Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 333 God bless the Tang Dynasty!

The road was not very wide to begin with, and now it was blocked by carriages and spilled coal, making it impossible to pass.

Tang Ping's eyes flickered, and he vaguely felt that this caravan was unusual.

He glanced at a guard, who nodded and went up to negotiate with the caravan.

Their original purpose was to check whether this road was safe. For them, the occurrence of abnormal situations was actually a good thing.

After a while, the guard who negotiated came back.

What those businessmen meant was that someone had already gone to the nearby county town to ask the carpenter who repaired the car to come and fix it, so they would have to wait for a while.

Although Tang Ping wanted to see what tricks the other side was up to, if he really waited patiently on the side, it would easily arouse suspicion, so he asked the guard to go over and urge the other side to make way.

After a while, the two sides started arguing.

Tang Ping had already realized that the other party was clearly causing trouble, so he entered the carriage and told Wu Niang about the situation, asking her to be prepared.

Wu Niang sneered and said, "There really is a lunatic who dares to set his sights on the Emperor."

Tang Ping said in a deep voice: "Don't be careless. The other party is so desperate and crazy, they must have made great preparations."

Although they deliberately lured the other party out, the other party must have made careful arrangements if they wanted to assassinate the current emperor.

If you die at the hands of the other party by accident, it would be a miserable death.

While the guards were still arguing with the other party, they suddenly saw a group of people running over from a distance. There were about a dozen of them. They looked like bandits and were fleeing in a panic. Many of them were injured.

Tang Ping looked up and saw dust rising from the road. A moment later, he saw an army of more than a hundred people advancing towards this side, chasing the dozen people.

Tang Ping was secretly shocked. How could the other party mobilize the army? Could it be that this was planned by someone in the army?

Suddenly, a group of people came running from the north. There were also a dozen people dressed as bandits, followed by an army.

They were sandwiched between two groups of bandits, and outside were two armies of a hundred men.

I only heard a bandit running over shouting: "Damn it, both ends are blocked, brothers, they have seen through our identities, fight them!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the group of merchants shouted and drew weapons from the carriages. Many of them even took out bows and shot arrows at the troops.

When Tang Ping saw this scene, he finally understood the intentions of these people.

These bandits deliberately drew out the two armies and trapped them in the middle. The merchants were also in their group.

From the army's perspective, they were with the merchants, and since the merchants were bandits, they were obviously bandits in disguise.

As expected, the armies on both sides immediately shot arrows in retaliation. In an instant, there was a whirring sound and arrows flew everywhere.

One of the knights protecting Tang Ping has been shot by an arrow.

As they dodged the army's arrows, the bandits moved closer and closer to them.

Tang Ping knew that if this continued, he and his men would really be wiped out by the army as bandits, so he shouted, "Fire the flares!"

An accompanying rider immediately shot a flare into the air.

There was a whistling sound, and the sound of the arrow drowned out all the surrounding sounds.

When the flare was fired, the troops were also stunned. This was a flare unique to the army, how could the bandits have it?

Taking advantage of this moment of silence, a loud-voiced inner guard shouted, "We are the inner guards, don't shoot!"

When these words were spoken, the armies on both sides were shocked and stopped fighting. However, the bandits continued to fight and shot arrows in an attempt to create chaos.

One soldier shouted, "If you are the inner guards, why are you shooting arrows at us?"

The inner guard was about to speak when something unexpected happened. The bandits and fake merchants who had been attacking the army all turned around and rushed towards Tang Ping's carriage.

Because of the previous attack, the guard formation around Tang Ping and the other man was in chaos. In addition, the distance between the two sides was very close. After a while, some fearless bandits rushed to Tang Ping's carriage and jumped into the carriage.

In the blink of an eye, the bandit who jumped into the car flew out and turned into a corpse.

During the fierce fight, bandits kept jumping into the carriage, but they soon turned into corpses and were kicked out.

When the army in the distance saw the "bandits" fighting among themselves, they all stood there in a daze and became spectators.

Tang Ping and the other two were surrounded by elite soldiers from the Inner Guard and the Palace Office, and they all had crossbows in their hands. Even if those bandits tried their best, they would not be their match.

After a quarter of an hour, most of the people were killed and several others were captured alive.

Five of them rushed into the carriage at the risk of their lives, but what awaited them were the two best spies of the Sigongtai, so they naturally could not escape death.

Wu Niang and her men began to torture the "bandits", while Tang Ping took the fish token and negotiated with the army.

This Tang army consisted of 300 people, led by a captain.

When he learned that Tang Ping was a Langjiang of the Nei Lingfu, he quickly dismounted, checked the fish token and confirmed it was correct, then bowed and said, "I didn't know it was the general's official business, please forgive me."

Tang Ping said in a deep voice: "Which Zhechongfu are you from, and why are you here?"

The captain in charge, whose surname was Ma, hurriedly said, "We are soldiers from the Third Zhechong Prefecture of Tongzhou. We received a dispatch order from the Ministry of War and came to Puzhou to suppress the bandits!"

Tang Ping raised his eyebrows and asked, "Where is the transfer order from the Ministry of War?"

Captain Ma hurriedly handed over an official letter. After reading it, Tang Ping found that it was indeed from the Ministry of War. He then asked, "Who sent the transfer order?"

Captain Ma said, "It's a military clerk. He's in the ranks." He tilted his head and asked, "Where is clerk Hao?"

There was no answer for a long while, and then a soldier said, "We haven't seen him since the fight started."

Captain Ma's face paled slightly, and he looked at Tang Ping anxiously, saying, "General, is this transfer order fake?"

Tang Ping has roughly figured out the other party's plan, but he is still unclear whether anyone in the Ministry of War is involved in this matter.

He waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Quickly mobilize the troops back to Tongzhou. From now on, no one is allowed to mobilize without the order of the Secretariat, otherwise you will bear the consequences!"

Captain Ma responded promptly, quickly gathering his troops and preparing to return to the base.

At this time, a secret agent from the Palace Office came running over and said to Tang Ping, "Supervisory Officer, go over and take a look! There's something wrong with the Fifth Lady. She wants to kill a prisoner!"

Tang Ping was startled and ran back quickly.

Wu Niang had already drawn her knife, her face full of murderous intent, and was about to kill a tied-up "bandit". Several inner guards around her were trying their best to stop her.

Tang Ping quickly walked over, stood in front of the prisoner, and shouted, "Wu Niang, are you crazy? I asked you to interrogate him, why are you killing him?"

Wu Niang's eyes flashed with anger as she said, "Tang Ping, get out of the way! These people... these people are extremely hateful. We can't keep them here!"

Tang Ping said in a deep voice, "No matter how treasonous their actions are, we cannot do anything about them. We must hand them over to Eunuch Wang and His Majesty to decide their fate!"

Wu Niang's face was filled with anxiety. She stamped her feet and said, "That's not the case... Hey, you..."

Tang Ping frowned and asked, "Then why did you kill them?"

Wu Niang gritted her teeth and said nothing.

Tang Ping's heart moved, he glanced at the prisoner and was about to ask him questions.

Wu Niang said anxiously: "Don't ask!"

Tang Ping suddenly realized that Wu Niang must have learned some information during the interrogation just now, so she wanted to kill this person!
But what kind of news could make Wu Niang disregard her position and want to kill people to silence them?
Tang Ping looked at the several inner guards who had just interrogated Wu Niang and said in a deep voice, "Tell me, when you first came to interrogate Wu Niang, did you get any information?"

Wu Niang glared at those people and said sternly, "Don't say anything!"

Tang Ping was furious. He glared at Wu Niang and said, "Wu Niang, don't forget, I am the commander of this operation, and I am also the supervisor of the Palace Office. You must obey my orders!"

Wu Niang stared at him for a long time, then tilted her head slightly and sneered, "Well, go ahead and ask. Don't regret it later!"

Tang Ping snorted and said to an inner guard, "Pu Si, you speak!"

The inner guard named Pu Si whispered, "Boss, this kid just said something, but none of us believed it, except for the Fifth Lady!"

Tang Ping said impatiently: "What's going on? Tell me!"

Pu Si whispered, "He said they were all desperate people, all from different places, and didn't know each other. Someone paid them a very high price to do this. As long as they succeeded, everyone would live happily forever."

Tang Ping knew that these things alone would not make Wu Niang lose her composure, so he asked, "What else?"

Park Si stammered, "He, they... received orders to kill only the men in the carriage and not to harm the women in the carriage."

Tang Ping's face changed drastically, and his heart felt as if it had been hit hard by a sledgehammer.

He almost didn't dare to think about the hidden meaning behind this sentence.

He finally understood why Wu Niang had this attitude.

After all, Wu Niang was born in Changqiutai, and she remained loyal to Empress Wu. She also knew that if this question was asked, the emperor would definitely be suspicious of the empress, so she wanted to kill her to silence her!
Wu Niang crossed her arms and said in a deep voice, "Envoy Tang, this is the enemy's treacherous plan. When their first plan failed, they tried to sow discord between Your Majesty and Her Royal Highness the Queen!"

Tang Ping took a few deep breaths and said, "We are not qualified to judge this matter. We can only report it!"

Wu Niang sighed and said nothing more.

Soon someone brought the news all the way north and reached Li Zhi's team.

Li Zhi had already separated from the main group and was riding in a carriage on the official road of Bingzhou.

When Wang Fusheng got the news, he was also shocked, but there was also a hint of joy in his surprise.

He had already given up on overthrowing Empress Wu, but who knew that a golden opportunity would come his way.

He thought about it carefully for a while, and felt something was wrong. If this matter was really planned by Empress Wu, why would she travel with the emperor?
In that situation, if she made the slightest mistake, her life would be in danger.

Moreover, Wang Fusheng watched coldly throughout the whole process and could feel the warming of the relationship between the Queen and the Emperor. What reason did she have to do such a thing?
He pondered for a long time, but still couldn't figure it out. So he went to Li Zhi's carriage and whispered to the curtain, "Your Majesty, the team responsible for exploring the road has encountered some problems."

Li Zhi's voice immediately came from the carriage.

"Stop." The team stopped quickly. Li Zhi ordered Wang Fusheng to get on the car and asked about the situation in detail.

Wang Fusheng first told the story of the assassination attempt on Tang Ping and others.

How the enemy pretended to be a merchant caravan to block the road, how they pretended to be bandits to lure out government troops, and how they took advantage of the chaos to carry out assassinations.

After listening to this, Li Zhi slowly said, "So, everything that happened in Chang'an City was due to this assassination?"

Wang Fusheng whispered, "That's exactly what happened. They want to use the Crown Prince to make His Majesty anxious, thus separating him from the main group. This will give them a chance to succeed."

Wu Meiniang glanced at him and praised him, "Eunuch Wang, this time it's all thanks to you."

Wang Fusheng whispered, "This is my duty. I don't deserve your praise."

He quietly looked up and glanced at Empress Wu, but unfortunately he could not see anything unusual on her face.

Wu Meiniang pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, since the enemy is coming for you, there is no need to worry about Hong'er. You should pay more attention to your own safety."

Li Zhi nodded and said with emotion, "I didn't expect that they really came for me."

This was probably the most dangerous time since he came to the Tang Dynasty. Although he was not hurt at all, someone was already planning to assassinate him.

Wu Meiniang said, "Your Majesty, although we have uncovered their treacherous plot, we cannot guarantee that they do not have other plans. I believe that we should remain in Bingzhou, reunite with the main force, and then slowly return to Chang'an."

After hearing this, Wang Fusheng was finally certain that this matter had nothing to do with Empress Wu. He then said, "Your Majesty, there is one more thing."

Li Zhi said, "Speak."

Wang Fusheng said, "A captured prisoner confessed that their orders were to kill only the men in the carriage and not to harm the women!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the temperature in the carriage dropped suddenly. Wu Meiniang stared at Wang Fusheng with eyes as sharp as knives.

Wang Fusheng lowered his head and did not dare to look her in the eye.

Wu Meiniang turned her head and stared at Li Zhi with her bright eyes, without defending herself.

Li Zhi smiled at her and said, "Mei Niang, these people seem to want to sow discord between you and me."

Seeing that there was no trace of doubt in his eyes, Wu Meiniang felt relieved. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Your Majesty, their purpose may not be to sow discord between you and me."

Li Zhi said: "Oh?"

Wu Meiniang said softly, "There is another possibility. They think that if something happens to you, it would be beneficial for them if I were to take control of the government."

If Li Zhi did not trust her completely, she would not have said these words, because these words could easily arouse the emperor's suspicion of her.

After the two of them went on tour, their relationship became closer and they knew and respected each other, so she could express her inner thoughts without any worries.

After listening to this, Li Zhi pondered and said, "If you were to rule, it would only benefit those who supported your enthronement as empress. Mei Niang, are you doubting them?"

Wu Meiniang nodded gently and said, "If something happens to you, I will naturally become the regent and assist Hong'er. If I want to control the court and suppress the ministers, I will definitely use them."

Li Zhi was startled and after thinking carefully, he felt that Wu Meiniang's analysis was the most likely one.

If it was planned by a prince or aristocratic family who wanted to rebel, there was no reason for them to spare Wu Meiniang's life!

Wang Fusheng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I also agree with Her Majesty's analysis."

Li Zhi took a deep breath and said, "Fu Sheng, send someone to tell Li Ji about the situation."

Wu Meiniang suddenly said, "Your Majesty, please ask Cheng Zhijie to lead the troops to protect you."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "Once I've reunited with the patrol team, I'll be safe. Why bother mobilizing so many troops to escort me?"

Wu Meiniang frowned and said, "What happened just now is just my concubine's guess. If it was done by a prince, with only 10,000 Yulin guards, there is no guarantee that there will be no mistakes."

Wang Fusheng bowed and said, "I second the motion. Your Majesty's safety is a matter of great importance to the country. Please reconsider!"

Li Zhi had no choice but to nod and agree: "Okay, then I'll do as you say."

Two days later, the emperor's patrol team arrived in Bingzhou. After Li Zhi reunited with the team, he continued to return to Chang'an.

At the same time, the emperor's decree had already reached Chang'an City in advance.

Chang'an City, Zuowei Yamen.

Li Ji and Cheng Zhijie both sat quietly in their chairs.

Cheng Zhijie has always had a bad temper. Logically speaking, he should be furious after such a big thing happened in the Eastern Palace.

However, at this moment, the anger in his heart had already been suppressed by fear.

Over the past few years, under the new emperor's rule, the Tang Dynasty has won every victory in its foreign wars, expanded its territory, and won the submission of all the people. Domestic reforms have been smooth, output has increased, and the people have become prosperous.

The court rectified the administration of officials, and a spirit of frugality prevailed. Meritorious officials were rewarded, and those who violated the law, even if they were royal relatives, could not escape punishment.

Seeing the country thriving, who wouldn’t be excited and happy, both in the government and the country?

If the emperor died suddenly and the prince was still young, the country would surely fall into chaos, which he absolutely did not want to see.

Cheng Zhijie felt a bitter taste in his mouth when he thought of this, and couldn't help asking, "Old Li, you said Hei Lang should be in Tongzhou now, right?"

Li Ji shook his head and said, "Not so fast, probably not out of Yongzhou yet."

Cheng Zhijie forced a smile and said, "With Xue Rengui accompanying us and Wang Jishan also here, there's really nothing to worry about. But how could a mere three hundred men possibly harm Your Majesty?"

Li Ji said "hmm" and didn't say much.

Cheng Zhijie suddenly slammed the table and glared, "Has Di Renjie not solved the case yet?"

Li Ji said, "He came to see me last night. He had already identified a suspect, but he just wanted to follow the clues and find his accomplices, so he didn't take action."

Cheng Zhijie asked anxiously, "Who is it?"

Li Ji glanced at him and said, "Xu Jingzong's son-in-law, Wang Dejian."

Cheng Zhijie was shocked and asked, "How could it be him?"

Wang Dejian belonged to Xu Jingzong's group. Although the pro-military faction had long since fallen apart, these people were still closely related and belonged to the faction that supported the emperor and the empress. How could they possibly attack the emperor?
Cheng Zhijie had suspected the aristocratic families, the princes, and the foreign races, but he had never thought that it would be the former pro-military officials!

Li Ji sighed, "I don't understand either. After much thought, it can only be that he resents being demoted by the emperor, and is seeking revenge."

Cheng Zhijie said coldly: "What a joke! He himself committed a crime and was demoted, yet he dared to commit such a heinous crime. Isn't he afraid of the extermination of his entire clan?"

Li Ji still remained silent. His heart was concerned about the emperor's safety and he had no time to think about these things.

Just then, a general walked in from outside, holding an official document in his hand.

This man was seven feet tall, with a stern face, bright eyes, and sword-like eyebrows slanting into his forehead. He was a descendant of Jiang Wei of Tianshui, and his name was Jiang Ke.

During the hunting in the Forbidden Garden this year, he surpassed Gao Kan and became famous in one battle. He was ranked first among the generals and was promoted by Li Zhi to General of the Left Guard.

When Cheng Zhijie saw him enter, he asked anxiously, "Jiang Ke, is there any news about Yuchi Heilang?"

Jiang Ke bowed and said, "I hereby inform the two old generals that I have no news about General Yuchi, but I do have a decree from His Majesty!"

Li Ji and Cheng Zhijie looked at each other, their faces filled with joy.

Li Ji looked at the document in his hand and asked anxiously, "Is this the decree of His Majesty?"

Without waiting for Jiang Ke to answer, he reached out and took it, opened it and took a look. After reading it, he sighed and shouted, "God bless my Tang Dynasty!"

Cheng Zhijie also leaned over to watch, and when he saw that the emperor asked him to go to Bingzhou to protect him, he was overjoyed and walked out with big strides!

Li Ji hurriedly grabbed him and asked, "Where are you going?"

Cheng Zhijie glared and said, "Didn't you see that His Majesty asked me to protect the Emperor? Of course I'm going to send troops to Bingzhou to rescue him!"

Li Ji said, "Yuchi Jingde has already led his troops and set out. We only need to notify him and have him go to Bingzhou."

Cheng Zhijie said, "Your Majesty asked me to rescue him. If someone else goes, His Majesty will definitely be unhappy."

When Jiang Ke heard this, he lowered his head slightly and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Li Ji said angrily, "You're about to be buried, why are you acting like a child? Yuchi Jingde has already left. If he goes to protect the emperor, it will save a lot of time and benefit the safety of His Majesty. You and I need to stay in Chang'an and find the person behind this as soon as possible."

Cheng Zhijie also knew that what he said was reasonable, so he had to vent his anger on Jiang Ke.

"Were you laughing just now?"

Jiang Ke said with a straight face, "I don't have any!"

"I've seen it all, and you still dare to say no? Come on, go out and fight with me, let me see what level this year's number one hunter in the Forbidden Garden is at!" Cheng Zhijie rolled up his sleeves.

Jiang Ke: "..."

He looked at Li Ji for help.

Li Ji said in a deep voice, "Cheng Yaojin, stop messing around! Hurry up and write a letter to Yuchi Jingde, asking him to go to Bingzhou to protect the emperor!"

Cheng Zhijie snorted and asked, "Then what are you going to do?"

Li Ji said, "Your Majesty said that the pro-military officials are the most suspicious. Naturally, I will go find Di Renjie and keep an eye on this group of people."

Cheng Zhijie nodded.

Di Renjie's suspicion of Wang Dejian coincided with the emperor's judgment, which showed that they were the ones behind this incident.

The two immediately left the hall of the Health Bureau and acted separately.

There are only ten days left until the end of the year.

(End of this chapter)