ming's unusual behavior. He thought Su Ming had something on him, so he lost the game.

In fact, Su Ming did have a handle on him, but it was not given to him by Yelu Abaoji, but discovered by the followers of Xuanming Sect. However, once this handle was used, it would shock the border troops of the Tang Dynasty, so it would be better not to use it. Now is not the time to deal with them.

Su Ming stood up from the dragon throne and looked down at the ministers. "Since you have no objection, the officials of the Ministry of Rites will be involved in the next matters. Zhang Zifan, you will go to the Ministry of Rites to hand over your tasks and continue to serve in the palace."

"Lord Kong, Lord Yan, I'll leave this matter to you, how do you think?"

I finally picked this peach, it was not easy!

The two white-haired old men looked at each other with great joy, "I will definitely live up to your majesty's expectations and work hard to get this done."

They are all over 70 years old, and they rarely meet people who make them

Su Ming nodded, "Okay, since you have agreed, then you must do it well. If you do it well, I can write off the previous matter and forgive the past."

"But if this mission is not done well, your Ministry of Rites will have no need to exist."

The real ulterior motive is revealed! The real ulterior motive is revealed!

His purpose was never to negotiate anything, but to target the officials of the Ministry of Rites. The reason why he did not tell the court about Yelu Abaoji's intention to marry him was to trap them.

However, without the best bait, these people would never take the bait, so this letter with relaxed conditions was his bait. If he succeeded, Kong Xianwen and Yan Suchen would not only make further progress in officialdom, but their appeal among the literati would also be stronger, and even their names would be recorded in history books.

To leave a name in history, what a temptation it is for a Confucian disciple!

At this moment, Li Siyuan's eyelids twitched, and he thought to himself that something was wrong. Just as he was about to speak, Kong Xianwen and Yan Suchen jumped into the trap. At the beginning, they were the ones who wanted to find fault, and later they were also the ones who wanted to pick peaches. The arrow was on the string and had to be shot, and they could no longer refuse.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. If this matter cannot be completed, we are willing to obey your Majesty's orders!"

As soon as he said this, Li Siyuan felt depressed, while Kong Xianwen and Yan Suchen were still immersed in joy and did not notice Li Siyuan's gloomy expression at all.

Yesterday, he told the two men that although he had endorsed their actions to sabotage the emperor, the development of the situation had now exceeded his expectations.

As an old coin, Li Siyuan can say with certainty that they are finished!

Chapter 68 Straight Hook Fishing

This letter from the credible state seems to be a great achievement, but in fact it is a bait, a poisoned bait. Although this letter from the Khitan credible state has clauses, the specific parts can only be implemented after consultation between officials of both sides.

During this period, anything could happen. The Khitans could turn against them at any time, and their merits could then be turned into guilt, making it impossible for them to turn things around. Although Li Siyuan didn't know what other cards Su Ming had yet to play, he would never let go so easily.

At this time, Kong Xianwen and Yan Suchen were still immersed in the joy of victory, looking at Zhang Zifan with contempt, as if saying: Boy, you are too naive.

Fortunately, the two of them were quite polite and did not pursue him relentlessly or ridicule Zhang Zifan. Otherwise, their eating habits would have been too ugly.

The matter has been decided. The court meeting will continue, and the matters that need to be discussed will be discussed and the decisions that need to be made will be made.

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After court dismissal, Su Ming returned to the harem. Just as he changed into casual clothes, Zhang Zifan came over.

He endured it for the whole morning and finally exploded, "Brother Li, I finally brought back the Khitan letter, why did you hand over this job to Li Siyuan's people? They are so arrogant in the Taiji Hall, and you can still tolerate it."

Su Ming frowned and said helplessly, "It is already our limit to bring back the Khitan letter. Do you want to go and negotiate with the Khitans in person?"

"But we can't give up this matter so easily. Those two old guys were too arrogant today. Relying on the support of Li Siyuan, they simply didn't take us seriously." Zhang Zifan stared, still angry.

Although Su Ming had previously discussed with him about leaving the peace talks with the Khitan to the court, he did not expect that the process would be so fast. Li Siyuan and his men took the initiative without paying anything.

Wouldn't that mean all their previous efforts and sacrifices would be completely wasted and just a benefit to others?

Su Ming patted his shoulder and comforted him, "Brother Zhang, calm down, calm down, I will explain it to you slowly."

"Yelü Abaoji wants to marry his daughter to me, but it's impossible. Even if I agree, the whole court won't agree. Don't you know how xenophobic we are in the Central Plains?"

"Therefore, this peace talk will never succeed unless Yelu Abaoji can deal with these civil and military ministers."

"If you want to get something, you must give it first. As disciples of Confucianism, Kong Xianwen and Yan Suchen have too much appeal in the literary world and too high a status. If I add fuel to the fire at this time, I can make him the person that everyone expects and is responsible for world peace."

"If he fails, he will be spurned by the literary world. The Central Plains has been fighting for so long, not only are the local governors tired, but the local people are also suffering. Peace talks are the general trend and what the people want."

"With such a high reputation, but he returns in failure, he will not be able to continue in the officialdom. Is it worth it to exchange a letter from the country for these two people?"

After hearing these words, Zhang Zifan couldn't help but think of the past and felt a chill. Since ancient times, those who go against the trend will never have a good end. Once the peace talks fail, those two old guys may not just have to resign.

Since the fall of the Tang Dynasty, there have been successive wars in the Central Plains. First, Jin and Liang competed for the Central Plains, and then Jin destroyed Liang and unified the northern border. The people thought they could live a peaceful life, but not long after, Li Cunxu died, and the vassal states fought each other, and the people suffered terribly.

During this trip to the grassland as an envoy to Khitan, Zhang Zifan truly witnessed the sufferings of the world and the dire situation of the people. Before, they lived the life of people in the underworld, free and easy, but now that they are officials in the court, their perspectives are naturally different.

But in this way, Yelu Abaoji's entrustment was doomed to fail.

Zhang Zifan showed a bitter smile, "Brother Li, why didn't I see you being so smart before? If you were like this, we wouldn't have been beaten so badly and have to run around everywhere."

"It was all forced out. As for the methods, they are all recorded in history books. After you went to the grassland, I spent most of my time in the Jixian Hall reading books. If I had been in the Wu Zhou period, I would have been seen through by others." The most turbulent period in the Tang Dynasty court was the time when Wu Zetian proclaimed herself emperor. At that time, all kinds of monsters and demons appeared on the stage, it was dazzling, and it was a chaos of demons.

The usefulness of a method does not lie in its age but in its effectiveness. The example of Duke Zhuang of Zheng defeating Duan in Yan has appeared many times in history, but every time it has been used, it has achieved considerable results.

Zhang Zifan shook his head, but if this happened, the task that Yelu Abaoji entrusted him to do would be doomed to fail.

Things have come to this point, and the subsequent developments have nothing to do with Zhang Zifan. What remains to be seen is how the officials of the Ministry of Rites will negotiate with the Khitan and how they will respond to Yelu Abaoji's request.

In other words, the one who would face pressure next would no longer be him, but the officials of the Ministry of Rites and Li Siyuan.

Moreover, even if the peace talks failed, it could not be blamed on him, let alone the emperor. It was all due to the treacherous officials in the court who were causing trouble and causing the failure of the peace talks that were so hard to achieve.

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Not long after returning home, Li Siyuan learned about the rumors in Luoyang City. Only now did he understand the emperor's back-up plan. If he took the initiative and confirmed the matter, the content of today's court meeting would be spread on the streets tomorrow.

By then, Kong Xianwen and Yan Suchen will be pushed to the top by public opinion. It is a simple but clever tactic of flattery and killing. It will definitely not work if it happens to him. But this time the targets being used are Kong Xianwen and Yan Suchen, two Confucian disciples whose bodies are half buried in the earth.

They are already old, and their life experiences and future have already been shaped, so they don't need to worry about family affairs. The Kong family and the Yan family are both Confucian scholars, and even if the emperor is dissatisfied with them, he can't do anything to them.

The two men had nothing to worry about, so they could charge into battle under Li Siyuan with peace of mind. At worst, they could just resign and go home.

But now, Su Ming threw out the bait, a bait that would win them a posthumous reputation and be recorded in history. Naturally, they took the bait.

But Li Siyuan could not stop this, because this was what the Confucian disciples pursued wholeheartedly, and, Kong Xianwen and others were his own people, just like Li Cunli. It was a promotion before, and he could not object. Now that this credit was within his grasp, it was even more difficult to stop it.

If I had known this would happen, I should not have let them go to the grassland!

Now Li Siyuan regretted that he had cut off the emperor's arm in order to get rid of Zhang Zifan and let them go to Khitan as envoys. He didn't expect that Su Ming could use such a small chip to exchange for such a big bet.

Straight hook bait can often catch fish that are bigger than you can imagine.

Chapter 69 Li Cunyi Departs

He won this game of chess!