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Book 57 Chapter 13 - Splitting Apart and Driving a Wedge

Translator: Foxs\' Wuxia

Finished listening to Xu Ziling’s statement, Feng Deyi pondered for a moment, and then said, “The matter of you guys impersonating Situ Furong and his party, except for the problem concerning Shi Zhixuan, there should be no issue, because until now, no one is suspicious. However, you must arrange a good contingency plan, if you are exposed, you could escape quickly.”

Feng Deyi went on, “Jiancheng and Yuanji might return within these few days. Li Yuan is greatly angered by Qin Wang’s delay, yet there is nothing he can do. When the general is outside, to some extent, the lord’s order cannot be received, not to mention Du Fuwei is beginning to stir, Qin Wang must make arrangements first before he can return, it’s really difficult for Li Yuan to blame him, but this definitely make the relationship between them, father and son, even worse, because there was already a precedent to this.”

Xu Ziling understood that Feng Deyi was referring to the fact that Li Yuan had continuously issued imperial order to force Li Shimin to return to Chang’an after the Battle of Luoyang. At that time, if not for Li Yuanji had failed to resist Liu Heita and he had no choice but to reinstate Li Shimin, Li Shimin might have ended tragically early on.

Feng Deyi said, “Within the imperial court, only Li Shentong, one person, supports Qin Wang. Outside the imperial court, there are Xiao Yu and Chen Shuda. However, due to Liu Wenjing was put to death, they keep quiet out of fear. Fortunately, all these three people are loyal and righteous; if they knew that the situation is changing, I have the confidence that I can persuade them on Qin Wang’s behalf.”

Xu Ziling shook his head and said, “It’s really inadvisable for Feng Lao to get involved. First, Li Shentong and the others might suspect that you are sounding them out on Li Yuan’s behalf. As long as we know that they are people whom we can win over, that’s enough.”

Feng Deyi nodded and said, “Ziling’s words make sense, because I have always been regarded as someone from the Taizi [crown prince] faction.”

Xu Ziling asked, “What kind of person is Pei Ji?”

Feng Deyi replied, “He is the person within Li Yuan’s inner ministerial circle who knows best how to see the wind and steer the rudder, and to fawn on Li Yuan. People who support the Taizi faction only follow him blindly. After Liu Wenjing was executed, his power became even stronger. With Yin Zuwen, they are villains who collude together. Sometimes I don’t understand why Li Yuan, who is not stupid at all, unexpectedly relies one-sidedly heavily upon them.”

Xu Ziling recalled Yin Zuwen’s shady business in arranging entertainment for Li Yuan, naturally he understood in his heart, but temporarily he did not reveal it. He asked, “Why did Li Jiancheng fail to see that colluding with the Tujue is an act of showing the wolf into the house? In the end, it has no advantage to him whatsoever.”

Feng Deyi smiled and said, “Even if you ask Li Shimin, he will not be able to give you the answer. This is really Li Jiancheng’s plan to kill two birds with one stone. If Xieli invades, Li Jiancheng will take advantage of his prestige in dealing big defeat toward Liu Heita to present a memorial to Li Yuan to allow him to personally supervise the army to resist the invasion. Also, because of the Tujue’s strength is surly and unreasoning [i.e. tyrannical], the House of Tang must use the elite troops to the greatest extent. The Dark-Armored Elite Troops and the various generals of the Tian Ce Fu under Li Shimin’s command will be requisitioned by him. This is akin to stripping Li Shimin’s military power covertly, to make him into an ordinary citizen that others can take advantage of.”

Knitting his brows, Xu Ziling asked, “Since Li Jiancheng already has this intention, why does he still put Ke Dazhi in an important position and even invite Bi Xuan to Chang’an?”

Feng Deyi said, “According to Li Jiancheng’s explanation to Li Yuan, he believes that the Tujue come to the Central Palins for the purpose of plundering wealth and kidnaping children, therefore, as long as they maintain a good relationship with Xieli, when Xieli invades, they can use wealth and children to appease Xieli. As for inviting Bi Xuan to Chang’an, it was a decision made with this kind of mentality. Jiancheng is even more convinced that Zhao Deyan can influence Xieli and make him return beyond the Great Wall after receiving the big gift.”

Xu Ziling said angrily, “I no longer doubt that Li Jiancheng is a man who damage the country and cause suffering to the people [idiom]. Unexpectedly Li Yuan does not have his own judgment and definite opinions?”

Smiling wryly, Feng Deyi replied, “It depends on which side’s words Li Yuan is willing to believe. That day when Liu Wuzhou invaded together with the Tujue Army, Jiancheng and the imperial concubines belittled Shimin’s military merit, they said that the Tujue were utterly worthless, so Li Yuan did not take the Tujue people too seriously, thinking that he could use both carrot and stick to make them go back.”

Frowning, Xu Ziling said, “Didn’t Li Yuan know that Li Yuanji suffered big defeat in Song JinGang’s hands and ran away?”

Feng Deyi sighed and said, “Li Yuan is very far behind the front line, deep inside the palace, surrounded by lowly men and women left and right, so that his eyes and ears are not working properly. Li Yuanji’s defeat, Jiancheng said that Shimin was tampering with the supply and reinforcement. In the end, the blame still falls on Shimin.”

And then he sighed and sad, “In the struggle of the imperial court, even if Shimin slaps his horse’s butts, he still could not catch up with Jiancheng. For one thing, he has the all-out support of the demonic school, furthermore, because Shimin has been leading soldiers outside for a long time. Currently, the Crown Prince and Imperial Concubine factions’ target of attack is focused on Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling. They manufacture all kinds of rumors, saying that the two instigated Shimin, causing him to grow disloyalty in his heart, and to conspire to rebel. The situation is extremely unoptimistic, if we can’t think of a good strategy right away, the two of them will definitely suffer calamity first.”

Xu Ziling now grasped a clear outline on the struggle within the inner and outer imperial court. After setting up ways to communicate with Feng Deyi, he quietly left.

The lantern was extinguished.

Shen Luoyan stretched out her hand around his neck first, and then she kissed him on both cheeks, left and right. She laughed in low voice and said, “I’m naked!”

Under Kou Zhong’s blank stare, she climbed onto the bed, and just stretched out her jade body in front of Kou Zhong’s eyes. She even stretched out her limbs in an extremely alluring manner; her tender, lazy and weak appearance was just so touching.

It was only then did Kou Zhong notice that she was wearing sleeping clothes, so it was just empty words and tiger’s roar to scare him, to joke with him, so that his heart, which had jumped to his throat and nearly choked his heart, finally returned to its original position. Smiling ruefully, he said, “We are all old friends! And I’m not a gentleman whose bosom is not in chaos even more. Don’t tease me, all right?”

In his heart, he couldn’t help but think of Wanwan, whose whereabouts was unknown - who often acted like this.

Lying down in front of him, Shen Luoyan cast him a sidelong glance, she asked, “How come it’s not Ziling who’s coming to see me?”

Kou Zhong sighed and said, “Because he has less self-control than me, he is extremely nervous that he might fall into your gentle and soft trap, and will never be reincarnated! I, Kou Zhong am a person who value loyalty; for the sake of my brother, naturally even if blades are sticking to my two flanks, I will still come to the meeting.”

Shen Luoyan rolled her eyes at him, she spoke with disdain, “Still talking so much nonsense.”

Kou Zhong cleared his throat and calmed his mind to resist her powerful attractive force, he said, “You should know what’s going on between me and Li Shimin!”

Shen Luoyan replied, “If I don’t know, how could I have the mood to sleep in the same bed with you. Hee! How about you lie down and talk about it?”

Shocked, Kou Zhong said, “You are still unwilling to let me off? If Ziling knows that we are sleeping together, how can I explain it to him?”

‘Pfft!’ Shen Luoyan giggle tenderly, she glowered at him hard, and then closed her beautiful eyes, and spoke softly, “Listening to you, it seems that I am married to Xu Ziling instead of Li Shiji. You are just afraid that your good brother would catch us in the act on bed. Oh! It feels so wonderful.”

How could Kou Zhong dare to continue messing with her? Changing the subject, he said, “It’s so late! Where did Meiren’er go?”

Shen Luoyan lazily replied, “Where else but to go see your first love.”

Shaken, Kou Zhong said, “Xiuning Gongzhu?”

Shen Luoyan spoke slyly, “Do you have many first loves? She knew I came back, so she invited me to the palace to satisfy her missing you. I deliberately didn’t mention you, in the end she couldn’t help asking me. Hee! Very interesting, it seems that she does not have the self-control that she is showing on the surface.”

“I surrendered!” Kou Zhong said, “Meiren’er Junshi, please be magnanimous, please tell me how to make you be willing to let me off.”

Shen Luoyan opened her eyes and said, “You can kill one person and do one thing for me, or you let me kiss you on the mouth.”

Kou Zhong spoke miserably, “Let’s forget about kissing! I’m most afraid of inviting personal disasters. Right now, it is in the dead of the night, a lone man and a single woman being together in a dark room, what can’t possibly happen? Ay! The one you want to kill, is it Wang Bodang, that kid? Of course there is no problem. What is the thing you want to do?”

Shen Luoyan replied, “Hang that little golden snake outside the main gate of Dugu Family’s Xi Ji Yuan for me, I want to see if Dugu Feng still dares to be unbridled to me.”

Kou Zhong slapped his legs and exclaimed, ‘Super!’ He said, “Good plan! This time I will designate you, Meiren’er Junshi as our Junshi [military adviser]. Please use your brain to think of a way to make Li kid the Emperor of the Great Tang.”

Shen Luoyan spoke indifferently, “The key to success or failure depends on how many people in Chang’an support you. More importantly, how to buy important figures from the enemy camp. I have a very ideal candidate in my heart, if I can win him over, the odds of winning will increase greatly.”

Scratching his head, Kou Zhong asked, “Who is it?”

Shen Luoyan sat up, her pretty eyes flickered with the divine light of wisdom, she spoke heavily, “Wei Zheng.”

Kou Zhong slapped his legs and said, “Why didn’t I think of him? He was the minister with great merit who helped Li Jiancheng defeating Liu Dage, and he had worked together with you for Mi Gong. With Li Yuan killing Mi Gong, he should be very dissatisfied.”

Shen Luoyan said, “He is even more disgusted with Li Jiancheng for killing your Liu Dage. Merely from this point, he should be able to see through Li Jiancheng’s innate character in conducting himself.”

Kou Zhong agreed, he said, “Kill Liu Dage was really an unwise move, he should have let Liu Dage become a small official in Chang’an, that would be a superior policy, then with no blood on the men’s swords, they could subdue Shandong.”

Shen Luoyan said, “Leave the instigating Wei Zheng to me, when there is good news, I will let you know. Where are you staying?”

Kou Zhong said, “For the time being, it is more appropriate for us to come to you.”

Shen Luoyan crossly said, “Next time, have Ziling come to see me, otherwise I won’t even say half a word.”

Smiling apologetically Kou Zhong said, “That is of course, Xiaodi takes my leave!”

Unleashing his night-walking technique, Xu Ziling leaped high and scuttled low to rush toward the Yong An Canal’s secret entrance to the Duke Yang Treasure-house.

It was the third watch of the night [11pm - 1am, or simply midnight], the street was quiet and deserted, the only sound was the occasional footsteps of the patrolling troops. It was the time of cold weather, frozen ground [idiom: bitterly cold], plus there was the somber and desolate atmosphere of the mountain rain about to come down.

Xu Ziling flew along the east bank of Yong An Canal under cover of the trees. As long as he threw himself into the canal, he could guarantee that no one would be able to catch up with him.

Suddenly the alarm went off in his heart, so he hurriedly flashed behind a tree.

A dark shadow suddenly appeared and abruptly vanished on the opposite bank, flashing in the direction of West Market.

Xu Ziling’s heart was moved, he picked off a branch in passing and threw it to the middle of the river, and then he flew off the shore, his foot tapped the branch, and borrowing that little buoyancy, he threw himself to the opposite bank, and chased in the direction where his target was disappearing.

If he was not mistaken, that person should be the ‘Fat Merchant of Sichuan’ An Long. His build was precisely his trademark.