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

The civil and military officials, dressed in court robes, came in from the outer gate, talking to each other. After entering the inner gate, they put away their smiles, straightened their clothes, walked into the hall calmly, and stood in their own seats.

As the sound of bells and chimes rang out, Su Ming walked out of the back hall and sat on the dragon throne. At the same time, his Highness and his ministers bowed and saluted, shouting "Long live the emperor!"

Su Ming looked at the ministers who were bowing in the hall and said, "My dear ministers, please stand up." His voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the hall, containing a majesty and tyranny that was different from usual.

Some of the ministers noticed this immediately and felt awe in their hearts. Li Siyuan narrowed his eyes and looked calm. He was not surprised at all. The emperor had been suppressed by him for so long. It would be surprising for him if he did not take this opportunity to fight back.

However, he could not guess how the Emperor and King Qi were going to deal with him.

The emperor is a man of great righteousness, and the King of Qi is even more experienced. Rescuing Zhaozong and sending him back to Luoyang had earned him a lot of political capital. In fact, he was not as good as the King of Qi.

Li Siyuan's achievements were mainly during the reign of Li Cunxu, but Li Cunxu is dead, and now Su Ming is sitting on the throne. As the saying goes, a new emperor chooses new ministers, and he has little political capital left.

Next, it’s time to reveal the real purpose.

Chapter 85 Li Siyuan is anxious

Su Ming sat on the dragon chair and said expressionlessly, "The governors from all over the country should have arrived, let them in."

Then, the Yellow Gate Minister who was waiting on the side said loudly, "Summon the Jiedushi envoy to the court."

A moment later, a group of military governors and envoys stepped into the hall. They were wearing armor, and their bodies were filled with a fierce and iron-blooded aura that made people dare not look directly at them. Walking in the front was Qi Wang Li Maozhen.

She came to the front of the hall under the attention of all the ministers and surrounded by the military governors, and stood in the same position as Li Siyuan.

Today's empress is wearing a royal robe, her long black hair tied up with a golden crown, her face is handsome and her spirit is radiant, her whole body exudes maturity and coldness, and she has a deep and domineering aura, which is completely different from her yesterday.

Li Maozhen was not only a prince, but also the Jiedushi of Fengxiang. Not only him, but Li Siyuan also held the title of Jiedushi of Taiyuan. In those days, if a military general did not have the title of Jiedushi, he would be embarrassed to go out.

As a Jiedushi, in charge of a town, holding military and political power, how powerful it is. Only by becoming a Jiedushi can a military general have autonomy, otherwise, he can only be used as a knife.

Behind the empress followed a group of military governors. Most of them came, but the military governors in the border areas did not dare to leave easily because of the importance of the matter, so they could only send envoys.

The moment the empress appeared in the court, the atmosphere of the entire hall suddenly changed and was no longer under Li Siyuan's control.

The empress looked at Su Ming on the dragon throne, her heartbeat suddenly quickened, and she knelt unconsciously on the ground, "Your Majesty, your servant Li Maozhen pays respects to you!"

The Prince of Qi knelt down, and the remaining military governors did not dare to do anything rash. They knelt down one after another and shouted in unison, "Your Majesty, we are here to see you."

Su Ming looked at the empress, his eyes flashing with a strange light, and then his gaze fell on the governor behind her, "My dear ministers, please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After the empress stood up, all the military governors responded and also stood up hurriedly.

At this time, Li Siyuan, who was standing next to him, had a rather unhappy expression on his face. In the past, when he was in the court, although he could not call the wind and rain, he still held great power and all officials had to look up to him.

Now that Li Maozhen has arrived, before he even says a word, he finds that he seems to be losing control of the court. The military governors are behind her like her subordinates, and although the officials look calm, they must be thinking something in their hearts.

Although he knew that this was an illusion brought about by the court rules and his identity as King Qi, he still felt very unhappy.

Su Ming smiled and said, "Everyone guards the border for the Tang Dynasty and resists foreign invaders. It is really not easy."

Upon hearing this, the empress bowed and replied, "As a military governor, I have the duty to defend the territory. This is my responsibility. I have no choice but to serve the Tang Dynasty!"

Su Ming laughed out loud, "King Qi is right. This is the most loyal minister of our Tang Dynasty and the pillar of the court. Come, give King Qi a seat!"

After he finished speaking, the Yellow Gate Minister next to him cleverly asked someone to move a chair.

"Wait a minute!"

However, just as he was about to move, he was stopped by King Qi.

Seeing this scene, Li Siyuan's eyes darkened, wondering what she was up to.

"Oh? What do you think, King Qi?"

The empress smiled slightly and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, it is the duty of a military governor to guard a place. I dare not take credit for it. I will not accept rewards if I have no merit."

As soon as these words were spoken, the other military governors immediately changed their expressions.

My goodness, according to the old rules, the emperor should have given them rewards, but now it’s probably gone.

Indeed, the Jiedushi held great power and it was their duty to guard the territory, but when they returned to the court to report on their work, the court would give them rewards, which was the emperor's grace to his subjects, and whether to give them or not depended entirely on the emperor's mind.

Now that it is said that there will be no reward without merit, won't some of them be in trouble? Not every governor in this world is ambitious, there are some who are lazy and some who are loyal to the court, but now they are hiding underwater and dare not surface.

Unexpectedly, after saying this, the empress changed the subject and continued, "Your Majesty's reward, I dare not refuse, but I will not accept the reward without merit. I have a treasure to present to you, and I hope I can deserve this reward."

treasure?

Li Siyuan felt his heart skip a beat, as if a layer of haze appeared before his eyes. The treasures that could be taken out of this Taiji Hall were definitely not ordinary things. King Qi, what are you going to do?

He opened his eyes wide and looked at the empress, wanting to know her true intentions.

At this moment, all the ministers felt sympathetic and did not dare to breathe.

The empress reached into her sleeve, pulled out a golden treasure box, and held it in front of her with both hands.

How could this be!

Li Siyuan only felt a flash of thunder in his mind, shaking his body. He never thought that the Longquan treasure box was actually in the hands of King Qi!

The empress raised her head, a smile on her face, "Your Majesty, this is the Longquan Treasure Box, which is related to the secret of the Longquan treasure. I have specially found it and present it to Your Majesty!"

When the words "Longquan Treasure Box" were heard, the court exploded. All officials looked at each other and couldn't help but whispered. The reputation of the Longquan Treasure was really too famous.

From the moment Zhu Wen destroyed the Tang Dynasty, the news of the Longquan treasure spread throughout the world. Even children in the countryside knew about it. How could they not know about it?

It is rumored that the Longquan treasure contains the last treasures of the Tang Dynasty, which contain countless gold and silver treasures. Whoever obtains the Longquan treasure will rule the world. As everyone knows, the Longquan sword is in the hands of the emperor. If he gets the Longquan treasure box, doesn't it mean that the Longquan treasure is destined to be obtained by the emperor?

Thinking of this, the ministers couldn't help but feel mixed emotions and exchanged glances with each other.

However, at this moment, an unexpected voice appeared, "I heard that the Longquan Treasure Box was lost in Qianling Mausoleum along with the Ghost King Zhu Youwen. How did it end up in your hands?"

The person who spoke was Li Siyuan. Among all the civil and military officials in the court, he was the only one who was qualified to question King Qi.

Su Ming and the empress looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

Li Siyuan became anxious.

The Longquan treasure is of too great a significance. King Qi already had outstanding contributions, and now he presented the Longquan treasure box. This is such a great achievement. Once it is confirmed and spread out, it will instantly overshadow Li Siyuan. How can he tolerate this?

The empress looked at Li Siyuan and said calmly, "Oh? Does the King of Jin think that I am deceiving His Majesty and that the Longquan treasure box in my hand is fake?"

Seeing the empress speak so bluntly, Li Siyuan was a little overwhelmed, but he could not deny it, so he could only bite the bullet and said, "Prince Qi is loyal to Your Majesty, how could he deceive Your Majesty? I am only afraid that Prince Qi was deceived by his men and presented a fake treasure box to Your Majesty."

The empress gave him a meaningful look, and then handed the Longquan treasure box to Li Siyuan, saying word by word, "Since the Prince of Jin thinks this treasure box is fake, why not verify the authenticity of the treasure box yourself, so that it won't be spread out in the future and people will think that I, Li Maozhen, deliberately deceived Your Majesty."

Chapter 86 Li Siyuan, Retreats

Suddenly, Li Siyuan's heart skipped a beat. The Longquan treasure box in front of him was gorgeous and exquisite. The dragon pattern on it seemed as if it wanted to devour someone, which made him shudder. It seemed that this was not a treasure box, but a vicious poisonous snake, spitting out its tongue, waiting for him to come to the door.

While he was hesitating, the empress smiled and said, "Why? Prince Jin is afraid that I will deceive Your Majesty, so he doesn't check the Longquan treasure box? I wonder what his intention is?"

Su Ming also looked at Li Siyuan, wanting to see what decision he would make.

If he really opens the Longquan treasure box, it will be a lot of fun. Even the Ghost King Zhu Youwen fell into it. As long as Li Siyuan opens it, if no one stops him, I am afraid he will not be spared.

Just when Li Siyuan was about to take the Longquan treasure box, he suddenly saw the expectant look on the empress's face, and he retracted his outstretched hand on the spot.

No, there must be something wrong!

Li Siyuan was alert instantly, and changed his questioning attitude. He slowed down his expression, stared at the empress, and said in a deep voice, "Prince Qi, you are joking. You and I are both ministers in this palace. Since His Majesty believes in you, I naturally believe that this Longquan treasure box is real."

"It was just a joke, I hope King Qi will forgive me."

After saying this, he bowed to the empress.

Su Ming was stunned by the sudden retreat. He didn't expect Li Siyuan to retreat at the last moment.

He secretly sighed in his heart, thinking that he was indeed an old coin with a keen sense of smell. Even a top master like Zhu Youwen could not sense the danger hidden in the Longquan treasure box, but he managed to avoid it narrowly. It was really rare.

At the same time, the disappointment in the empress's eyes flashed away. She did not force him, but gave him a way out. "It's okay. Your Highness Prince Jin has his reasons. I have always been magnanimous. How could I blame you for this? Get up quickly."

If Li Siyuan really died here, Su Ming would have to go to jail, and the political life of King Qi would end. Li Siyuan died because of him, and he would have to bear the backlash from Li Siyuan's subordinates no matter what. The prestige and reputation he had built up over the years would be destroyed in an instant, which was not worth the loss.

Hearing this, Li Siyuan's expression relaxed and his face returned to normal.

The reversal in a few words caught the officials off guard. Didn't the King of Jin want to verify the authenticity of the Longquan treasure box? Why did he suddenly back off?

There is also something wrong with King Qi. Given his personality, facing King Jin's questioning, King Qi is not angry at all. Instead, he wants to give the Longquan treasure box to King Jin for inspection. This is too abnormal.

As a result, King Qi was willing, but King Jin backed down and apologized to King Qi, and King Qi also agreed and gave him a way out.

This strange turn of events left the court officials stunned, and they couldn't figure out what was going on. However, smart people like Ren Yuan understood the key and knew that there was another secret behind the Longquan treasure box. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain Li Siyuan's strange behavior and King Qi's abnormal attitude.

As for what secrets were contained in the Longquan treasure box, they could not guess.

At this moment, Li Siyuan was also sweating in his heart. He just felt something was wrong and refused subconsciously. He had never touched the Longquan treasure box before, and didn't know what secrets were hidden in it, let alone whether it was true or not.

The reason I stopped King Qi just now was because I instinctively didn't want him to achieve his wish, so I questioned the authenticity of the Longquan treasure box in his hand.

But now, through King Qi's reaction, he can confirm that there must be something wrong with this Longquan treasure box.

At this time, King Qi held up the Longquan Treasure Box and glanced at his ministers, "Does anyone else think there is something wrong with this Longquan Treasure Box?"

The ministers who had been discussing in low voices with surprise just now shrank their heads and immediately stopped talking. In the court, the only one who was qualified to question the authenticity of the Longquan treasure box, the Prince of Jin, had backed off.

Another person who is qualified to question is Su Ming, but he was the one who set up this drama, so how could he destroy his own stage?

The method to identify the authenticity of the Longquan treasure box is very simple. Just open it and see if it will cause suicide. However, this method is a bit useless.

As soon as Prince Qi opened his mouth, all the ministers fell silent. Behind him, the military governors such as Shi Jingtang and Li Congke had flickering eyes as they looked at the treasure box with a hint of fear in their expressions.

Looking around, no one answered, King Qi smiled gently, raised the Longquan Treasure Box above his head again, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, this Longquan Treasure Box is related to the Longquan treasure, and only the emperor can obtain it."

"This is God's hand through me, giving the Longquan Treasure Box to Your Majesty, so that Your Majesty can find the Longquan treasure and revive the Tang Dynasty again!"

"King Qi is well said. Come, please take a seat!" Su Ming stood up from the dragon throne excitedly, waved his sleeves, and ordered someone to take a seat.

At this time, the Yellow Gate Minister handed the Longquan treasure box to Su Ming. He placed it in his palm and looked at it carefully, seeming to be very curious.

The eyes of the court officials were also focused on his hands, wanting to know what was hidden inside the Longquan treasure box.

Unfortunately, Su Ming only observed it for a moment and put it into his sleeve without opening it, which disappointed the court officials. Although they were also very curious, no one dared to ask more questions.

The Longquan treasure is a relic of the Tang Dynasty and nominally belongs to the emperor. No one is qualified to take a peek.

The eunuch brought a chair and King Qi sat down amid the envious gazes of his ministers.

Upon seeing this scene, the ministers in the court could not help but secretly sigh in admiration, saying that he was worthy of being the King of Qi, as he had received such an honor in his first meeting with the emperor. Even the King of Jin, who had the merit of following the emperor, had not received such favor.

King Qi, it is Jian that is in the Emperor’s heart.

Li Siyuan, who was standing by, saw the smug look on Prince Qi's face and seemed to be holding his breath, so he signaled someone from the Ministry of Rites to make a report. This person was Du Ziming. With his current official position, he was barely qualified to speak in front of Li Siyuan.

Du Ziming was extremely excited after receiving Li Siyuan's signal. He was interrupted by Su Ming just as he was about to stand up.