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

"The emperor has extraordinary power in his hands to be able to take down Li Maozhen."

Li Cunzhi stroked the folding fan in his hand, and the fan opened with a "swish". "Brother, have you forgotten that the people from the Tianshi Mansion have come to Luoyang?"

When mentioning the Tianshi Mansion, Li Siyuan's expression became even gloomier. The hatred between him and the Tianshi Mansion was almost irreconcilable. After all, the previous Tianshi Zhang Xuanling died indirectly at his hands, and the contemporary Tianshi wanted to kill him as soon as possible.

He pondered for a moment and warned Li Cunzhi, "The power of the Tianshi Mansion is not insignificant. As long as they don't attack us openly, don't provoke them for the time being. Those Taoists are not only good at refining pills and cultivating immortals. When Zhu Wen besieged Xuanwu Mountain with a large army, he failed to capture the Tianshi Mansion."

"It's not worth provoking them at this time."

"Brother, should I just leave them alone like this?" Li Cunzhi frowned, puzzled. They have become mortal enemies, so if I just leave them alone, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

Li Siyuan smiled sinisterly, his eyes flashing coldly, "I will deal with them sooner or later, but not now, Old Seven, not dealing with them does not mean not causing trouble for them. Don't forget, they are disciples of Taoism, and the Buddhist forces in the Central Plains are not weak. How could they watch the Tianshi Mansion develop its power?"

"The Buddhist and Taoist sects are in a life-and-death struggle over their beliefs. It's easy to sow discord between them. You have to do this for me." As he said this, he stared into Li Cunzhi's eyes with a serious look.

"Brother, don't worry, leave this matter to me." Li Cunzhi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that his brother would give in again this time.

Before, Li Cunzhi could understand why he had to show weakness to the enemy in the court. If he gave in again this time, it would be unreasonable. If the leader of a force has no ambition, does not seek progress and development, how can the people below follow you?

Who would be willing to stay in a place with no development prospects for a long time?

Li Siyuan did not continue the topic, but asked something else, "Have you found out where Li Maozhen came from?"

"Brother, I have activated the secret agents of the Tongwenguan in the south and found out that Li Maozhen first appeared in the south of Shuzhong, near the Shiwan Mountains. It will take time to get more detailed information."

"Shiwan Mountains?" Li Siyuan muttered to himself, as if he had thought of something, his eyes suddenly widened, "Raojiang! He came out from Raojiang deep in the Shiwan Mountains."

When he heard about the Ten Thousand Mountains, Li Siyuan thought of the Witch King under Yuan Tiangang. They had once had a brief cooperation, but after that, the Witch King disappeared and he even sent people to look for him.

Later I learned that he had returned to Raojiang, and I felt relieved. But I didn't expect that Li Maozhen would come out from there.

But why haven't I heard him mention it?

A Central Plains person like Li Maozhen who appeared in Raojiang must not be an unknown person. The Witch King should at least know the name Li Maozhen.

However, it’s not bad to finally know where Li Maozhen has been all these years.

"Seventh Brother, there's no need to investigate further. This information is enough. Let the spies continue to lurk. The emperor is getting married soon, so you should also focus on your work."

"good!"

Then, he said solemnly, "After the emperor's wedding, there will be a selection of ladies. With so many ladies entering the palace, you must plant some spies among them. These ladies are not ordinary people, and the emperor will not deal with them easily. You must do it yourself and keep an eye on them."

Li Cunzhi's heart trembled, and he felt a little embarrassed, but when he saw his expression, he swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth, "Well, I'll do it myself."

……

A banquet has been set up in the palace.

The empress sat at the table and hurriedly picked up some food for Li Maozhen. "Brother, these are local dishes from Qi. You must not have eaten them for a long time. Come and try them."

After returning from the Imperial Garden, Li Maozhen changed out of his royal robe and put on a blue suit. Su Ming knew that he would wear that royal robe again in his life.

After being severely beaten, Li Maozhen no longer pretended in front of Su Ming as before. His attitude became much better and he dared not to put on airs as his brother-in-law.

He knew that Su Ming was not someone he could control.

Seeing that the food in the bowl was almost piled up, Li Maozhen quickly put down his chopsticks and said, "Sister, that's enough. If there's more, we won't be able to finish it."

The empress smiled gently and stopped picking up food.

The three of them sat at the table, eating their meal slowly. The empress supported her chin with both hands, her eyes curved into crescents, and a sweet smile appeared on the corners of her mouth. Compared with her usual dignified and cold self, she was like a completely different person.

Li Maozhen felt the familiar taste in his mouth, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions. After staying in Raojiang for sixteen years, he almost forgot what Qi country's food tasted like.

Su Ming only took a quick taste and put down his bowl and chopsticks. When Li Maozhen had almost finished eating, he asked, "What exactly is inside the Twelve Caves? I'm very curious. Can you tell me about it?"

Hearing this, Li Maozhen put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, revealed a look of reminiscence, and said in a deep voice, "Twelve Caves of Shiwan Wu Gu, the Twelve Caves Ridge is hard to find. In the Shiwan Mountains, there are countless mountain villages that practice Gu, but none of these places can compare to the Twelve Caves."

"Three hundred years ago, the Twelve Caves was the place where the Raojiang Gu technique was passed down for the longest time and was also the most powerful. But for some reason, the Twelve Caves suddenly disappeared, and even the people of Raojiang found it difficult to find it."

"Sixteen years ago, I heard about the Twelve Caves from a certain place, and then I went to the Shiwan Mountains to look for the Twelve Caves. It took me a lot of effort to enter the Twelve Caves to practice Gu magic."

"The environment there is unique and isolated from the outside world. Various poisonous insects and ferocious beasts live there. If you are not careful, you will die. There are not many people in the Twelve Caves, but they are all skilled in Gu techniques. Each of their Gu is a rare treasure in the Ten Thousand Mountains."

"It took me sixteen years of hard work to master one. There are twelve masters in the Twelve Caves, and each of them is very powerful. In addition to Gu Shu, their martial arts are also not bad. If they want, they can sweep across the Hundred Thousand Mountains at any time."

After saying this, he glanced at Su Ming inconspicuously, feeling a little afraid.

The secret of how I refined the Meteorite Gu was known only to the people in the Twelve Caves. No one else should know it. How come he knew that I was carrying the Meteorite Gu as soon as they met?

Chapter 180 From now on, you will be called Li Wentong

"Brother, since the Lord of the Twelve Caves is so powerful, how did you leave?" The empress asked softly, blinking her eyes.

Li Maozhen shook his head and answered frankly, "In theory, once you enter the Twelve Caves, you are not allowed to leave. But not long ago, one of the cave masters found me and personally sent me away."

"If they hadn't let me go, I might never have been able to leave Twelve Caves and return to the Central Plains in my lifetime."

The empress was stunned. She didn't expect there was such a hidden secret.

Su Ming smiled faintly, "It is indeed Yuan Tiangang's doing. In this world, besides him, who else can command the hermits to stay in the Twelve Caves?"

As he spoke, he looked at Li Maozhen and took out a treasure box with a dragon pattern from his sleeve. "Come, let's talk about the Longquan treasure. I think Yuan Tiangang will definitely make a fuss about it next."

The moment he saw the treasure box, Li Maozhen's mind was drawn to it. He stared at it for a long time, "Is this the legendary Longquan treasure box? It is indeed extraordinary."

"I got this treasure box from Qianling Mausoleum. The Ghost King Zhu Youwen died there because he opened the Longquan treasure box. After that, I never tried to open it again." Su Ming pointed at the box and said lightly.

Li Maozhen nodded and said, "You are right not to open the treasure box. No one in this world can open this treasure box except the people of Twelve Caves, because there is the Miaojiang Holy Gu in the treasure box. Except for them, others will commit suicide immediately when they see the Holy Gu."

"It turns out that the Miaojiang Holy Gu in the treasure box is so powerful. No wonder even someone as strong as Zhu Youwen died from it." Although Su Ming had known about the Miaojiang Holy Gu for a long time, he still pretended to know nothing and spoke seriously.

Li Maozhen looked at the treasure box on the table and laughed at himself. "It is said that the Longquan treasure box is related to the final secret of the Longquan treasure. At that time, I thought that only the bad commander and I knew about it, but now it seems that this is probably a trap set by Yuan Tiangang. On the one hand, he threatened me, and on the other hand, he used the Longquan treasure to lure me to leave Qi State."

"Whoever gets the treasure gets the world. It's a joke!"

Su Ming glanced at him and said, "If you hadn't left back then, Li Cunxu would have been a lesson for you. Besides, judging from what you did back then, it's a stroke of luck that he's allowed you to live until now."

Hearing this, a hint of nervousness rose in the empress's eyes, and she looked at Li Maozhen, fearing that he would be angry.

Noticing his sister's look, Li Maozhen gave her a comforting look, "Yes, with Yuan Tiangang's temper, if he didn't want to use me as a pawn and needed Qi to check and balance Jin Liang, how could he have let me live until now."

Ignorance is fearless. In the past, Li Maozhen was fearless and thought that he could get rid of Yuan Tiangang's bondage by getting the Longquan treasure.

But when he learned about Li Cunxu's affairs, he was no longer as arrogant as before. Even the emperor who conquered Liang State and unified the Central Plains and the north died at the hands of bad people. What did it matter if he killed an outdated King Qi?

Today's Yuan Tiangang is more evil and more difficult to understand than the Yuan Tiangang back then. Everyone knows that he wants to revive the Tang Dynasty, but who knew that he would not follow the usual path and play such a big game.

A relieved smile appeared in the empress's eyes. Her brother had changed after all. Fortunately, the change was for the better. He was no longer as arrogant and conceited as he used to be.

Then, Li Maozhen was about to pick up the Longquan treasure box, but was held down by Su Ming. He looked stunned and puzzled.

Su Ming shook his head at him and said in a deep voice, "Now is not the time to open the Longquan Treasure Box. Don't forget that Yuan Tiangang hasn't made a move yet. Are we so anxious to open the Longquan Treasure Box because we want to make it a wedding dress for him?"

When Yuan Tiangang was mentioned, the hearts of the remaining two people present sank. Li Maozhen also withdrew his hand and remained silent.

Yuan Tiangang, the weight of these three words is really too heavy. They weigh on the heads of the princes of the world, making them dare not have any disloyal thoughts. They can only secede from one side and become a local emperor.

"The Longquan Sword and the Longquan Treasure Box are both with me. If Yuan Tiangang wants to open the Longquan treasure, he will have to come to me. By then, we will have the bargaining chips in hand and we can make other plans." Su Ming put the Longquan Treasure Box into his sleeve and said slowly.

"Okay, since you have already considered it, I won't say much, but Yuan Tiangang is not someone who can be easily dealt with. You must be prepared as soon as possible." Li Maozhen nodded and reminded.

……

In Qianqiu Palace, Su Ming was playing chess with Li Maozhen.

The two fought to a stalemate and it was a thrilling fight. Li Maozhen, who was able to rise from the bottom and reach where he is today, is no worse than anyone else.

Most of the blame for the Tang Dynasty being in danger and destroyed by Zhu Wen should be placed on Emperor Zhaozong (Xuanzong is not included, as everyone knows).

That’s right, Emperor Zhaozong was dragged out and whipped again.

Let me calculate for you what was the greatest achievement of Emperor Zhaozong in his life. Sending an army of 100,000 was just a small shock, it was nothing.

His greatest achievement in his life was that he allowed three princes to rise up with his own strength and sent himself to the guillotine.

Prince Qi Li Maozhen was promoted from the Shence Army by Emperor Zhaozong and later sent to Fengxiang Prefecture as a military governor.

Zhu Wen, the Prince of Liang, was the same kind of person as Li Maozhen in the early days. He was very submissive and seemed loyal to the court on the surface, but in fact he was harboring evil intentions.

Before Emperor Zhaozong ascended the throne, Zhu Wen was the governor of Xuanwu Army, holding a large number of troops and occupying Bianzhou, Shanzhou, Luozhou, Mengzhou, Huaizhou, Xuzhou, Ruzhou and other places, which were almost the most important places in the Central Plains.

However, Emperor Zhaozong not only did not guard against him, but also promoted him many times for his merits and rewarded him many times, without checking or restraining him at all. Otherwise, Zhu Wen would not have become so powerful later on.

Emperor Zhaozong directly sent an army of 100,000 to Wang Jian, the King of Shu. After Shu was pacified, Wang Jian then established his own regime in Bashu.

Among all the emperors of the Tang Dynasty, only the "Polo Emperor" Tang Xianzong could be compared with him in bringing the world to this situation with his own efforts.

Although the situation was devastating at that time, the imperial court still had some assets. As a result, Emperor Zhaozong of Tang acted recklessly and completely destroyed the imperial court's last vitality.

Turning his attention to the chessboard, the black and white pieces continued to fight each other, vying for the pieces and refusing to give in. In the end, Su Ming narrowly defeated Li Maozhen by one piece.

I played a game of chess with great excitement and could not calm down for a long time.

After a moment, Su Ming suddenly spoke, "Back then, the late emperor gave you the surname Li and changed your name to Li Maozhen. Now that your sister has become the King of Qi, it is no longer appropriate for you to be called this name. Why don't I change your name for you?"

Li Maozhen's breathing stagnated, and he looked at Su Ming, then lowered his eyes quietly, stood up, bowed his hands, and bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, please give me a name."

"I will still grant you the surname Li, but the two characters Maozhen will be changed to Wentong. From now on, you will be called Li Wentong. How do you think?"

Chapter 181 The upcoming wedding

Li Maozhen did not hesitate and immediately changed his words, "Your Majesty, I thank you for the name you gave me!"

Su Ming stood up and helped him up personally. "No need to be polite. We are a family. There is still a lot of time in the future. I will rely on you to build achievements and fight on the battlefield in the future."

Li Maozhen, no, Li Wentong's face was still solemn, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration. I am waiting for that day."

Su Ming patted his shoulder, and everything was self-explanatory.

Afterwards, he placed Li Wentong in the Imperial Guard as deputy commander, in charge of a team of a thousand people. Su Ming could certainly promote him directly to be the commander of the Imperial Guard and parachute him in directly.

But in the army, strength is important. This strength is not personal strength, but the ability to lead troops to fight and to train the army. The imperial guards cannot participate in the war in the palace, so what is being competed is the strength of the army training.

The capable ones are promoted and the mediocre ones are demoted. They are provided with sufficient wages and food, and are usually taught by teachers to read and write, so that they can be trained to become officers. Nowadays, there are many people who teach soldiers how to wield swords and guns, but there are very few people who teach them to read and write.

Li Wentong wants to climb to the position of commander of the imperial guards, and he faces many competitors.

……

May 13th is a good day for getting married and breaking ground.

The emperor's wedding, which had been much anticipated in Luoyang, finally began. The court prepared for this wedding for a full month and a half. The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works were all busy with this, and one-third of the national treasury's funds were spent.

The whole city was filled with jubilation. The common people from the lower classes of society, including scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, earned money and profits from the purchases organized by the government, and they were also proud of it.

When the emperor got married, the common people at most just watched the pomp and circumstance. They were not happy at all. In fact, there were very few people in the court and the country who were happy about it. For the sake of the wedding, they were busy running around, researching everything, quoting from classics, and were exhausted.