Chapter 384: The Struggle for Imperial Power and the Division of Factions
Chapter 384: The Struggle for Imperial Power and the Division of Factions
The front army scout camp was located on the east side of Dali City, close to Kunming.
The camp was no longer as quiet as before, but was brightly lit.
Teams of patrolling soldiers walked among them with solemn faces.
Their sharp eyes scanned back and forth, and even if a bird flew across the sky, they would look over there!
whoosh-
There was a sound of breaking through the air, a muffled sound came from the sky, and clouds of dust were floating.
The bird fell to the ground with a "thump".
The news that the commander and Duke Cao had been assassinated made all the soldiers nervous and suppressed their anger.
Especially since they had to rush back to the camp without finding the murderer, they felt very aggrieved.
At this time, the gate of the camp slowly opened, and Liu Heiying returned with a group of people.
Almost all the soldiers who were paying attention to the camp gate looked over there with anticipation on their faces.
But he looked gloomy and walked in a hurry.
The soldiers realized that they had gained nothing and quickly turned their attention away.
Liu Heiying walked in the camp, scanning the surroundings with his small eyes.
Paying attention to one defense after another,
Every soldier he saw felt nervous, fearing that they would be scolded.
Fortunately, the group hurried past and headed towards the central military tent.
The central army tent is heavily guarded.
Originally there was only one team of soldiers stationed there and one team of soldiers patrolling, but now the number has doubled.
Feng Yunfang at the door did not dare to be distracted any more.
Staring around with sharp eyes, holding a long knife in hand!
When the figure appeared in the darkness ahead, Feng Yunfang looked over!
But the next moment, his eyes widened slightly and he quickly walked forward.
"General Liu, you are back."
Liu Heiying walked quickly, turned his head to look at Feng Yunfang, saw the wound on his face, and smiled:
"How did it happen? Take good care of your injuries, or you may not be able to find a wife in the future."
Feng Yunfang smiled and said, "It's not a big deal if you get cut by a long knife. Have you caught the murderer?"
Liu Heiying stopped at the entrance of the military tent and shook his head:
"Do a good job of defense. You are a personal soldier. Think more about your daily omissions. I don't want to see such things happen again."
After saying that, Liu Heiying opened the curtain and walked into the military tent.
Feng Yunfang was left standing there motionlessly, his lips tightly pursed.
Inside the military tent, there was not the expected bustle. There were only Lu Yunyi and two clerks.
The dim candlelight swayed slightly in the breeze.
Lu Yunyi raised his head, and the two soldiers who were concentrating on writing also raised their heads.
When they saw that it was Liu Heiying, they quickly stood up and called out "General Liu".
Liu Heiying pressed his hand and motioned them to sit down.
Then he looked at Lu Yunyi, and the ferocity on his face melted like ice and snow, and turned into a bit of simplicity and honesty.
He sat down somewhat annoyed.
He drank the tea in the cup in one gulp, and poured another cup gloomily.
"Things aren't going well?"
Seeing this, Lu Yunyi smiled and slowly sat down.
"Brother Yun'er, it went smoothly but strangely. This time we really found the wolf's den."
Liu Heiying said this with a look of fear on his face.
He can still clearly remember the weirdness and looks of those people before they died.
"Oh?" Lu Yunyi's eyes turned and he asked tentatively:
"Did you find the base of the secret agents?"
Liu Heiying, who was about to drink another cup of tea, froze his arms, raised his head suddenly, and looked incredulous:
"Brother Yun'er, how did you know?"
Lu Yunyi gradually stopped smiling, looked at the two clerks behind him, and said softly:
"You guys go out."
"Yes."
The two clerks immediately stood up, put away the booklets, and left quickly.
"What are they doing?" Liu Heiying asked, looking at their backs.
"I told them some tips on how to prevent assassination.
As well as new training directions and protection methods, every failure is a learning experience."
"Tell me about your experience."
Liu Heiying nodded, fear flashed in his eyes, and told the story of what happened today.
When it comes to those people who died suddenly at the end,
Liu Heiying's voice became eerie, his head slowly lowered, and half of his face was hidden in the darkness.
"In the end. They all..."
Lu Yunyi slapped him and said, "Speak properly!"
Liu Heiying shuddered, his body trembled, and he resumed his playful smile:
"They all died, vomiting black blood,
Finally, we found out that they put poison in their mouths, usually hidden next to their back teeth, and held it at the root of their tongue when taking the poison.
Lu Yunyi nodded: "Is everyone dead?"
"There are still a few survivors, but I don't think they are good people, so I treat them as rebels."
"Well, have the people from the government office dealt with it?"
"They have already gone. Geng Junchang and the officials were so frightened when they saw that scene that they couldn't even move."
Lu Yunyi sneered:
"As it should be, we have never seen such a scene before."
Liu Heiying's expression became solemn again, his fingers kept rubbing, his eyes rolling around:
"Brother Yun'er, we found the big guy this time.
A spy of this scale cannot be deployed by any small fry.
According to my speculation, Shangshuilou should be a spy deployed by a certain powerful force in Yunnan, specifically used to collect intelligence from the officialdom and the people.
Today's assassination is closely related to the people behind them.
and"
At this point, Liu Heiying grinned, revealing his white teeth, and took a breath of cold air:
"Even a high-ranking official in the imperial court would not be able to conduct a secret operation of this scale.
It's hard to say. It also has something to do with those hereditary nobles.
The two brothers Yu Tongyuan can do this."
"Do you think it was Yu Tongyuan?" Lu Yunyi looked at Liu Heying.
"No, no, no, I don't think it's Yu Tongyuan!"
"Tell me what you think."
"Yu Tongyuan used his power to kill someone in the capital last time, and he also used his power to assassinate someone on Junshan Island. He has used his civil and military skills twice.
It is said that the third attack will not be so easy.
And it wouldn't be such a straightforward assassination.
Otherwise, even if we die,
If they can’t explain themselves, then it’s not worth it.”
Liu Heiying analyzed it carefully, rubbing his hands holding the teacup, with a fierce light flashing in his eyes:
"Brother Yun'er, I think
Maybe someone is trying to take advantage of the situation and put the blame on Yu Tongyuan.
This led to a fight between the general and the Chaohu navy.
After all, there was a big disturbance in the capital a few days ago.
Now that Yu Tongyuan is dead, it is impossible for Yu Tongyuan not to avenge his brother, which is reasonable."
Lu Yunyi looked gloomy and nodded slightly.
After saying this, his thoughts became extremely clear.
"Black Hawk, you are right. Someone is taking advantage of the situation."
"It's just that I don't understand why."
Liu Heiying frowned, looking thoughtful. He dipped his fingers in some tea and wrote and drew on the table.
Lu Yunyi spoke in a deep voice:
“Generally speaking, there are only three purposes for fishing in troubled waters.
1. Divert attention by creating chaos or putting the blame on others.
Divert the original attention away from yourself or a sensitive issue.
By creating false information or misleading statements,
It makes it difficult for some people or relevant parties to distinguish the truth from falsehood, making it impossible for them to make correct judgments or decisions.
Second: Creating division and chaos by provoking disputes or conflicts.
To cause a rift in a relationship of solidarity or mutual trust, and to make a stable situation unstable by triggering conflict or crisis.
Those who fish in troubled waters may hope to achieve some specific political or military purpose through this series of events.
It may be to weaken the power of one party, incite conflict, or create favorable conditions for a certain action.
In order to gain some kind of benefit or advantage amidst the chaos and turmoil.”
"Which one do you think it is?"
"The first one!" Liu Heiying said firmly.
"For the third option, you need a careful plan.
From the cause of the incident to the subsequent benefits, it must be carefully calculated, and it would not be so hasty to assassinate suddenly. "
Lu Yunyi agreed with this statement and asked:
"You also think this assassination was a sudden move?"
Liu Heiying nodded vigorously:
"Yes, whether it is the selection of personnel or the deployment of assassins,
There are also weapons and social relations, etc., which have not been handled properly, and there are too many loopholes.
Once things fail, it will be easy for us to find out the clues."
“Although the assassination was a spur-of-the-moment plan, there are still many clues and clues.
It will take some time for the people from Dali Prefecture to search, and by the time they find the clues, the place might have already been deserted.
After all, they will follow the rules, and we are investigating at all costs.”
Lu Yunyi mentioned another thing.
"The small river on Yining Street at that time could directly lead to Tianchan Street near the South City Gate.
As long as we land there and hide in a civilian house, we can leave quickly after the city gate opens tomorrow."
Liu Heiying frowned and thought for a while, then asked:
“Can we find some clues by searching Tianchan Street so that we can better determine who the murderer is?
I think Huguang is also something worth considering, what a coincidence."
Lu Yunyi looked at Liu Heying meaningfully and let out a long sigh.
"Since you and I both feel this way, then it's not wrong.
I know who is behind the murder, but I don't know what happened.
As far as I know, the situation is not that urgent."
Liu Heiying's expression changed a little, and his eyes slowly widened!
He quickly walked to the entrance of the military tent, poked his head out, and ordered in a deep voice:
"Everyone stay five feet away, no one is allowed to get close!"
Feng Yun looked puzzled, but he remained calm:
"Yes!"
Liu Heiying hurried back to the military tent, sat down, picked up the teacup with some fear, and drank another cup.
But even so, his lips still felt dry.
Just because I was nervous.
Liu Heiying knew what Yun'er was thinking. The fact that the matter required two people to discuss it back and forth spoke volumes.
After taking a deep breath, Liu Heiying finally calmed down:
"Brother Yun'er, who is that?"
Lu Yunyi did not answer, but took out an envelope from his arms and shook it on the table, and a piece of peony fell out.
Liu Heiying's pupils suddenly contracted and his face changed drastically!
In an instant, I understood something and figured it out!
"Yes, it's him!" Liu Heiying breathed rapidly, feeling extremely sure in his heart.
But the doubts that followed filled Liu Heying's chest again.
He looked at the peony on the table that was slightly stained with water and asked in confusion:
"What does this letter mean?"
"Win over."
Lu Yunyi's voice was calm, his eyes were deep, and he sighed:
"As the wars between the North and the South come to an end, the struggles in the court will become fierce.
At this time, both sides are clipping each other's wings and trying to win over each other!
But I didn't expect that we would catch the attention of these big shots so quickly."
"Brother Yun'er, which two groups are fighting?"
Liu Heiying had a confused look on his face, he did feel some undercurrents.
But there is absolutely no clue as to who is fighting and who is arguing.
Lu Yunyi's voice was calm:
"The imperial power headed by your majesty, the crown prince, and the Huaixi noble power represented by the Duke of Han."
Liu Heiying's eyes became even more confused, and he looked around, if he remembered correctly.
The Huaixi noble group is the main force that enables Your Majesty to ascend to the throne.
How did they start fighting?
Liu Heiying felt his hair stand on end and his whole body was cold.
Lu Yunyi took a deep breath, looked at Liu Heiying, and spoke in a deep voice:
"I will explain this to you, but you cannot tell anyone.
After all, the situation is still unclear and most people don’t know.
If we knew about this, we would definitely be criticized.”
Liu Heiying nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of curiosity.
“Your Majesty, as the emperor, your core interest is to maintain the absolute rule of the royal family and the dynasty.
Your Majesty's goal is to establish a highly centralized monarchy.
Allow the imperial power to control all military and political affairs without hindrance.
The Ming Dynasty was newly established. Your Majesty strengthened the centralization of power through various systems and means.
Such as abolishing the prime minister, stopping the imperial examination, revising the Ming Dynasty Code, and strengthening the criminal justice system.
“And Duke Hanguo is the core figure of the Huaixi Group.
The main members are your Majesty's fellow townsmen, namely generals and officials from the Huaixi region.
They made great military achievements in the establishment of the Ming Dynasty and formed a huge community of interests.
This is not just collusion between officials and businessmen, but also collusion between civil servants and military officers.
Its main demand is to maintain the status and privileges of the Huaixi Group in the court.”
"Both sides want to strengthen their power, so fighting is the inevitable result."
"Especially in the case of Hu Weiyong, your majesty launched a large-scale crackdown on the Huaixi noble group's tyranny and clique-based activities, and the relationship between the two sides went from cooperation to confrontation."
"Now, even Wusar Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty knows that Your Majesty is old, and Your Majesty naturally knows it too.
So the Luchuan War was launched hastily and there were some twists and turns, but fortunately it ended smoothly and did not drag on for too long.
The end of foreign wars means the beginning of internal disputes.
Assassinating Duke Cao and me is an extreme measure taken when you cannot win him over."
Liu Hei Ying understood a little, but was still a little confused.
"Isn't Duke Cao also a nobleman from Huaixi?"
Lu Yunyi shook his head and laughed softly:
“Everyone knows that the front-line scouts came from Gyeongju in the north, but are all the soldiers from Gyeongju?
Some people from the neighboring city have also joined our army, so their relationship is naturally more distant.
Among the Huaixi nobles is the Haozhou Group, which is your majesty’s real family background.”
"Duke of Wei Xu Da, Duke of E Chang Yuchun, Duke of Xin Tang He, Duke of Cao Li Wenzhong, Marquis of Gongchang Guo Xing, Marquis of Wuding Guo Ying, Marquis of Changxing Geng Bingwen, these are all.
Of course, Duke of Korea Li Shanchang and Duke of Wei Deng Yu were also from Haozhou.”
"There are also factional divisions in Haozhou."
"The orthodox military command system headed by Xu Da, Duke of Wei,
The main ones include Duke of E, Chang Yuchun and others. Their main responsibility is to lead troops to fight and capture cities. "
"The loyal old ministers represented by Xin Guogong Tang He,
This group of people usually knew the current emperor very early, such as Duke Xin Tang He, who had a very special status.
This faction has a deep emotional bond with His Majesty and is extremely loyal.”
"The defensive generals represented by Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing,
He played an important role in the process of unifying Jiangnan and stabilizing the rear areas, and his main task was to guard strategic locations."
"The government affairs support system represented by Han Guogong Li Shanchang,
Mainly responsible for government affairs management, logistics support, strategic planning and other matters.
After the emperor broke out of Haozhou, many generals and civil officials joined him.
The Korean public serves as a bridge.
So he is a member of the Haozhou Group, and the leader of the Huaixi Noble Group. "
After saying a lot in one breath, Lu Yunyi felt a little dry in the mouth, and Liu Heying quickly handed him the cup.
Lu Yunyi drank the tea in the cup in one gulp:
"Duke Cao is a nobleman from Huaixi, but he is also your Majesty's grandson and belongs to the noble group of Haozhou.
In fact, I think it can be attributed to the foreign relatives group, but it doesn’t matter.
In short, in the eyes of the Huaixi noble group headed by Duke Hanguo.
Duke Cao, the general, Marquis Xiping, me, and you are all enemies! "
(End of this chapter)