Chapter 275 [Four chapters in one]

Emperor Liang was just about to scold Xiao Jingli. After all, he was his own son and it was impossible for him to kill him. The main reason was that Xiao Jingli himself had no ability and posed no threat. If he were Prince Qi, it would be completely different.

But as soon as he opened his mouth, Prince Huai felt fear in his heart. He had originally asked Lord Shen to consult about national policy, but now it seemed that he was going to capture Lord Shen. If he captured him, he would have to go back to the way things were before.

Although he had never thought about becoming an emperor, that was because he had no chance before. He also knew his abilities. But now, with a bunch of court officials bowing to him, the pleasure of controlling power, even if only a little, was different.

But what did he hear? Your Highness, do you want to be the emperor? Xiao Jingli's first reaction was to look at Shen Qingzhou. Everyone knew that the Your Highness he was talking about was himself.

He subconsciously looked at Emperor Liang again. At this moment, Emperor Liang looked at him and frowned slightly. He knew that his biggest crisis had come. He was not good at government affairs, but he was not a fool. When Prince Qi died, he knew that his father cared most about his power.

Many people know that Prince Qi was wronged, but this is the imperial power, and he is afraid in his heart, Lord Shen, you are killing me.

"this."

"Shen Zheng, do you know what you are saying?" Emperor Liang looked at Shen Qingzhou, who was standing straight and looking at him.

Even Xia Jiang felt that Shen Qingzhou was crazy. Under normal circumstances, if an emperor wanted to fight for you, even if you were wronged, shouldn't you beg for mercy first and then think of a solution? When you opened your mouth, you were asking Prince Huai whether he wanted the throne. You are trying to exterminate your entire clan.

Xia Jiang felt relieved. He had been worried that Shen Zheng would find a way to counterattack, but from the moment he said this, Emperor Liang was definitely determined to kill him.

"How bold, Shen Zheng, where do you think this place is? Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you are number one on the Langya Master List?" Xia Jiang said.

Following Xia Jiang's angry shout, many soldiers in heavy armor appeared behind the hall, and the door opened, and the commander of the imperial guards appeared with his men behind him.

Moreover, outside the hall, there were constant footsteps. Even if Prince Huai was slow-witted, he understood that today's plan was clearly aimed at killing Shen Qingzhou.

In front of Emperor Liang, several people in cloth appeared, including Xia Jiang. They were all masters.

"Shen Zheng, you have been an official for many years and have made contributions, but that is not a reason for you to say these words." Emperor Liang said. Although he was still a little sleepy, his mind was too active in the current situation and he was able to hold it back.

"Shen Zheng, you dared to touch the imperial power. Originally, you could not be kept alive. But His Majesty, considering your great contribution to Daliang, gave up the control of Shen's business and spared your life." Xia Jiang said.

It is a well-known fact that the Shen family's business is rich. Shen Qingzhou is the most important person in the Shen family, and he cannot hide it from such a powerful person. It was not easy to take action before, but now there is a sufficient reason.

"Alas, I just want the people of the world to live a good life. Why do you have to take action?" Shen Qingzhou said.

This is a bit too crude. I was originally thinking about power struggles, but forget it, this is also good. The template for Nanjing has been made, and the performance evaluation system has reached a stage. Next, the fire consumption will be returned to the public, the land tax will be distributed according to the acreage, and the gentry will pay taxes together. This national policy will make everyone unhappy except the common people. There must be someone who can control the situation, and who else can do it but me.

"Take him down." Emperor Liang gave an order, and Xia Jiang and others took the lead and slowly approached Shen Qingzhou. No one thought that Shen Qingzhou was a match.

In the original plot, if Xia Jiang's martial arts was on the Langya List, he would definitely be in the top five, but he was also taken down by a small number of imperial guards. Although Shen Qingzhou has the reputation of breaking eight hundred points with one sword, a closer look reveals that this is not true.

The Su Mansion at this moment.

"It's a pity that he has entered the palace." Mei Changsu felt gloomy when he knew that Shen Qingzhou had entered the palace. He still felt uncomfortable seeing a good official being taken down by conspiracy.

Emperor Liang was very well prepared this time. Meng Zhi knew Shen Qingzhou, and Xia Dong also knew him. He intentionally did not let them participate in this incident. If he hadn't known it from Meng Zhi by chance, and hadn't known the information inside and outside the palace, he would have guessed this. However, he could not change Shen Qingzhou's fate. He wanted to go, and who could stop him?

...

Inside the palace.

"Your Highness, since you have agreed, then I will take action." After Shen Qingzhou's words, Prince Huai shrank back again, trying to think of a way to die comfortably.

"Shen Zheng, why don't you surrender? There are thousands of imperial guards here. Even if you are number one on the Langya List, don't even think about escaping from this net." Xia Jiang said.

"You are so noisy, you don't know how high the sky is and how deep the earth is. The land of marshes and mountains has been included in the war map. How can the people live happily? Please don't talk about becoming a marquis. One general's success is the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers."

"Stop him." Xia Jiang watched Shen Qingzhou reciting a poem and took action immediately. Shen Zheng's martial arts was too strange. However, this was Shen Qingzhou's own martial arts, so it would be impossible to stop him.

In Jinling City, the sky became dark. Suddenly, a white light appeared in the sky and shot directly towards the imperial palace.

Shen Qingzhou's whole body emitted a milky white light, and when the light faded, four masked men in black armor appeared beside him, carrying two flags with the words "Shenwu" embroidered on them.

At the same time, thousands of imperial guards outside the palace looked at the place where the white light shone. Suddenly, more than a hundred people in black armor and black robes appeared, all riding black war horses.

"Who are you?" Xia Jiang asked subconsciously as it was the first time he saw Shen Qingzhou take action.

"The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry vanguard squad under the command of Marquis Shenwu."

"Who is Shenwu Hou? Don't you want to live? You are playing tricks." Xia Jiang said.

However, these people would say that they were all illusions. There were more than a hundred eighth-grade ones, and any one of them could fight against Meng Zhifang.

Shen Qingzhou's mind moved, and he started to act. Raindrops floated in the sky, and he felt the talent in his body. It lasted for three minutes at most. Although the talent stored in Jinling City was enough for him to do this for a few days, why waste it? Three minutes was enough.

There were shouts and cries of killing outside the palace.

"Your Majesty, Commander, something terrible has happened. Just now, there was a flash of white light in the sky, and more than a hundred people appeared and attacked the Imperial Guards. We were no match for them."

"Waste." The commander said, but when he saw the scene outside the hall, he took a breath of cold air. How could they kill people as easily as killing chickens? A heavily armored knight was killed with just one sword.

"Stop him." Emperor Liang also realized that something was wrong. This was definitely his martial arts method, but before he only found one person, but now, why are there a hundred of them?

"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Xia Jiang had just finished speaking when he was chopped back by a sword. His face changed drastically. He had defeated the third on the Langya Master List. Although he was not a match for Meng Zhi, he was also a formidable rival. However, in this fight, he felt that he seemed to be no match for him.

His head was about to explode. Shen Qingzhou's martial arts were indeed unique, but how could he use summoning? Was he a human?

Seeing Shen Qingzhou's relaxed expression, he felt depressed inside. He felt that His Majesty and himself had done something wrong this time. But who could have thought that it was actually possible to defeat eight hundred enemies with one sword.

He could feel that the other person was not a real person, and the white light he stabbed was a little dim. What kind of martial arts was this?
"Your Majesty, come this way." With the support of Eunuch Gao, Emperor Liang planned to leave. At any time, one should not forget the way to retreat, but he was extremely panicked. Shen Qingzhou's skills were more like magic than martial arts. He summoned a few people before, but now, hundreds of people appeared. Emperor Liang knew that he had underestimated Shen Qingzhou.

All I can say is that even if Mei Changsu stood in Emperor Liang's shoes, he would make mistakes, because this kind of thing is simply beyond the thinking ability of a normal person.

The two men had only taken a few steps when they gradually retreated. The shouting and screaming outside the hall had disappeared, leaving only some groans. Dozens of silent men in black armor were approaching the hall.

"Your Highness, Your Highness." Prince Huai looked at the scene that suddenly appeared in front of him with a little surprise. Before he could react, he heard Shen Qingzhou's voice.

"Lord Shen, what is this?" Prince Huai asked.

"Your Majesty has been deceived by the treacherous people. I am helping His Royal Highness Prince Huai to purge his court." Because of the song of justice, Shen Qingzhou only wanted to do just things. In his opinion, being able to control the court is a truly good thing for the world.

Anyway, he had already taken action against Emperor Liang before, and his talent had been deducted. Now, as long as he did not overthrow Emperor Liang himself, he should not lose his talent.

"Your Highness, you must not hesitate." Shen Qingzhou said.

"But there are still 50,000 imperial guards outside the city." Prince Huai was not a fool.

"Your Highness, the Emperor is here, and the tiger talisman must be here as well." Shen Qingzhou said that Prince Huai still hadn't let go of his composure. He had captured Emperor Liang in the tightest encirclement. Why, was Emperor Liang not a human being and not afraid of death?

"Xiao Jingli, what do you want to do? Shen Zheng, don't forget, although you are a martial arts master, this is in Jinling, and I can mobilize a million troops at any time." Emperor Liang hid behind the remaining dozen soldiers. As for Xia Jiang, he had just suffered a heavy blow and was adjusting his breath.

"Your Majesty, why do you have to speak like a child?" Shen Qingzhou said. Emperor Liang was very regretful. He specifically ordered that no one in the palace could go out today and no one could come to his place. Otherwise, there would still be a chance.

He really didn't expect that one person could fight against a thousand imperial guards and win.

"Your Highness." Shen Qingzhou reminded again.

"Father, please hand over the military command." Prince Huai finally did not disappoint Shen Qingzhou and made a decision. In fact, this was the only thing he could do. He had relied on Shen Qingzhou before, which had already displeased the emperor.

Just now Shen Qingzhou asked him if he wanted to be the emperor. He only wanted to emulate his uncle, but he already knew that Emperor Liang had different ideas about him. Originally he could do nothing about it, but Shen Qingzhou was like a god descending from heaven at this moment, so don't blame him for having ambitions that he shouldn't have.

This is also the reason why Shen Qingzhou wants to support a royal family member. It is natural for royal family members to use military tokens, but he is an outsider and there is no other reason, which makes people confused.

Moreover, with Prince Huai around, whatever happens here is his family affair. Even if others are not convinced, they have to endure it. It's that simple.

“Jingli.” Emperor Liang looked at Prince Huai, who was humble at the moment but obviously different. He knew that his son still disappointed him.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. After imprisoning the villain Xia Jiang, Your Majesty can rest assured and recuperate in the palace." Shen Qingzhou said.

"Father." Prince Huai was a little anxious. This was a rare opportunity, so why didn't he kill Emperor Liang? It could only be said that now that power was within his reach, he had become a little lost.

"Your Highness, you have forced yourself to the throne without any legitimate reason. Crown Prince Yu must have other intentions. In order to avoid being attacked from all sides, it is better for you to control the military power first." Shen Qingzhou reminded.

Emperor Liang watched helplessly as only Eunuch Gao was standing nearby, and even a man as rich as him felt fear.

Especially the black-armored soldiers who had surrounded him, and who turned into white light and disappeared with the black war horses outside. He knew that he had lost this round. Shen Qingzhou's method was miraculous, and he could really fight against a thousand cavalrymen alone.

"His Majesty orders the Imperial Guards to change shifts." Two hours later, Prince Huai appeared in the Imperial Guards camp in the imperial city, holding a military token.

At this moment, he has the military tokens of the Qingli Army and the Jicheng Army, both of which are the forces to protect Jinling.

The Imperial Guards were a force stationed not far outside the city of Jinling, and the military token had naturally fallen into the hands of Prince Huai.

As I said, Emperor Liang was also a human being, and he who knows the times is a hero. Besides, the military token was not hidden so tightly, and many people would use it to pass the order.

However, because he is the emperor, he has this identity and power. Now that Prince Huai is his son, he naturally has this power as well.

In the palace.

"Mother, the emperor wanted to attack me and Lord Shen, but Lord Shen has already revealed it. We fought back, and the emperor has been trapped in the palace. From tomorrow on, I will enter the palace every day. Mother, please tell me what happened in the harem."

After the prince of Huai got the military token, Shen Qingzhou reminded him to inform his biological mother, Concubine Hui. He could hide things in the imperial city from others, but not from the people in the palace. "This, this." Concubine Hui was very confused. She had been bullied by the queen for many years in the harem. She was weak in character. How could her useless little son cause such a big thing?

"Sir Shen, Shen Zheng, he is doing this, maybe he wants to usurp the throne." Even if Concubine Hui didn't understand these things, she knew that her son had no future, and this didn't seem like something her son would dare to do.

“Mother, don’t think too much now. If we don’t resist, not only me, but also my brother and mother will be implicated by me. However, Lord Shen doesn’t seem to have such an idea. Mother, you didn’t see it. If you saw it, you would know that now, he chose me, not me who chose him. If the Crown Prince and Prince Yu didn’t get his help, my father would have passed away today.” Prince Huai understood.

Even though he had no power, Emperor Liang was still alive, because once he died, the world would be in chaos and he would have no one to support him.

This was also the reason why Emperor Liang gave him the military token. One reason was because he had no choice, and the other was because he knew that if he gave it to Prince Huai, he could still survive for the time being.

"This." What could Concubine Hui do? They were both on the same boat.

The emperor's palace.

"Your Majesty, it's time to go to bed."

"Eunuch Gao, do you think I did something wrong by allowing such a ferocious beast to enter the palace and get so close to me?" said Emperor Liang.

"Your Majesty, no matter who it is, no one would have thought that this would happen. Shen's martial arts are beyond human power." Eunuch Gao didn't react either.

"Tell me, did he have any preparations before he came?" asked Emperor Liang.

"In my opinion, yes."

"I'm tired." Emperor Liang still treated him the same as before, but he knew that the imperial guards had been replaced and he was no longer one of them. How could things have come to this?

He did not regret dealing with Shen Zheng. Today's experience made him realize that he should deal with Shen Qingzhou. The only thing he regretted was that he should not be here. He should treat the other party as an army.

He still doesn't believe that Shen Qingzhou dealt with thousands of imperial guards without any cost. You see, now that things have come to this, based on this world's historical perspective and understanding of martial arts, unless Shen Qingzhou really defeated thousands of troops alone, otherwise, people will always be suspicious.

At the Su Mansion, Mei Changsu calculated in his heart, and finally couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. Ever since he knew that Shen Qingzhou had returned to the government office from the palace and was doing his work normally, he was hesitant. He guessed wrong, or it was the more terrifying guess that Shen Qingzhou won, but it was unlikely.

Day two.

The harem was functioning normally, and because Emperor Liang always attached great importance to his safety, nothing had happened for the time being. However, Concubine Yue and the Queen had already sensed something was wrong. They had a son who wanted to compete for the throne, and they took the news from Emperor Liang very seriously.

First, the imperial guards entered Emperor Liang's palace on a large scale, which was fine, but later they carried a lot of things out of the palace, and the imperial guards were dispatched again. They never thought that Prince Huai had done such a big thing.

On the second day, at the court meeting.

"My father summoned Lord Shen to the palace yesterday and praised him for his great contributions during this period. He managed three departments in an orderly manner without making any mistakes.

However, after all, the three departments cannot rely entirely on Lord Shen, so I have ordered the selection of talents to fill the vacancies in the three departments. "The Prince of Huai dropped a bomb right away.

"Your Majesty is wise, His Royal Highness Prince Huai is wise." For a moment, all kinds of wise voices were heard praising Shen Qingzhou. Everyone knew that Shen Qingzhou was finished. It seemed that His Majesty could not stand what he had done.

Now, the words sound nice, but if he is dismissed from his three posts first, he will be easily controlled after that. Now, he is too arrogant by relying on the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice.

"Your Highness, Wei Chen recommends." Then, various recommendations came in, most of them were from Prince Yu's party and the Prince's party. The prince had been in confinement for a while and had no power to fight back. Prince Yu gave Prince Huai an appreciative look. It seemed that the old man wanted to train him.

"Everyone, there is another important matter, Eunuch Gao." Prince Huai said, and then Eunuch Gao appeared. Everyone knew that this was the eunuch most trusted by Emperor Liang.

"By the Will of Heaven..., Shen Zheng has made great contributions and is in control of three ministries. I am very pleased to learn about the performance evaluation system. In order to prevent anyone from obstructing, I order Shen Zheng to enter the cabinet to carry out the reforms. Officials from the six ministries must cooperate. I decree this." After Eunuch Gao finished reading the imperial edict, Shen Qingzhou received it and completed it in one go.

“Wait a minute, Eunuch Gao, is this our father’s order?” Prince Yu hastened to dissuade him.

"Your Highness Prince Yu, I have indeed drafted an edict for His Majesty." Eunuch Gao returned to the harem. This was indeed the order of Emperor Liang, but it was made at the advice of Prince Huai.

Emperor Liang did not hesitate too much. Now, he could not leave the palace. Shen Qingzhou made a big fuss, but he had a glimmer of hope. Many people would be confused.

Directly let a third-rank official be promoted to the cabinet he plans to form. This span is at least two levels. In the three-province and six-department system, only the Zhongshu Ling and a few others can enter the cabinet directly, and the six ministers are not qualified. (This is a bug. The first department is the three provinces and six ministries, with the Zhongshu Ling, and the second department has the cabinet. The two systems are mixed together)
Moreover, Shen Qingzhou was the first person to join the cabinet. Even the old fox Liu Cheng was shocked. He had great power. When the Crown Prince and Prince Yu were fighting, he could choose not to help either of them. In the end, his granddaughter became the Crown Princess, and the future Queen would not be the Princess of Jing, but directly the Crown Princess. You can imagine his ability. Now he clearly knew that something extraordinary had happened.

"this."

The only ally of the Prince of Huai now is Shen Qingzhou. Only if he has power in the court can he keep his position secure. Things have been forced to this point.

No matter what, the imperial edict is real. This is what force can do in this world. Under normal circumstances, the Langya masters are only better in martial arts and cannot be compared with the army. But who made you meet Shen Qingzhou?

[Song of Righteousness: The host is in charge of Daliang's political affairs, and officially issues the performance evaluation method, gaining talent x 100000]

【Civil rank: Jinshi: 353652/10000000】

The imperial edict just announced that Shen Qingzhou's performance evaluation method, which only issued but had no supervisory power, would bring him 100,000 talents. If this method is truly promoted, combined with his other methods, it is not impossible to gain 10 million talents.

In the current cabinet, there is only Shen Qingzhou. All the officials in the court know what the cabinet does, but now, they are a little confused. How great a favor Shen Qingzhou has received.

"This actually happened. Something extraordinary must have happened here. Shen Zheng is very capable, but it is too exaggerated for him to enter the cabinet directly." Qin Prajna was a little confused.

"I will go to the palace to meet my mother later." Prince Yu said, but it was useless to go into the palace. The queen was in charge of the harem and couldn't explain anything.

As for the Crown Prince, after knowing this, Concubine Yue wanted to see His Majesty, but she never did, which was a bit abnormal.

Su Mansion.

"Emperor Liang is not in danger of life, and he is still doing his previous routine, but someone is cleaning up the bloodstains in the hall. The most important point is that Xia Jiang from the Xuan Jing Division has not appeared since he entered the palace." The more information Mei Changsu learned, the more shocking he felt about his guess.

In the afternoon, he saw Shen Qingzhou once from afar. Now he seemed even busier.

Cai Quan is now in charge of the Ministry of Justice. Originally, he should have been close to Prince Jing. Shen Zhui and the others already knew Prince Jing and they all worked for Chunchen.

But now, Cai Quan has been led by Shen Qingzhou for a while, and he seems to have gotten used to it. Mainly, he himself feels inferior to Shen Qingzhou's abilities.

"The performance evaluation system has begun to be implemented in the capital. Previously, the Ministry of Personnel issued the performance evaluation system, but the various states did not take it seriously. The quarterly assessment will begin next month, and the Ministry of Justice will be ordered to cooperate with the Ministry of Personnel to examine the performance of officials." In the imperial city, the Cabinet Office, this is the office location originally designated by Emperor Liang, and it is in the imperial city.

Now, Shen Qingzhou directly brought the six ministers here to attend the meeting. He had the qualifications, but there was an awkward point. The Minister of the Secretariat felt a little excluded.

Shen Qingzhou did not do it on purpose. Many things were actually still managed by the three provinces. However, Shen Qingzhou did not want the three provinces to pass on the reforms through imperial decrees, so he could just manage them directly.

More than two months passed in this intermittent manner.

"No, my father hasn't met with us in private for two months. Something must have happened, and Lord Xia has never returned.

Prince Huai now goes to the palace to see his father every day. He is the only one who can stay with his father for a long time. "

"Your Highness feels that in the relationship between His Majesty and Prince Huai, Prince Huai is actually in the upper hand." Qin Prajna said this.

"That's right. It's too easy for Prince Huai to see my father now, but it's impossible."

"Your Highness, there is a piece of information that I have confirmed should be true. His Highness Prince Huai once commanded the army on behalf of His Majesty. He met with high-level generals in the Qingli Army and the Jicheng Army and once took out the military token. The imperial guards have also been deployed a lot now. Something big has happened." Qin Prajna said.

"Military Token." Prince Yu's face changed drastically. He had tried his best to think about the serious situation, but he didn't expect this.

Things like military tokens are not something that can be easily obtained, even by a prince.

"There is one more thing. Do you remember, Your Highness? One day, the sky suddenly changed and a beam of white light shot towards the imperial city. That was also the day when His Majesty summoned Shen Zheng to the palace. The next day, he became the only person in the cabinet that His Majesty had originally set up."

"impossible."

“Your Majesty, although it is hard to believe, judging from the current situation, although your Majesty is not in danger of death, you do have a special relationship with Huai Wang Shen Zheng.

It's just that your majesty is in charge of the world, so no one thinks about other things. "Qin Prajna said, it's not that they can't think about usurping the throne, but they won't connect it with the King of Huai.

Su Mansion.

"Your Highness Prince Jing, although Commander Meng is in charge of the Imperial Guards, he has not seen His Majesty for nearly three months. In addition, Your Highness Prince Huai's actions during this period, as well as some information found by the Jiangzuo League, the fact that some people in the Imperial Guards disappeared quietly is enough to prove that there must have been a chaotic battle in the palace."

Mei Changsu also found out that there were 50,000 imperial guards, and even Meng Zhi couldn't know them all. Plus, he wanted detailed information, but the more he investigated, the more frightened he became.

"You mean, father is in danger now." Prince Jing's face changed drastically.

"There is no danger for now. If it is really as I guessed, Your Majesty will be no different from before except that you cannot meet others at will.

However, if things continue like this, His Royal Highness the Prince of Huai may indeed be the person closest to the throne. Lord Shen Zheng is unrivaled in his abilities and is well versed in all political and state affairs. At the age of thirty, he is in charge of the affairs of Daliang. If he is given another five years, he will surely subdue the court, but he may not have that much time. "Mei Changsu said.

Five years sounds like a long time, but this is a country, and five years is very fast. However, he was too smart and predicted some things that were bound to happen.

"Father." Prince Jing looked at Meng Zhi. Because of Mei Changsu, he had actually acknowledged Prince Jing as his lord.

"More than three months ago, I was transferred to the Imperial Guards camp, and the military token is indeed in the hands of Prince Huai."

"Didn't Shen Zheng go with you?"

"Your Highness is thinking, is Shen Zheng worried that Commander Meng will find out and no one will protect him? Lord Shen is a martial arts master, and his methods of attack are unpredictable. Whether he is present or not will not affect whether he can take action." Mei Changsu saw through it at a glance.

"So what do we do?"

"Wait."

(End of this chapter)