The film and television world begins with the battle for the throne in Kowloon

Chapter 1053: Zhangsun Wuji and Cui Renshi's Speculations

The sunset is setting slowly!

On the fifth floor of Qingyun Tower, in a room overlooking the entire street, two calm old men were drinking together at a table by the window.

One of them frowned, as if he was in a state of irritation. "Master Changsun, you have a really good plan! I heard that you found Wei Zheng from a wine shop in Chang'an. Seeing him today, I find that he is indeed worthy of his reputation."

"It's just a trifle, not worth mentioning."

Although Changsun Wuji was polite in his words, he leisurely picked up the wine in the glass, took a sip, and a slightly confident look appeared on his face.

Looking at the scenes happening in the streets and alleys, Cui Renshi's expression was very complicated and he sighed silently!

Then he picked up the wine glass on the table, raised his head and drank it all, then slammed the empty glass hard on the table, with a look of admiration on his face: "Amazing, really amazing, in just one day, you turned around the chess game that I had been planning for half a month."

"I admire you so much. I really admire you so much."

Cui Renshi clasped his hands together and said with a fake smile: "Master Changsun, this must be your idea, right? You are really cruel and ruthless. Gao Yang is your niece after all. Even if she is not the Queen Mother's biological daughter, she has called you uncle for so many years."

"I guessed everything, but I didn't expect you to be so cold-blooded. You treat human life as worthless. You don't even care about your own relatives. You abandon them just like that?"

"Believe it or not, this was not my idea."

Changsun Wuji was stunned, then shook his head with a wry smile: "Your actions to suppress the emperor are beneficial to me. Due to my status, even if I don't help, I won't ruin your plans."

"This move was not initiated by me."

The atmosphere at the lunchtime banquet was very good, and the uncle and nephew were as close as a family. Changsun Wuji subconsciously didn't want these people to focus on his nephew, so he eliminated Li Yan's suspicion without making a sound.

Although he was not completely sure who was behind it, whether it was the emperor or not, it was his business, and he did not want the nobles to know the inside story.

"If it wasn't you, then who could it be?"

As expected, Cui Renshi had no doubts. He fixed his eyes and asked, "Since the court was dismissed yesterday, the situation has changed today. Yesterday evening, Gao Yang was punished to go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and this morning we heard that she had hanged herself."

"This is too fast and in too short a time. I don't believe that the little emperor has such ability."

"Without thirty years of experience in the imperial court and being extremely familiar with the current situation, it would be impossible to achieve such perfection in this technique. His moves were swift, fierce and accurate, and his control of the fire was extremely appropriate. Even I admire him very much. Is there such a capable person around the emperor?"

Changsun Wuji also had a complicated expression. He didn't believe that his nephew could have such a level. Instead of judging that it was the emperor's doing, he believed that someone around the emperor gave the idea, and he could accept it more easily in that way.

Just as he was about to speak, Cui Renshi said decisively: "Don't mention Fang Xuanling. I believe he has such wisdom. If this matter involves someone else, he can naturally help the emperor resolve it calmly, but the person who is cheating on him is his daughter-in-law."

"It would take him several days to calm down. How can he calm down and help others solve their problems when he is so upset? It certainly won't be him."

After saying that, Cui Renshi stared at Changsun Wuji without blinking, with an expression that said, "Stop pretending, I'm saving you, old man. Don't use others to fool me. Who else could it be but you?"
Changsun Wuji was just about to speak when he saw Cui Renshi's slightly contemptuous expression on his face. He was stunned and then he understood what the other party meant.

As soon as he put down the wine glass, his face quickly turned gloomy, as if to say, if you do this again, there will be nothing to say.

The silent communication between the two was completed in an instant.

Cui Renshi saw that Changsun Wuji was determined not to admit it, and his confidence hesitated a little. After a little thought, he put aside this inference for the time being and began to make other guesses.

"Who did the emperor meet with after leaving court yesterday?"

The tacit eye contact was not broken. Seeing that the other party decisively changed direction, Changsun Wuji could no longer hold back. He also began to change his train of thought and think along the other party's path.

Changsun Wuji knew that these people from aristocratic families were well-connected and they had channels to learn the whereabouts of the emperor, but it would take time.

When it comes to the timeliness of understanding the situation in the inner palace, I will naturally surpass them.

"When the emperor first ascended the throne, he met many people every day. Xiao Yu, Cen Wenben, Ma Zhou, Liu Bo, and Wang Xuance were all frequent visitors to the imperial study."

Changsun Wuji also wanted to know who had come to the emperor's side and made him make such a decision without telling him. If he was not careful, such a person would endanger him sooner or later, so he began to analyze it.

"However, Xiao Yu is a straightforward person and does not have such quick wit; Cen Wenben has always been with me and does not have this opportunity; Ma Zhou and Liu Bo do not have such a close relationship with the emperor, so they dare not get involved in such a matter with endless consequences."

"Wang Xuance?" "He is a loyal and intelligent man who is in charge of the Imperial Guard. He is a difficult character. However, he is still young. At present, he is just an informant. He would never dare to persuade the emperor to take action against his own sister. At most, he is just a person who follows orders."

At this point, Changsun Wuji raised his eyebrows, as if he had thought of something, and then frowned and said, "By the way, His Majesty finished reviewing the memorials last night, and it was already dark, so he took a walk in the palace. He walked to the Hongwen Hall, met someone, and talked privately for more than an hour."

Cui Renshi's body tensed up and his pupils shrank. He didn't expect that there really was such a person. He could make the emperor, who was so busy now, stay up at night to meet him alone and talk for such a long time. He must have won the emperor's appreciation.

Cui Renshi leaned forward and asked hurriedly, "Oh, who is this person?"

"The Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Xu Jingzong!"

"It's him."

Cui Renshi's eyes fixed, and he pondered for a moment, then he leaned back in his chair, sighed, and said with a somewhat depressed look: "If it is him, then everything makes sense. Xu Jingzong is knowledgeable and talented, and has a lot of things in his mind."

"Although he is not well-known, he has the talent of Fang and Du."

"If the young emperor can subdue him, it will undoubtedly be like having an extra arm. I can tell you that this person's talent is not inferior to yours and Cen Wenben. If Cen Wenben is in the open and Xu Jingzong is in the dark, it will be difficult for you to control the court."

Zhang Sun Wuji's face darkened when he heard this, and he said unhappily: "Master Cui, please watch your words. When did I ever want to control the court? The year before last, the Emperor built the Lingyan Pavilion and listed me as the first of the twenty-four heroes. What a great trust this shows!"

"I am an honest minister, and I have long sworn in my heart that my life's ambition is to be an assistant minister, assisting the emperor and the two generations of monarchs in governing the country and achieving a great reputation."

"I don't want to be a powerful official. If you have such thoughts, I'm sorry I can't accompany you."

After saying this, Changsun Wuji was about to get up and leave.

Cui Renshi quickly grabbed him and apologized with a smile: "It was a slip of the tongue, it was all a slip of the tongue. Look at you, you are still anxious, how can I not understand you. Besides, with the presence of major noble families, how can the Tang Dynasty have the conditions for the emergence of powerful officials?"

After hearing what Cui Renshi said, Changsun Wuji sat down with an indignant look on his face.

It seemed that he also thought Xu Jingzong was the most suspicious, so Changsun Wuji said, "It's strange to say that after Gaoyang's accident, officials from the Taichang Temple, Zongzheng Temple, Dali Temple, and the Ministry of Justice, as well as the coroners and runners from Jingzhao Yin, Chang'an, and Wannian County all went there."

"No suicide note was found, but Xu Jingzong went there and brought back a suicide note. It is said that it was found under the spirit tablet of Emperor Gaozu. I am a little suspicious."

"Haha, that's right, everything is right!"

Cui Renshi smiled and said, "You and I both know what kind of personality Gao Yang has. She is arrogant and reckless. She is not the kind of person who would repent after being pressured by rumors in the market. Besides, she went to Chengqing Hall and Daming Palace yesterday to plead for the monk!"

"In less than a day, he committed suicide out of shame. Who would believe it?"

"Xu Jingzong is very cunning. If he gave the emperor some advice, it wouldn't be difficult for him to get a 'suicide note'."

Changsun Wuji slammed the table and said angrily, "You said yesterday when we were leaving the court, at the gate of Taiji Hall, that this matter was over. But the next moment, you mobilized Cui's people to spread Gao Yang's affairs everywhere, making the whole Chang'an restless."

"What do you want to do?"

"You think the emperor hasn't been embarrassed enough in the court, and you want everyone in Chang'an to laugh at the royal family. You want the Li family to bear this shame forever, and you want the emperor to bow his head and come to you to mediate."

At this point, Changsun Wuji's eyes turned cold, and he said in a stern tone: "This is your Cui family, or your Cui Renshi, taking advantage of the situation to fish in troubled waters. I don't believe that the nobles would be so mean and use such despicable means?"

'Well'

Cui Renshi's expression kept changing after hearing these words. Facing Changsun Wuji's eyes that could see through the world, it seemed that he could no longer utter those sophistry words.

Because that would not only be disrespectful to Changsun Wuji, but also a humiliation to himself, so today's talks could not continue.

The situation has developed to this point and has reached a critical point. If we don’t continue to make great efforts to push it forward, we will have to put an end to it.

If the stakes were raised further, it would probably lead to the fate of the royal family and the old ministers of the Zhenguan period, and the aristocratic families would be completely dragged into the water. A game that would not end with Li Shimin's withdrawal would begin, and this was not something he could decide.

Cui Renshi knew very well that the nobles just wanted to give the emperor a warning, firstly to test the new emperor's character, and secondly to lay the foundation for the future court structure. In addition to some other calculations, they had no intention of launching an all-out war.

(End of this chapter)