"Now that we've identified who betrayed us, I can take that person into account and continue the deduction."
"And besides you and me, there is only one other person who has seen this picture."
Xie Lanzhi gave her a deep look: "I won't mention your name. Sometimes looking at the results directly is also a good perspective."
“At this point, I will no longer plead for that child. Please give me some time.” Si Xitong suddenly stopped holding her hand, and Xie Lanzhi then pushed her hand back to trace Xie Ying’s handwriting, waiting for her reply.
Xie Lanzhi read about Si Xinian's actions from the war reports from various places. In her opinion, this boy used tricks to leave himself no way out and seemed to be determined to die. He was likely to suffer the consequences of being too clever for his own good. Moreover, he died young in the original story, probably because of his personality.
Recalling Xie Ji's letter, Si Xinian seemed to be avoiding contact with him. It wasn't that Huang Mang was stopping him; he simply couldn't do it.
Xie Lanzhi frowned and said, "Does your brother have a prejudice against me? He couldn't possibly be unaware of your situation. Isn't he afraid I'll hurt you?"
Although she was reluctant to part with it.
"Because he knows I'm plotting against you, there's no need to say anything. He'll just choose to believe me. He's in a dangerous situation right now, so he needs to use you to get across the bridge. But afterwards, I don't want to use your name to fool Huang Ze anymore."
"Because the next one is the Crown Prince of the Northern Region."
As he finished speaking, Si Xitong recalled the day his father chose a consort for him, when the boy was also very awkward when he saw the top scholar. He had also told himself, "Many people admire my elder sister. With her talent, she doesn't need to stay in the inner palace. I'm not worried about your choice."
"But what I'm more worried about is whether you can overcome societal prejudices to seize power, because with power comes life security. If one day I see any signs of your schemes and know that you are safe and sound, I will know what to do. As for my elder sister, she only needs to protect herself so that I can have peace of mind."
"Although Father did not take your advice, when the time comes, I will be your pawn, at your mercy. You must not be soft-hearted; you must use me as your pawn to the fullest extent until the very end... to fulfill Father's long-cherished wish."
Si Xitong said somewhat sadly, "Lanzhi, the battle of Tianjing was the first step in my calculations. The siege of Shanxi is the second step in my calculations now. That child saw the traces I left in your plan, which is why he rushed to the front without hesitation."
"I just didn't expect him to be so suicidal."
Xie Lanzhi felt that fate was playing tricks on her. She said, "In the eyes of the world, all you have received is my favor, and only your relatives will know whether you are safe before taking any action."
Si Xitong composed herself and told Xie Lanzhi, "Actually, I made a promise with that child that whoever survives will take it upon themselves to save Tianjing and fulfill their father's wish."
Upon hearing this, Xie Lanzhi's expression darkened. No wonder that boy had tried to undermine her; it turned out to be because of the agreement.
“I cut off my hand, leaving behind what I thought was the only message in the world. If he was still alive, he would keep his promise, but I never expected to survive.”
“Qi Nian was certain of my safety from the clues I left behind. That’s why he could do whatever he wanted in Tianjing without any scruples.” Si Qitong stared intently at Xie Lanzhi. Meeting Xie Lanzhi in this life was her good fortune.
Xie Lanzhi has always been protecting her.
But the message had already been sent, and once the plan was launched, there was no turning back. Unfortunately, they were all born in a chaotic era, making it impossible to reverse the situation. This wasn't something a single letter could solve; war had broken out and was unavoidable. In times of chaos, those who wage war will use this as a target to demonstrate their great talent and ambition.
Therefore, the person she chose was Xie Lanzhi!
The rebellion of Huang Mang in Tianjing conveniently provided Xie Lanzhi with a legitimate opportunity to rescue Tianjing. Since the rescue was legitimate, some of Xie's military generals, concerned about public opinion, would reduce their slaughter of innocent civilians. This would further enhance Xie Lanzhi's image.
She had calculated every step carefully.
Xie Lanzhi was slightly taken aback. She hadn't expected that the Empress had been planning this since their first meeting, and that cutting off her hand was not only for revenge, but also to leave a message for her brother.
She looked at the chess diagram and asked curiously, "When did you start deploying this diagram?"
Si Xitong said, "Three years ago."
“We have simulated this many times. Even if no one can trust him, they will still be used by him because of their own interests.”
Inside, the two figures, busy at their desks, appeared surprisingly harmonious, yet their every move would influence the turbulent and upheaval situation of the world.
The interplay of Yin and Yang, representing the balance of the heavens and the earth, signifies that even stillness can alter the course of a battle.
Based on information gathered from various sources within the Xie family, Si Xitong deduced the conspirators outside the battle and, together with Xie Lanzhi, devised a grand scheme to capture them all at once.
She continued, "What emboldened Huang Mang to stay in Tianjing and use himself as bait was the Northern Region and the Shi Kingdom. The benefits they promised far outweighed those of Tianjing, which is why Huang Mang was willing to do anything for them."
"The eighteen vassal states of the Northern Region possess an army of 300,000 in the northwest. The neighboring prefecture, Shi Yang, is old but still ambitious, and possesses an army of 400,000."
"They want to use Huang Mang's 150,000-strong army to slow you down."
"The Southern Region must send 200,000 men to suppress Tianjing and Shanxi and stabilize the situation to prevent others from taking advantage of the situation and harming your interests. The remaining 270,000 men can be used to temporarily hold back the Northern Region's Shi Kingdom. This way, the Northern Region and Shi Yang will choose a date to fight and will not dare to make any rash moves."
At the same time, during the gap that Qi Nianhui gained in Tianjing, he will take the opportunity to deplete Huang Mang's manpower.
"Once Xie Guang and Xie Xia make their detour, the Huang traitor will be discarded like worn-out shoes sooner or later."
Chapter 20: The Battle is Over, the Tide Turns.
A beautiful woman, shrewd and resourceful, possesses an indescribable charm. With her unparalleled beauty, she can quell the chaos of a turbulent world, and with her profound wisdom, she can also bring order to the world.
Chess is a game of deception; those who employ it are masters of military strategy!
Xie Lanzhi thought that the chess game she had played from the very beginning had not only helped her improve her strategy, but had even doubled her skill.
Is this what they call the protagonist's halo?
The news that Si Lei, the ruler of the Seven Jin Kingdom, had arrived in Tianjing quickly spread throughout the city. Two people, led by Si Bo Gong Xie Ji, went to welcome Si Lei into the courtroom.
Huang Mang received the news immediately upon Si Lei's arrival.
He personally sent Si Xinian to bring Si Lei to the palace for a personal meeting; otherwise, he would not hold a second round of peace talks.
Upon hearing the news, Si Bogong specifically consulted Si Lei: "Your Majesty, this trip is likely extremely risky. Perhaps you should reconsider, so I can deal with Huang Mang."
"The situation is tense right now, and a fight might break out again at any time. Why doesn't Your Majesty meet him in person?" Driven by self-interest, Si Lei was determined to walk into the palace, even if it meant going himself.
Si Bogong still asked with concern, "Whom have you entrusted with the affairs of the Seven Jin states?"
Si Lei said, "Si Shisan."
Si Bogong's expression was somewhat strange. Why would he hand it over to Si Shisan? His maternal grandfather was a member of the Xie family!
He always felt that everyone was trapped in a well-laid net, and even their funeral arrangements were clearly made for them.
As the two finished speaking, the imperial palace's purple-gold carriage, which had been parked in front of the public hall, stopped there. Duan Siqinian alighted from the carriage and gestured to invite him: "Fourth Imperial Uncle, it's been many years. How have you been?"
"It's you!" Si Lei's face showed surprise, followed by a strange expression, and then extreme disgust: "A villain who aids and abets evil!"
Si Xinian said with a mocking expression, "Let's skip the reminiscing and get in the carriage to enter the palace immediately."
Within the affairs of Tianjing, life and death are separated, kinship is fading, and only self-interest reigns supreme in a life-or-death struggle.
In recent years, it's not just Si Lei who has benefited; for the remaining eight Jin families, it would be better if all the legitimate wives were dead. Only then could they rightfully inherit the title of legitimate heir.
Only Sibo Gong lowered his head in shame: "Qinian, don't let your imperial sister be all alone in this world. She is the only one who gives you a home."
“Tianjing is home.” Si Xinian turned to Si Lei and said coldly, “Your Majesty of the Seven Jin Kingdom, I, on behalf of General Huang, would like to escort you to the palace. Please get in the carriage.”
Si Lei watched him get into the car and then said nothing more.
Seeing that the carriage was about to leave, Si Bogong chased after it and blocked its way.
Si Xinian watched his figure following closely behind, his eyes devoid of emotion. He used to be crazy, but now he was frighteningly calm.
He suddenly called out, "Seventh Imperial Uncle."
Si Bogong was taken aback, and waited for him to continue.
Finally, Si Xinian moved his mouth but did not continue. Instead, he glanced at Xie Ji and said, "What an eyesore. The Xie family is better off dead."
He then drove away in his carriage.
Si Bogong was deeply remorseful. The child should have had something to say to him, so why didn't he?
Now his nephews and nieces are surrounded by wolves and tigers; he has failed the late Emperor.
Watching the carriage quickly disappear into the distance.
Xie Ji approached Si Bogong and frowned, saying, "Is he sick? He's talking nonsense all day long."
“He used to be a well-mannered child, but now he’s like this, it’s all Huang Mang’s fault.” Si Bogong clenched his fist, realizing he was powerless to do anything. He said to Xie Ji, “It seems Huang Mang is about to make his move.”
"It's time for us to take action."
For some reason, Xie Ji heard Si Xinian's words and his eyelids twitched. He said, "I'm not afraid of Huang Mang, but that kid makes me nervous. So I want to leave Tianjing immediately."
Si Bogong nodded; the Xie family was indeed attracting attention in Tianjing at this time.
He took the letter out of his sleeve and gave it to Xie Ji.
Xie Ji opened the letter and read: "Xie Xia has already returned north by waterway, and Xie Guang has returned south. You shall immediately lead your troops to cover the four counties as your camp and besiege Tianjing!"
"Attack Tianjing!" Xie Ji's pupils dilated and he trembled with excitement.
He suddenly understood why the marshal had asked him to escort Sibo Gong to Tianjing. It was because the four counties were relatively close to Tianjing. While a normal army would need two days to march there, cavalry could reach them in half a day, meaning they could start their campaign against Huang Mang that very afternoon.
Thus, Si Bogong and the three kings were likely to be held hostage. Xie Ji suddenly understood Si Xinian's hesitation; this kid was truly ruthless to his own family.
Although it was a pity for Si Bogong, the Xie family could not afford to miss the opportunity.
Xie Ji stuffed the letter into his mouth and swallowed it.
Upon seeing this, Si Bogong asked with a puzzled expression, "General Zuo, what are you doing?"
"Now that I'm leaving Tianjing, you'd better find somewhere to hide and stop worrying about that heartless bastard. He's not worth it!" Xie Ji said, then pulled up a horse, called Xie Shangguang, and left with him.
When Si Bogong saw him running away, he was puzzled at first, but after all, he had read several of Xie Lanzhi's imperial edicts, and he quickly guessed what it meant.
Perhaps it's related to war.
He was pale: "Marshal Xie wouldn't be joking about me."
At this moment, another carriage of a high-ranking official arrived, and the coachman introduced himself: "The Duke of Zheng invites Master Sibo to his residence as a guest."
"I'll go immediately." Upon hearing that it was the Duke of Zheng, who belonged to the former Tianjing faction, Sibo Gong hurriedly got into the carriage.
The sentry who had been monitoring Xie Ji, the Minister of Works, immediately reported the news to the Jin Palace.
One hour later.
News of Si Bogong receiving friends at the teahouse in the Duke's mansion spread throughout Tianjing. His friends were all officials of various nationalities, and the Shi State Mansion in the Northern Region was filled with guests.
When Huang Mang learned that Zheng Xin had actually offered to protect Si Bogong, and since he felt that Si Bogong was of no use, he simply sent a few people to monitor Si Bogong and arrest him when the time was right.
But Xie Ji gave him a firm order.
"kill!"
In the Golden Palace of the Imperial Palace, Huang's army generals stood with their bows drawn on either side.
Huang Mang sat on the dragon throne with a loose belt and unsightly chest hair, completely lacking in decorum, with a woman in palace attire under his feet.
The aides around him were still reporting information: "These are all conversations between the Fourth Prince, Xie Ji, and Master Sibo."
"General Huang, I have said that this boy should not be allowed to live. Why not find an excuse to kill him? The Northern Region will not know, and even if they do, they will not blame you as long as you give an excuse."