Chapter 121 Zhang Jianzhi's Actions
The heavy rain is still falling, I don’t know how much dirt it has washed away and how many private things it has covered up.

After enjoying Wang Zhiyuan's shaman dance in the middle of the night, Zhao Ji was in a good mood.

After handing over the task of the night guard to the next batch of Qianniu Guards, he rubbed his tired eyes and prepared to return to the guard house to rest.

However, not long after he left the palace, he was stopped by a man wearing a straw raincoat and who looked like a coachman.

The man said respectfully, "General Zhao, my master wants to see you."

He pointed his finger not far away. Through the heavy rain, the outline of a carriage could be vaguely seen.

Zhao Ji was a little confused and asked doubtfully: "I wonder who your master is?"

"Lord Zhang from Luantai." The driver answered concisely.

Zhao Ji frowned when he heard this. Because of Di Renjie, Zhao Ji and Zhang Jianzhi were acquainted and knew each other well.

Like Di Renjie, this person never shied away from his stance on restoring the Tang Dynasty.

Moreover, he had a bad temper and often acted recklessly. He was different from the moderates like Di Renjie. He should be said to be a radical who advocated the restoration of the Tang Dynasty.

Zhang Jianzhi invited him in the rain late at night, so what he wanted to talk about must be something shameful.

"My master is in that carriage now. General Zhao, please go there for a while." The coachman urged.

The prime minister is here personally to stop me, so it seems difficult to refuse.

So Zhao Ji nodded and agreed: "Please."

The two of them walked quickly towards the carriage. Zhao Ji looked around and didn't see anyone, so he got on the carriage.

Inside the car, a small light illuminated the dim space, and Zhang Jianzhi sat beside it.

He was wearing casual clothes, some of which were wet and his shoes were covered in mud, as if he had just been somewhere.

"Mr. Zhang, why have you stopped me on such a rainy night? I wonder what you want me to do?" Zhao Ji bowed and asked straight to the point.

Zhang Jianzhi smiled slightly and said slowly: "Chengyuan is a young talent, and he is in charge of the important task of guarding the imperial palace. I invited Chengyuan here today because I have something to ask you."

Zhao Jilian said he dared not: "Mr. Zhang, thank you for your praise. If you have anything to say, please ask."

Zhang Jianzhi nodded and asked, "Your Majesty has been in poor health for several months and has neglected court affairs. This old man and many ministers have had difficulty seeing Your Majesty."

"I heard that your majesty had an emergency a few days ago and summoned Di Gong to the palace for diagnosis. I am increasingly worried about your majesty's health and feel extremely anxious."

"I originally wanted to ask Di Gong about the situation, but when I went to his house today, he was out again. But I heard that Chengyuan was also with Your Majesty that night, so I came to ask you, I wonder how Your Majesty is doing?"

The corner of Zhao Ji's eyes twitched. Isn't this nonsense? If you really want to ask this, why bother to be sneaky in the middle of the night?

"My Lord, your Majesty has been feeling unwell recently and was frightened the night before, so we summoned Di Gong into the palace. But after Di Gong's diagnosis, your Majesty was just overly frightened and there is no serious health problem." Zhao Ji answered truthfully.

Zhang Jianzhi frowned when he heard this: "But I heard that His Majesty was frightened again today, saying that he was haunted by an evil ghost, and asked the Imperial Master Wang Zhiyuan to come to the palace to exorcise the ghost overnight. Is this true?"

Zhao Ji was a little surprised. These people were so well-informed. The news spread as soon as Wang Zhiyuan left the palace.

"What the elder said is correct. Tonight, the Imperial Preceptor Wang Zhiyuan was ordered to enter the palace to catch ghosts."

Zhang Jianzhi couldn't help laughing: "Then I wonder how effective Wang Zhiyuan is in exorcising ghosts?"

Zhao Ji laughed and said, "You are joking, Mr. Wang. People like Wang Zhiyuan are just playing tricks and making things up. What effect can they have?"

Zhang Jianzhi clapped his hands and laughed: "Well said, there are no ghosts in the world. Then do you know why your majesty said that he was haunted by evil spirits?"

"Please enlighten me, Lord." Zhang Jianzhi stroked his beard and sighed, "Your Majesty is old, weak and feeble, and what you see and feel is full of illusions. This is a sign that your end is approaching."

Zhao Ji was stunned. He did not expect Zhang Jianzhi to speak so boldly. "Please be careful with your words, Lord. I will just treat your words as a passing wind. I have never heard of them. I will take my leave now."

After saying this, Zhao Ji was about to get up and get off the car, but Zhang Jianzhi grabbed Zhao Ji's arm and said, "Hey, Chengyuan, please stay. Do you want to watch the Li Tang artifact perish in your hands?"

Although Zhang Jianzhi was quite old, he was quite strong. If Zhao Jiruo tried to break free, he might hurt the old man.

Moreover, this big hat was put on Zhao, and Zhao was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "I am just a general of the Qianniu Guards. How can the Li Tang artifact be in my hands? The elder thinks too highly of me."

Zhang Jianzhi stopped Zhao Ji and said, "Chengyuan's position is crucial. If something happens in the palace, you will know it first and can block the news."

"You know, Wu Sansi and other Wu clan princes, along with their followers, have been gathering together several times in the past few days to plot."

"They are waiting for Your Majesty to pass away, then they will rebel, seize our Li Tang artifacts, and destroy the Li Tang dynasty. If they succeed, the consequences will be disastrous."

"The reason why I dare to say this to Chengyuan is because you have a close relationship with Di Gong. With Di Gong's ability to judge people, those he promotes and associates with are all talented people, and they are also loyal ministers of the Li Tang Dynasty."

"And you once served as a general in the crown prince's guards, and you have a special relationship with the crown prince. When the critical moment comes, we must defeat the rebellion of Wu Sansi and his people and return the Li Tang artifact to me."

"And if you let Wu Sansi do what he wants, considering your position in the East Palace and your relationship with Lord Di, I'm afraid he won't end well. What do you think, Chengyuan?"

Zhao Ji pondered for a moment, considering the pros and cons of what Zhang Jianzhi said.

If Wu Zetian was really dying, Zhang Jianzhi was right. Zhao Ji's resume made him naturally dependent on Di Renjie, the prince and other restore-Tang factions. Out of personal interests, he should also oppose Wu and restore Tang.

Unfortunately, Wu Zetian's critical illness was just an illusion, so the basis for all these discussions no longer exists.

And there is a bright future in supporting Li Xian?
The fates of several heroes in the Shenlong coup were more miserable than each other. For this reason, Zhao Ji would never get involved in this mess.

Zhao Ji then lied and said, "Since Wu Sansi and others are planning to rebel, the elder should report it to the emperor. I am a lowly person and my words are not taken seriously. I am afraid I can't help."

Zhang Jianzhi was stunned when he heard this. He originally thought that since Zhao was aware of the interests involved, he was a person who could be employed. He did not expect to run into a wall.

"Well, since Chengyuan is unwilling, I can't force him, but I hope you will not let Di Gong down and not help Wu Sansi and others to rebel."

Zhao Ji shook his head and laughed, "Sir, it's not that I don't want to. If Lord Di says so, or if the prince comes forward in person, I won't say a word."

Zhang Jianzhi's face changed slightly. He knew very well that when he asked to see the prince today, the other party deliberately avoided him.

Although Di Renjie was devoted to supporting Li Tang, he was also loyal to Wu Zetian, neither of whom necessarily agreed with his plan.

Zhao Ji keenly captured the change in Zhang Jianzhi's expression, and also knew that Li Xian, the wimp, was unreliable, while Di Renjie was a moderate and supportive of the restoration of the Tang Dynasty, so Zhang Jianzhi might not be sure of convincing him.

What the hell is this? If the two most important people haven't reached an agreement, then this thing is not reliable at all.

Zhang Jianzhi sighed and said, "In this case, I will find a chance to ask Di Gong for his opinion and then make a decision."

His heart began to beat fast, and it seemed that the plan was indeed too hasty.

Zhao had a close relationship with Di Renjie and was also involved with the prince. His attitude was already so ambiguous, so one can imagine the attitude of the ordinary lower-level officers in the imperial guards.

The expected effect of raising one's arms and getting a massive response seems impossible.

Since the talks failed, Zhao Ji got off the carriage. He felt heavy in his heart as he watched the carriage go away.

On the surface, the city of gods was still very calm, but in fact, undercurrents were surging. If anything happened to Wu Zetian, no one knew how things would develop.

But this is not in Zhao Ji's interest, it would be better for Wu Zetian to live a few more years.

(End of this chapter)