Chapter 228: Beauty is Hard to Get Again

Everyone was shocked, only Kong Zhangyu clasped his hands and stepped forward: "Dare to ask the Prince, kill whom?"

The Prince of Badong pointed at Li Jingxuan: "Naturally, kill him."

Li Jingxuan was stunned!

He had said "If you doubt Jingxuan, please kill him quickly" before, which was originally a statement of loyalty, a retreat to advance. When he said it, he never thought it would be fulfilled!

Because he had already calculated that even if the Prince did not adopt it, he would not kill him, and might even encourage him. At worst, it would be a slight punishment. But no matter the reward or punishment, he would be considered to have stood out in the Prince's heart.

But he never expected that after all his calculations, it would end up like this!

Others were first confused, then happy or regretful.

Only Kong Zhangyu was expressionless.

He was still waiting for the result.

Sure enough, the Prince of Badong suddenly grinned at Li Jingxuan:

"Scared silly?"

Li Jingxuan originally felt that the sky had collapsed, his back was full of cold sweat. Now seeing the Prince of Badong ask this, he instantly realized and immediately pretended to be calm:

"I know, the Prince is a hero of a generation, and will not kill me."

The Prince of Badong laughed: "Then why is your face white with fear?"

Li Jingxuan spread his sleeves and closed them, bowed his head, covered his slightly embarrassed expression, knelt down and kowtowed:

"The Prince's majesty is like heaven, and his words are like thunder. How can I not fear?"

The Prince of Badong laughed loudly, his laughter was loud!

"Get up! If this strategy succeeds, you will be my Zhang Liang. How can I bear to kill you?"

Li Jingxuan's voice was terrified:

"I am a mortal, how dare I compare with the Marquis of Liu? I only wish to die to repay the Prince's great kindness of knowing me!"

Here, the scene of the monarch and minister getting along was being staged. On the other side, Kong Zhangyu and others were still advising:

"Prince, think twice! The Crown Prince is watching! The Censor is looking for gaps! Once the imperial envoy dies, it will definitely lead to attacks!"

Li Jingxuan said: "That is to let them attack! The war has started, and the barbarian chaos is rampant. The Crown Prince does not think about serving the country, but is eager for party strife. Do you think the Emperor will believe them? The harder they attack, the safer the Prince will be..."

"The Emperor does not believe the Crown Prince, why should he believe the Prince? If the Emperor is suspicious and directly summons the Prince back to the court to question, what will you do?"

"Brother Guo's words are like a person picking up leftovers, and then seeing others' words and deeds, as if they know everything about themselves. Seeing people laugh, they suspect they are laughing at themselves; seeing people cry, they suspect they are crying at themselves. Finally, they dare not go out and starve to death at home.

The southern barbarians are chaotic, which generation is not? Intercepting and killing the imperial envoy, what is strange?

Either by revenge, or by robbery, or fearing that the Wenyang barbarians will communicate with the Han; or for the sake of provoking and fighting for profit; as long as the design is appropriate, what can the Emperor suspect?

Brother Guo worries that the death of the imperial envoy will lead to the Emperor's suspicion. Don't you worry that Liu Cheng being kidnapped will lead to the Emperor's suspicion? Worrying that Liu Cheng being kidnapped will lead to the Emperor's suspicion, don't you worry that trading with barbarian tribes will lead to the Emperor's suspicion? Worrying that trading with barbarian tribes will lead to the Emperor's suspicion, don't you worry that the Emperor sending an envoy to Jingzhou now represents that the Emperor is already suspicious?!"

If you worry about the Emperor's suspicion and don't do things, then you can't do anything!

Wang Jian led the army to conquer Chu, and sent envoys five times to ask for good fields from the Emperor. Later generations look at it, how pretentious! Is it not afraid of the First Emperor's suspicion?

Li Ji poisoned the meat offered by the Crown Prince, framed the Crown Prince, and said "The meat came from far away, it should be tested." Later generations look at it, how clumsy! Is it not afraid of the Duke of Jin's suspicion?

However, Wang Jian made contributions, and the Crown Prince was slandered to death. People at that time did not suspect, but later generations suspected. It is not that later generations are smarter than the ancients, but that later generations have the knowledge of everything and are easy to be suspicious!

Since ancient times, those who have achieved great merit plan and dare to act, which is winning five percent first!

Those who dare not act, even if they have good plans, are like painting cakes to satisfy hunger, and nothing will be achieved!

Brother Guo's 'guilty conscience' theory is wonderful, but being too guilty is not someone who can plan big things with!"

After Li Jingxuan finished speaking, he waved his sleeves disdainfully.

"You..." Guo Wenyuan was flushed with anger, his fingers trembling.

Tao Rui shouted:

"Li Jingxuan! You are greedy for merit and cause trouble, shaking your lips and drumming your tongue. Have you ever thought that once the matter fails, all our operations will be destroyed?!"

"The Gao Zu cut the white snake to raise justice. Have you ever thought about what would happen if it failed?"

Guangwu started in Wan and fought in Kunyang. Have you ever thought about what would happen if it failed?"

A man does great things, success is king and defeat is bandit, what else is there to say!

Magistrate Tao!

You only plan for your own high official position and stable life, have you ever thought for the Prince, once the palace car passes away and the Crown Prince ascends the throne, how can the Prince settle down?"

Tao Rui was furious: "How dare a small person—"

Bang!

The Prince of Badong hit the bronze incense burner on the desk with his saber sheath. With a cold face, he said: "Don't argue anymore."

Everyone stopped, and Tao Rui glared at Li Jingxuan.

The Prince of Badong looked at Tao Rui: "The imperial envoy is here, could it be aimed at me?"

Tao Rui was stunned for a moment, then pondered: "... My subordinate thinks it is mainly because of the prince of the state—"

The Prince of Badong's eyes were sharp, locking Tao Rui directly, without waiting for him to finish, he increased his tone and asked slowly:

"I am asking, is it possible that it is aimed at, me? You only answer, yes, or no."

Tao Rui's heart jumped, and he realized it, swallowed his saliva, and bowed: "Yes."

"Is it possible to find out that I am communicating with the barbarians?"

"Yes." Tao Rui sweated.

The Prince of Badong took back his gaze and swept to Guo Wenyuan, his tiger eyes slightly narrowed:

"If the imperial court finds out that I am communicating with the barbarian tribes, what do you say should be done?"

Guo Wenyuan knelt down immediately when the Prince of Badong asked Tao Rui:

"The matter of Jingzhou is in the Prince, and we will follow it to the death!"

The Prince of Badong looked at Kong Zhangyu:

"Mr. Kong, if I stop the barbarian route now and clear all traces, can you guarantee that no matter who it is, by any means, they will not find out?"

Kong Zhangyu pondered for a moment and sighed: "No."

The Prince of Badong asked again:

"If the imperial decree arrives tomorrow, summoning me back to the court, Mr. Kong, what do you think I should do?"

Kong Zhangyu did not pause at all and answered:

"Emperor Jing summoned the Prince of Linjiang, the Prince's car went out of the north gate of Jiangling, the car axle broke, and the elders of Jingzhou cried: 'Our Prince will not return.'"

His speaking speed gradually slowed down, he took a breath, his eyes were slightly red, and he said in a deep voice:

"Changyu will definitely not let this old thing repeat in Jingzhou!"

The Prince of Badong nodded and looked around the four seats:

"There is no wall that does not leak wind in the world. Things are done, and there are always traces. In the past, the court's eyes were not here, and we could still operate slowly, but the matter of Liu Cheng has already attracted the attention of the court. In addition, the court wants to open a barbarian route in Jingzhou. Although it is not the barbarian tribe we trade with, once the sound is connected, it is hard to guarantee that the news will not leak. Not only the news here may leak, but the Yongning barbarians may also leak.

Instead of passively waiting for people to investigate, it is better to take the initiative and grasp the first move!

People are the knife and the cutting board, and I am the fish and the meat.

I will not be fish and meat, I will be the knife and the cutting board!

Holding luck in warm water, expecting others to forget to add firewood, and hoping to escape a disaster, that is not my way of being!

I would rather boil the water myself!

If you survive, you will become a dragon!

If you can't survive, you will be fish soup for others!

It's just that I have implicated everyone to go through the rolling water with me.

Now those who want to jump out of the pot, stand out. I am not angry or resentful, and I will give you gold and hold a banquet to bid you farewell, which is considered to be the friendship between us as monarch and minister."

Since things have reached this point, no one dared to object anymore. Opposing again is hiding selfishness and avoiding disaster, and not being of one heart with the Prince. Kong Zhangyu was the first to kneel and worship: "Swear to follow the Prince to the death! Go through fire and water, and never resign!"

Everyone knelt down: "Swear to follow the Prince to the death! Go through fire and water, and never resign!"

After unifying their thoughts, everyone sat down. The Prince of Badong said to Li Jingxuan:

"Gongyu, the imperial envoy can be killed, but there is no need to kill Wang Yang."

Li Jingxuan was very happy to hear the Prince call his courtesy name, and his face was serious: "Prince, Wang Yang has three must-kills."

The Prince of Badong frowned: "Which three must-kills?"

"First, this person is evidence of communicating with barbarians, and must be killed to silence him.

Second, this person is shrewd and his heart is not attached, so he must be killed to eliminate the trouble.

Third, this person's uncle is the Sanqi Vice Minister Wang Yi. Once there is a change, he can communicate with the imperial court. He must be killed to cut off the change!"

The Prince of Badong was expressionless: "Exaggerated..."

Guo Wenyuan rushed to say: "Just based on the first point, Wang Yang should be killed. Leaving Wang Yang is leaving a disaster. Since even the imperial envoy has been killed, how can Wang Yang be left?"

Kong Zhangyu offered a plan: "Let Wang Yang follow the imperial envoy to serve as an envoy, and then kill them together."

Li Jingxuan nodded: "Mr. Kong's words coincide with my intention."

The Prince of Badong waved his hand: "No need, I know Wang Yang, it hasn't reached this point."

Chen Qiming asked:

"Since the Prince can kill the imperial envoy to eliminate the trouble, how can he not kill Wang Yang to eliminate the change?"

A flash of irritability flashed in the Prince of Badong's eyes:

"I kill the imperial envoy for progress, what can I get by killing Wang Yang?"

"Since Your Highness could kill the imperial envoy to end the trouble caused by the imperial envoy, why can you not kill Wang Yang to end the change caused by Wang Yang?"

The Prince of Badong was unhappy, his fingers tapping on the saber sheath unconsciously.

Tao Rui advised:

"The Prince said before that instead of being passive, it is better to take the initiative and grasp the first move. Killing a Wang Yang can eliminate future troubles and gain benefits. Why is the Prince suspicious?"

The Prince of Badong looked annoyed, raised his right hand, and scraped his forehead with his knuckles a few times.

Kong Zhangyu looked at Liu Chaozhi and gave him a wink.

Liu Chaozhi spoke:

"Prince, my subordinate also thinks Wang Yang should be killed. My subordinate is stationed in Xinxing County, and even the small captain under my subordinate has heard that Wang Yang's brocade business is very big. It's too eye-catching."

The Prince of Badong frowned, staring straight at a spot on the ground, murmuring: "Beauty is hard to get again..."

Li Jingxuan had a feeling that although the Prince of Badong only opened his mouth to kill the imperial envoy after listening to his and others' arguments, the determination to kill the imperial envoy was actually made very quickly. Now killing a Wang Yang was more difficult to decide than killing the imperial envoy.

He stepped forward: "Prince, although Wang Yang has talent and learning, the way is different, and we don't conspire. If he had joined the Prince a few years earlier, the Prince might have been able to slowly subdue him and make him return to his heart. But there is no time now. Furthermore, when the brocade business was handed over to him, this person was already a dead man."

The Prince of Badong lowered his head and said nothing.

Li Jingxuan said again:

"The Prince doesn't have to be too regretful. Although Wang Yang's study of classics and history is good, if you govern the world, you can use this person to show his name and show his greatness; but if you take the world, such a person is not very useful. To say something slightly crazy, playing with classics and arts, pure conversation and linking sentences, Jingxuan is ashamed of himself; but when it comes to military strategy and power changes, sitting and planning, the situation of shape and machine, the way of governing, observing astronomy to observe the changes of time, and observing geography to soothe the mountains and rivers..."

Li Jingxuan smiled lightly when he said this: "In my eyes, Wang Yang is just like a child."

The Prince of Badong raised his head and looked at Li Jingxuan.

Li Jingxuan was shocked. He thought this was another opportunity to deepen the Prince's impression, but he saw a trace of disgust on the Prince's face.

The Prince of Badong did not disbelieve Li Jingxuan's words. He knew Li Jingxuan's talent. In terms of closeness, Li Jingxuan was his own person; in terms of utility, Li Jingxuan's use was also greater. And these words did make sense. If you sit in the world, Wang Yang is very useful. But if you take the world, five Wang Yangs might not be as good as one Li Jingxuan. But he didn't know why, when he heard Li Jingxuan belittle Wang Yang, he felt disgusted for no reason.

The Prince of Badong was silent, his eyes falling on the saber sheath. Thinking of the situation of betting with Wang Yang that day, he put his palm on the hilt, his thumb pushed, the blade slid out an inch, then let go, letting the blade slide back into the sheath slowly. Immediately after, his thumb exerted force again, and the blade was pushed out again, repeating this...

Draw the sword, sheath the sword.

Sheath the sword, draw the sword.

Everyone in the room looked at the Prince of Badong, and no one spoke again. Only the sound of the saber sheath echoed in the silent room...

For a long time, Kong Zhangyu stood up: "If you don't decide, you will be chaotic. The Prince does not want to be fish and meat, but wants to be the knife and the cutting board. But the knife and the cutting board are ruthless and need to be sacrificed with blood. Wang Yang must be killed!"

"My subordinate seconds!"

"My subordinate seconds!"

"My subordinate seconds!"

"My subordinate seconds!"

Except for Feng Quanzu, everyone stood up to second.

The Prince of Badong's speed of drawing and sheathing the sword became faster and faster. Suddenly, with a clang, the Prince of Badong pulled out the sword, threw it on the ground, and said impatiently: "Kill it, kill it!"

Then he stood up with a whoosh, and in the shocked eyes of everyone, he kicked over the desk and roared:

"Fuck!"

——————

Note: ① The Prince of Badong's so-called "monarch and minister" is not a usurping statement, but the word "monarch and minister" at that time was not limited to the Emperor and his subordinates. There was also a monarch-minister relationship between the chief of the government office and his subordinates. Zhao Yi's "Notes on the Twenty-Two Histories" said:

"Damn!"

Qian Mu called this phenomenon "dual monarch concept". ("National History Outline", Chapter 12) This concept is mainly aimed at the Eastern Han Dynasty, and academic discussions are also concentrated in the Han Dynasty, but in fact, this situation exists not only in the Han Dynasty, but also in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Regarding this point, you can see Gan Huaizhen's "A Preliminary Study of the Monarch-Minister Relationship in Medieval China" and the appendix 2 of Xu Chong's "Historical Writing and the Origin of Imperial Power in the Medieval Era", "The Monarch-Minister Relationship between Han and Tang and the 'Chen Mou' Form".

② "Taiping Yulan, Geography Department" quotes "Bamboo Annals": "In Lantian River, there is the tomb of the Han Prince of Linjiang Rong. Emperor Jing summoned him for his crime. When he was about to leave, he sacrificed at the north gate of Jiangling, the car axle broke, and the elders cried: 'Our Prince will not return.' Rong arrived at the capital, and the Zhongwei Zhi Du urged the Prince. The Prince was young and afraid and committed suicide. He was buried in this river. There were tens of thousands of swallows carrying soil and placing it on the tomb. The people pitied him."

③ In the medieval period, the word "beauty" does not only refer to women, see the 【Author's Say】 below. ===== CHAPTER 229 =====

Qian Mu calls this phenomenon the "dual concept of the monarch." (*Outline of National History*, Chapter 12). This concept primarily targets the Eastern Han, and academic discussion is also concentrated on the Han Dynasty, but in fact, this situation existed not only in the Han Dynasty but also during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Regarding this point, one may refer to Gan Huaizhen's *A Preliminary Study of the Relationship Between Monarch and Subject in Medieval China* and the second appendix of Xu Chong's *Historical Writing and the Origin of Imperial Power in the Medieval Era*, titled *The Relationship Between Monarch and Subject Between the Han and Tang Dynasties and the 'Subject So-and-So' Format*.

② *Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era: Geography Section* cites the *Bamboo Annals*: "In Lantian River, there is the tomb of Prince Rong of Linjiang of the Han. Emperor Jing summoned him for a crime. As he was about to depart, he held a farewell ceremony at the north gate of Jiangling. The axle of his carriage broke, and the elders wept, saying: 'Our prince will not return.' When Rong reached the capital, the Commandant Zhi Du urgently pressed the prince. The prince, young and afraid, committed suicide. He was buried in this river. Tens of thousands of swallows carried soil and placed it on the tomb, and the common people pitied him."

③ In the medieval period, the term "beauty" did not refer exclusively to women; see 【Author's Note】 below.