Half in the river wind, half in the clouds

After a long time, Li Longye finally spoke, his tone was seven or eight points drunk, but he did not answer the question: "I am two years older than the prince. He has followed me since he was a child and only listens to me!"

"Are you repenting? In the underworld and the Avici Hell, the prince will be waiting for you to talk to him in person!" Jiang Feng looked at Li Longye with contempt and replied coldly.

Li Longye continued to mutter under the girl's hostile and wary eyes: "I killed him!"

Jiang Feng opened his eyes wide, not knowing for a moment whether he killed the prince or Shen Guxing.

Her heart was pounding, her legs were weak, and she suppressed the churning of her stomach and asked hoarsely: "Who did you kill? The prince?"

Li Longye was immersed in his own world, talking to himself: "There is one of my men among the guards. I will have him beheaded and then presented to Your Majesty. We will just say that he was killed by his subordinates. Only the dead can't talk. Only when they die can we brothers rest easy!"

Li Longye was in a state of confusion and had drunk a lot of wine. Jiang Feng couldn't ask him anything for a while. She felt like there was something missing in her heart and she couldn't let go of anything else.

She looked around and saw Li Zan in the distance, so she left Li Longye behind and ran over quickly.

Li Zan was wiping her sword. When she saw Jiang Feng looking for her, she sheathed the sword and said respectfully, "Miss Jiang."

Jiang Feng went straight to the point: "Where is Shen Guxing? How is he?"

Li Zan glanced at Li Longye in the distance and said in a hostile tone, "He's fine. The prince has already ordered that you two cannot be harmed in the slightest!"

Jiang Feng let out a long breath and looked back at Li Longye. In the dusk, he was half lying on the ground, drinking heavily, but he choked because he drank too fast and started coughing violently.

Li Zan didn't understand why his master was inferior to Shen Guxing. He opened his mouth to say something, but remained silent.

Jiang Feng smiled and thanked Li Zan, then slowly walked back to Li Longye step by step and sat down not too far from him.

Li Longye said nothing, but Jiang Feng saw a tear dripping down the corner of his eye. Men don't shed tears easily, and Li Chongjun's death had a great impact on him.

"With the death of the prince, everything will be in vain. Wu Sansi and his son were executed. The queen first lost her minions and was then forced to abdicate. She must hate the prince. If he is captured, he will definitely be humiliated. This way, it will be a relief to put an end to it all." Jiang Feng thought of the prince whom he had only met once, and comforted him.

Li Longye looked at her in confusion and asked, "How do you know that Wu Sansi was executed?"

Jiang Feng took a deep breath, thinking he had let the cat out of the bag, so he quickly explained, "The prince was worried that Yi Ye and I would reveal his whereabouts, so he told Yi Ye about the coup and asked Yi Ye to go to Junzhou with him."

Li Longye looked at her for a long while before saying, "When we were in Liangzhou, you were worried that the prince's rebellion would bring disaster to Nezhi, and you also asserted that the prince's heart for a coup was not strong enough and he did not have the courage to face Your Majesty. Now it seems that you were right."

Jiang Feng said anxiously, "I was worried about my sister and brother-in-law, so I was pessimistic. I didn't expect that I guessed everything right."

"Is it really just like that? Li Duozuo, Li Sichong, Li Chengkuang, Dugu Yizhi, and Shazha died for their loyalty, Wang Qianxi defected, and my people mixed in and waited for an opportunity to assassinate the prince... How do you know all this?" Li Longye asked.

He could no longer see through her. He had originally thought she was an innocent little white rabbit, but this little white rabbit became extremely cunning when she put on a fox's coat, and fierce and vicious when she dressed up as a tiger.

He knew clearly how Jiang Feng instigated suspicion between the prince and his subordinates, and how he gradually forced Ping Zhenshen to rebel. However, a fifteen-year-old girl...

"Don't lie to me again!" Li Longye added.

I won't lie to you? How can I not lie to you?

"Between life and death, my mind suddenly became clear. In fact, those people are not difficult to guess. They may be members of the Li clan, or have grievances with the Wu clan, or they may be close friends of the Eastern Palace. But most of them are brave but not wise. I originally wanted to say Princess Taiping, Prince Li Dan, and the five of you brothers, but I was worried that you might get involved. If you let out a hint, even if you escape the Crown Prince's butcher knife, you will not be able to escape."

Seeing that Li Longye did not interrupt her, Jiang Feng continued to lie: "Ping Zhenshen is not your man, right? When I made up those lies, the person who really wanted to kill the prince would never come forward. The one who rushed to the front was the most loyal. But in order to save my life, I had to let him die unjustly."

Li Longye knew it was a lie without any judgment, a lie full of loopholes. He was so angry that he clamped her arms tightly, pulled them over and pressed them on his knees, with her at the bottom and him at the top.

The girl's breath was as fragrant as orchid, like a frightened deer.

"Why don't you tell the truth?" The man looked at her red lips, questioning, threatening, and emotional.

Jiang Feng was afraid that Li Longye would do something wrong, so he quickly put his five fingers together and swore, "I promise that what I say next is all true. If I tell even a single lie, I will have no place to take root in life, no place to be buried after death, and after death..."

Li Longye put his fingers on her lips to stop her from continuing.

Jiang Feng very tactfully shut up and skillfully moved Li Longye away from his arms.

Safe distance! Safe distance! This guy is absolutely dangerous now!

Li Longye felt desolate. What did it matter whether it was true or false? He was not completely sincere. Didn't he use her more than he loved her?

He also took advantage of his brother, who was as close as a brother to him, so that he was beheaded and died a miserable death. He took another big gulp of wine and said, "I know that this will be the end of the prince. It can only be this end!"

Jiang Feng looked at Li Longye in surprise. He had a sad face and stared into the distance, muttering about the abyss-like calculations and human nature beneath the imperial power.

Li Dan had no interest in the throne, but his sons did not think so. After the restoration of Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian, Li Dan's lineage was attacked everywhere, and his five sons were all sent out to serve as officials such as prefecture and county officials, far away from the center of power.

Of course, the young men, who were full of vigor and vitality, were unwilling to accept this. Their father's cowardice and refusal to fight were already a fact. Would they watch the Li Dynasty fall into the hands of the Wu family again? Would the drama of the hen crowing at dawn be repeated?

The answer is of course no.

So, Li Xian and his brothers began to plan, one of which was to contact Crown Prince Li Chongjun and secretly intensify the conflicts between the Crown Prince and Li Xian, the Wu father and son, and Empress Wei's mother and daughter.

Princess Anle's request to be appointed as the Crown Princess was the last straw that broke the camel's back, and finally forced the Crown Prince to rebel!

The prince was consolidating his troops in Liang Province, and originally wanted to develop a military force of his own, but General Guo was smart and cautious and was determined not to get on board.

The prince returned empty-handed, and then tried to win over Li Qianli and others again.

"Once Wu Sansi died, Empress Wei was like a tiger losing its claws and fangs. She was no longer a threat," Li Longye concluded.

Empress Wei's ambition was totally mismatched with her ability. If she just wanted to be a queen who had the final say, it would be easy. But it was almost impossible for her to rule the world.

But Wu Sansi is different. He has been immersed in political struggles for many years, and his experience, connections, abilities, and strategies should not be underestimated. Now he has joined forces with Empress Wei, and the world is about to become theirs.

Therefore, as long as Wu Sansi was eliminated, the tiger Empress Wei would lose its sharpest claws and sharpest eyes. It would only look scary, but it would not be difficult to deal with it.

"So, your original intention was just to kill Wu Sansi and his son?" Jiang Feng asked and Li Longye nodded.

"But what if the prince's troops are at the gates of the city and break into the Taiji Palace to force Your Majesty to abdicate?" Jiang Feng asked.

After all, the Li Tang royal family was good at starting their own business through coups, and Crown Prince Li Chongjun could follow the example of their ancestors, forcing Li Xian to abdicate and sit on the throne himself.

What would happen to the Li Longye brothers at that time? Jiang Feng didn't believe that they didn't have a plan B.

Li Longye once again looked at Jiang Feng carefully. She was wearing a sky-blue dress, and looked like a delicate orchid in the endless night. But why...

Jiang Feng met his gaze and waited for his answer.

"If that happens, my father and I will raise an army to support the king and kill the prince!" Li Longye said in a loud voice!

Jiang Feng finally understood Li Longye's plan, and he was horrified: In this coup, two people must die! They are Wu Sansi and Crown Prince Li Chongjun, who have already passed away!

However, there are two ways for the prince to die. One is the current way of death, killing Wu Sansi, and then being hacked to death by his subordinates after being defeated! He has no chance to meet the emperor, because the "yellow bird" who catches cicadas will never allow the possibility of leaking secrets.

If Li Chongjun's mutiny succeeded, he would face the second way of death: Li Longji's brothers would kill the prince in the name of suppressing the rebellion and serving the king.

Next, it was no longer important whether Li Chongjun would kill his father or not, he was definitely charged with the crime of "regicide, patricide and matricide". By then, Zhongzong Li Xian and Empress Wei were killed by the crown prince, the crown prince was sentenced to death for treason, Qiao Wang Li Chongfu had been convicted and expelled from Chang'an, and the fourth son Chongmao was young and ignorant. The only one of the Li Tang royal family who could legitimately inherit the throne was Li Dan's lineage.

What a great two peaches kill three officials! What a thrilling conspiracy!

The two were silent for a moment.

After a long while, Li Longye said sadly: "The prince has always trusted me, but I pushed him to a place of no return!"

Jiang Feng calmed down and faced the scheming Li Longye, he could only comfort him: "Born in an imperial family, you may not have much glory, but you will definitely suffer inhuman pain. The prince had a hard time in his life, never enjoyed the honor of the East Palace, and was slandered and trampled on everywhere. Taking up arms may be the best choice, and it can't all be blamed on you."

Seeing Li Longye's miserable expression, she tentatively said, "After the prince dies, His Majesty and the Queen will surely not forgive him. I'm afraid his wife and children will be implicated. Your Highness, if you care about the relationship between brothers, why not take care of the prince's family!"

Li Longye took another big sip, his eyes reddened, "What if I can't even protect my wife and children?"

Li Chongjun's son was only three or four years old. What had the child done wrong? Jiang Feng thought of the Crown Princess who was timid and helpless on the Qujiang Pond, and thought of Li Chongjun who was desperate but unwilling to kill easily, so he said: "If the prince wants to, he can definitely save him! It may be extremely difficult, and it may also arouse suspicion! But there is always a way."

Li Longye was stunned. He was surprised by her compassion and desire to save people who had nothing to do with her.

Jiang Feng looked at Li Longye, "One day, my brother Prince will achieve great things. Thinking of this old incident, I have to find a way to make myself feel better!"

Li Longye's reaction to Li Chongjun's death was not an emotional catharsis of grief for his own kind, but rather a feeling of grief, guilt, and self-blame for killing his brother. This feeling would become clearer and more acute as they succeeded. He would see Li Chongjun's head rolling down in his dreams at midnight, and would hear his young son's helpless cry in his drunken dreams.

Rather than saving others, it is better to think of it as self-salvation.

Li Longye was surprised at Jiang Feng's insight into people's hearts, and he also caught a ray of light in the chaos, like a drowning man grabbing a life-saving straw.

His sins were not diminished at all, but at least he could take a breath, and the heavy shackles of conscience would no longer follow him.

The last ray of sunlight disappeared at the top of the mountain. She and Shen Guxing were suddenly struck by misfortune, and they were left admiring the moon in solitude.

She was filled with emotion, and thinking of how Li Longye always admired his elder brother Li Xian, she asked in a strange way, "My Lord, if His Royal Highness the Prince of Xiang ascends the throne, which prince do you think will be made the crown prince?"

Li Longye was probably drunk, so he did not suspect anything and replied, "My eldest brother is the eldest son, so of course he should be the crown prince."

Jiang Feng continued, "But since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, no one has ever ascended the throne according to the order of succession. Emperor Taizong was the second son, Emperor Gaozong was the ninth son, and Your Majesty is the third son."

Li Longye was almost sober now, and he was even more confused. Sometimes she was as timid as a mouse, trembling with fear at the slightest sign of trouble, and sometimes she was so bold that she even dared to say such words that would kill the entire family. He immediately scolded her, "You don't know how to live or die! If you keep talking nonsense like this, you will lose your head sooner or later!"

Jiang Feng was unmoved and went straight to the point: "The Prince of Shouchun maintained the status quo, while the Prince of Linzi expanded the country. My Lord, you should support the Prince of Linzi."

Her eyes were bright and her attitude was sincere. Li Longye couldn't even tell whether he was dreaming or awake for a moment. The only thing he thought of was that she was afraid that Ji An would snatch Shen Guxing from her.

He said so.

Jiang Feng smiled sweetly, as if he had heard a huge joke: "Whether she is a princess or a county lady, I can't compete with her. But Yi Ye likes me, so whether she is a princess or a county lady, I don't care."

"Following Prince Linzi, he will help the Li Tang Dynasty and become an emperor of all ages." Jiang Feng turned to the main topic and continued.

"Why? Why are you saying this?" Li Longye asked.

"Because I just swore an oath." Jiang Feng said lightly with a smile on his face and a hint of mischief.

Li Longye was stunned. The girl today was different from the previous ones. She was like a demon and a witch.

He shouldn't have believed it, but he believed it all.

He was bewitched by her and had no choice but to listen to her.

He lost the ability to think, and with his drunken eyes, he saw that on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fields were covered with fog, and the moon was obscured by evil clouds. He became melancholy again, and murmured: "The sky is not what I wish for, and it refuses to give me a bright moon."

Jiang Feng smelled a hint of danger, "The moon waxes and wanes, and people have joys and sorrows. It is difficult to have everything. Your Majesty, please stop being so persistent."

Li Longye heard the girl's hidden meaning and was half sober and half drunk. "I have always wondered, what if I had forced you on the hill? What if I had robbed you by the Yellow River and then begged you directly to His Majesty? What would be the result?"

Jiang Feng felt a chill down his spine when he heard this. The implication of his words was obvious: What if it happened tonight?

Li Longye's eyes were a mixture of desire, restraint, clarity, decadence, anger and helplessness.

Jiang Feng didn't answer, but looked at him with a smile, thinking to himself, you wouldn't do it then, and you won't do it now.

The desire to devour everything was surging in his blood, the helplessness of fratricide was hidden in his emotions, and deep love and reluctance were surging in his chest. He could only pick up the wine bag and drink again.

Finally, he fell drunk on the girl's lap.