Chapter 264

The hall was silent.

The Prince of Badong was silent.

For a long time, Kong Kong Zhangyu said:

"If there is premeditation, there must be two prerequisites. First, our plan has been detected. Second, the detector can mobilize the Yongning Prefect, let him bet his family's life, and send troops across the border. Who is this person who mobilized the troops? Is it Wang Yi? Although Wang Yi is the envoy, he has the power to investigate the barbarian case, but he has no power to mobilize provincial and county troops, unless..."

Kong Kong Zhangyu pondered without speaking.

Tao Rui continued:

"Unless the Emperor has another secret edict. However, this doesn't make much sense. If the Emperor really detected our plot in advance, then he only needs to be unexpected, let Wang Yi take the opportunity to convey the decree, take the Prince's seal and tally, and then supervise the return to Beijing; or the edict signs the order, together with the Sima and the consultant adjutant, directly seize the Prince's military power and lock the Prince's mansion. He won't have no action until now, just send the Yongning army to relieve the siege, and then stop, which is a bit unreasonable.

What's more, among the provincial departments, the first to share the power of the inspector are the Chief Clerk and Sima. If the court suspects the Prince, then when taking Liu Yin, he will definitely appoint a strong Chief Clerk to take charge of the military prefecture, or even directly act as the provincial government on behalf of the Prince. But now that the vacancy of the Chief Clerk has not been filled for a long time, it really doesn't look like the court's style of suspecting the feudal king...

Kong Kong Zhangyu nodded:

"What I can't figure out is this point. Not directly seizing military power may be because of worry about not succeeding, causing a mutiny; or it may be because there is no conclusive evidence yet. But not quickly filling the Chief Clerk's vacancy shows that the court still trusts the Prince. If the Emperor really knew about the Prince's communication with the barbarians, how could he deal with it like this?

Or maybe the Emperor didn't know, but Wang Yi noticed something after entering Jingzhou. This is not completely impossible, but without the Emperor's edict, Wang Yi couldn't mobilize the Yongning army either. Could it be that the Emperor secretly granted Wang Yi the power to deal with the situation and mobilize troops? But Wang Yi is not the Emperor's confidant, and he hasn't seen how much he is trusted in the past. How could the Emperor easily give such a heavy handle to others..."

Chen Qiming suddenly gasped:

"Could it be that the person behind Wang Yi is not the Emperor, and the person who mobilized the Yongning army is someone else, for example... the Donggong?"

Tao Rui said categorically:

"No. Mr. Chen may not know the court system. Soldiers are the great affairs of the country. The system of mobilization and conscription is very strict. The so-called edict cannot be carried out without authorization, and the edict cannot be issued alone. Even if it is the Emperor's imperial brush, it cannot mobilize county soldiers just by relying on a piece of edict. It must be matched with the tally before it can be done. As for the four seals of the central edict shining together, it becomes the King's order; only when the three divisions verify it together can it be carried out. No matter how prosperous the Donggong's power is, since it is neither a provincial department nor a platform, it is fundamentally impossible to mobilize county soldiers.

Even if Zhang Jue is the Donggong's private party, he would not dare to risk the world's great disapproval, accept the Crown Prince's private order, and mobilize troops across the border. This is a great taboo! Once the matter is exposed, the Crown Prince and Zhang Jue will both be guilty of usurping power and disrupting politics! If the Crown Prince really knew about our plot, and Zhang Jue was obedient to the Crown Prince's orders, he should have hidden his edge and waited for the time to move. How could he rashly move troops to save a Wang Yi and expose his plot?

If the Donggong really knew about our plot, they could just watch us slaughter the mission, and then report our crimes to the Emperor. Isn't that better? Why privately mobilize the Yongning army and attract suspicion? Although Mr. Chen's words are strange, they don't make sense."

Chen Qiming knew that Tao Rui had always looked down on people like him (meaning humble, not noble, not a scholar), but he called him "Mr." on his lips, but every sentence was "Mr. does not know the court system," "Mr. is not familiar with the stories of the government office," "This is the constant example of the canon, Mr. may not have studied deeply"...

Just a declining family, not even ranked in the proper noble family, yet pretending to be a noble here, it's really ridiculous.

Chen Qiming slandered in his heart, with a respectful expression on his face, and bowed:

"So that's how it is, I have been taught. It's just that I think that the actions in the world cannot be measured by common sense. In the world's affairs, there are those who 'have no reason, but have the situation'; there are those who 'are difficult to peek from outside, but are clear from inside'; and there are those who 'go against the norm and get the benefit instead'. Today's matter, it doesn't fit the classics but fits the power, doesn't fit the reason but fits the benefit, is it okay?"

Tao Rui smiled:

"Mr. Chen's words are brilliant, I am not as good. But may I ask Mr., what is the benefit of the Donggong taking the risk to mobilize troops?"

Chen Qiming hesitated for a moment and said: "The benefit is to protect Wang Yi."

Tao Rui asked again: "Which is heavier, the benefit of protecting Wang Yi or the harm of privately mobilizing troops?"

Chen Qiming could not answer.

Tao Rui no longer looked at Chen Qiming, facing the Prince of Badong, his voice firm:

"The subordinate thinks that if Zhang Jue sent troops, it was premeditated, then the person who mobilized Zhang Jue must not be the Donggong!"

The Prince of Badong listened to the subordinates' argument, his knuckles slowly tapping his temples, and seeing that Guo Wenyuan, who started the dispute, was silent, he asked: "Why doesn't Mr. Guo speak?"

Guo Wenyuan cupped his hands unhurriedly:

"I am dull, I really can't infer the person behind Zhang Jue, nor can I judge the truth of Zhang Jue's pursuit of thieves, but I think these are not important."

The Prince of Badong frowned: "How to say?"

"At the beginning of the strategy, I said, 'When we do theft, we should count the worst, and not count the luck.' Today I repeat the old words, hoping that Your Highness will make the worst plan from now on and start preparing for contingencies."

"This statement is very reasonable, I agree."

"I agree!"

"The subordinate agrees!"

Kong Kong Zhangyu and others agreed one after another, only Li Jingxuan knelt on the ground, bowing his head without speaking.

The Prince of Badong stretched and clenched his palms again and again, his tiger eyes flickering, and suddenly asked:

"Li Jingxuan, you said you had a strategy before, tell me."

Li Jingxuan knocked his head: "The subordinate dare not speak rashly."

The Prince of Badong laughed: "Oh, you have resentment?"

Li Jingxuan knelt on the ground without getting up: "The subordinate dare not."

The Prince of Badong said angrily:

"Scolding you is to continue using you! Your strategy didn't succeed, can't I scold you? If this king really thought you were useless, I would have thrown you into the river to feed the fish long ago! Still allowing you to play temper here with 'the subordinate dare not', 'the subordinate dare not'? If I let you speak, you speak, if you act like a woman again, this king will hammer you!"

Li Jingxuan was scolded again, but this time he was happy instead. His face suddenly had spirit, and he immediately straightened up, and his voice became much more vivid:

"How could the subordinate have resentment? It's just that what I said is contrary to the public opinion, so I dare not speak directly."

The Prince of Badong scolded with a smile:

"Less pretending! When has your Li Gongyu been afraid of contrary opinions? It seems that there is another 'wonderful strategy', speak, let this king listen, how far can you go? Stand up and speak, no need to kneel."

"Thank Your Highness for the grace! The subordinate, take the order!"

Li Jingxuan straightened his sleeves slightly, stood up, showing a bit of his past sharpness, raised his eyebrows, and said:

"If the plan is suspicious, there is no fixed matter; if the matter is suspicious, there is no success. Matter, either don't do it, or do it to the end!

Planning for the country should be like quenching a sword. Once you enter the fierce fire, you seek to break gold. How can you be afraid of heat and come out halfway?

The so-called 'making the worst plan' of everyone just now is just passive response, sitting and waiting for changes.

But in Jingxuan's eyes, waiting for changes is not as good as planning changes, and responding to changes is not as good as controlling changes!

Jingxuan asks Your Highness to immediately convene provincial officials in the name of discussing barbarian disasters, and then detain them all and seize their seals! Mobilize the Guangmu Army to station in Jiangling, the Jiang'an Army to station in Yanwei Island, behead the platform envoy, collect the treasury money and food, and cut off the transmission station—"

Everyone was shocked, how could they allow Li Jingxuan to continue, all stood up and scolded:

"Absolutely not! The road is not yet cut off, why trample on the dead end yourself!"

"Li Jingxuan's reckless strategy, following it is a quick disaster! Your Highness must not listen!"

"Li Jingxuan wants to be a marquis, so he hopes for a war! Your Highness kills Li Jingxuan, then Jingzhou can be safe!!"

"Li Jingxuan! You are just a commoner, yet you dare to drum your lips and shake your tongue, taking Your Highness as a bet, throwing this heaven and earth gamble! What do you take Your Highness for? What do you take Jingzhou for!!!"

Li Jingxuan shook his head and laughed:

"I, Li Jingxuan, am an ant, how can I take Your Highness as a bet?

It is not Li Jingxuan who takes Your Highness as a bet, but Your Highness who has long taken himself as a bet and entered the game!

???????

But I think, relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself! You all only know how to wait for changes, but don't know that since the day the Yongning army broke the ambush, this change has arrived!

Since we set up an ambush with the barbarian tribe, it is like an arrow that has left the string. Instead of shrinking your hands and hiding your bow, it is better to draw the bow and move forward!

A husband acts, if he doesn't do it, he won't do it. If he does it, he must reach the extreme!

If Your Highness can act immediately, like a hurricane destroying trees, a lightning bolt breaking the night, then you will definitely be able to take the initiative, making the enemy unable to cover their ears—"

"If the bow is not drawn full and fired first, the arrow will fall in the front courtyard!

Your Highness! What Li Jingxuan said is similar but not similar! Absolutely cannot listen!

Not to mention that it is not the time to take risks at all!

Even if you want to do big things, you need time to prepare!

This is doing big things, taking big risks, how can it be like a city market child's play, saying it will be sent—"

"Mr. Guo is wrong. The gentleman just said to make the worst plan, how can you not imagine the enemy's situation? I prepare, the enemy also prepares, who will take the initiative in the end, it is not known. Today's matter, fast is like a goshawk fighting a rabbit, slow is like a trapped beast entering a trap! Today you all feel that I should not suddenly rebel, the enemy also expects that I should not suddenly rebel, this is exactly the time for my thunderous blow!"

"Li Jingxuan's heart is dangerous and reaching! His tongue is like a spring! The strength has not been gathered, the plan has not been completed, how can it be a thunderous blow?! Your Highness sits on the shape and victory of Jingzhou, should slowly plan the hegemony, absolutely cannot destroy the yellow bell and compete with the tile pot, abandon the boat and go to the rapids!"

"The matter has reached this point, what slowly plan the hegemony, stop dreaming!

The change of time does not allow for a moment of rest. If you are ahead, it is too much; if you are behind, it is not enough!

Since ancient times, delay leads to changes, and slowness leads to disaster!

Jingxuan is willing to plan for Your Highness, so that the Jiangling noble family will all be used by me!

Please Your Highness decide quickly!!!"

"Your Highness! The heat is not enough, forcing it will burn! The situation is not formed, forcing it will overturn!!!"

The Prince of Badong roared: "Don't quarrel anymore!"

Everyone stopped their mouths and looked at the Prince of Badong nervously.

The Prince of Badong straightened up, his attitude heroic:

"This king has decided!! Li Jingxuan!!!"

Everyone lost color!

Only Li Jingxuan stepped forward, raised his head and cupped his fists, his expression excited: "The subordinate is here!"

"You still kneel."

Li Jingxuan: (⊙o⊙)

Everyone: ~(￣▽￣)~

Li Jingxuan said anxiously: "Your Highness—"

The Prince of Badong rolled his eyes and scolded:

"You pitted this king once, and want to pit a second time? Do you think you are Wang Yang!"

"Your Highness!!"

"Shut up!"

The Prince of Badong stood up suddenly:

"Except for Li Jingxuan, everyone, follow this king to have a meal! As for you—"

The Prince of Badong looked down on Li Jingxuan and said coldly: "Kneel well!"

Li Jingxuan knelt alone in the hall, motionless, like a withered tree.

Suddenly footsteps rose, Li Jingxuan looked back and saw a line of maids passing food and entering.

Li Jingxuan was puzzled, an attendant walked up, his expression stiff and cold, indifferently singing:

"Your Highness bestows food, please Mr. Li go on the road."

Li Jingxuan collapsed on the ground, his face as gray as death, trembling: "Go... go on the road..."

The attendant smiled slightly at Li Jingxuan: "The road of blue clouds."

——————

Note: Mr. Yan Gengwang argued: "The Chief Clerk is the head of the government assistants, so he often acts as the provincial government on behalf of the government head... If the inspector leaves the province, illness, death, or the court intends not to appoint him, he will act as the provincial government on behalf of the Chief Clerk." This statement is very reasonable. See the third chapter of the first volume of Mr. Yan's "Local Administrative System of the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties".