Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 449 Li Wendao's Plan

In the Qingluanwei government office.

At this time, Meng Bian was in the study, receiving a special guest, this person was Li Wendao. Li Wendao was sitting opposite Meng Bian with a whisk in one hand and a loose cloth Taoist robe, looking calm.

Meng Bian smiled and said, "How come you have time to come to my place today, Taoist priest?"

Li Wendao said with a smile: "As the saying goes, one does not come to the temple for no reason. If I have nothing important to do, how dare I come to bother the commander?"

"Haha, Taoist priest, you are joking. You can come here if you have nothing to do. My Qingluan Guard welcomes you very much." Meng Bian laughed, leaned back in the chair, and said with a relaxed expression.

Then Li Wendao said solemnly: "Sir Meng, I have something that worries me. After thinking about it day and night and consulting all the officials, I think only Sir Meng can take on this important task!"

Hearing this, Meng Bian also straightened up, put away his smile, nodded and said: "Hmm? Taoist priest, please go on."

Li Wendao said slowly: "Now the king has taken control of the north, and also has the rich lands of Jiangnan and Huguang. The unification of the world is just around the corner. There is no chance of reversal. There is only one concern, and I am deeply worried about it."

After Li Wendao finished speaking, he paused, looked at Meng Bian, and continued: "When the king started his army in the past, his soldiers were weak and his generals were few, so he could only borrow the banner of the Ming Dynasty to win the hearts of the people and stabilize the local area. But times have changed, and now the banner of the Ming Dynasty is no longer a help to the king, but has become an obstacle to the king's further progress. Lord Meng, is what I said unreasonable?"

Meng Bian heard this and said solemnly, "What the Taoist said makes sense, but the Taoist is looking for me, but do you want the Qingluan Guard to take action and secretly eliminate Emperor Yongli?"

After so many years of planning, the Qingluan Guards had already begun to infiltrate the Kunming court as early as the end of the Huguang War. To be honest, the loopholes of the Kunming court were bigger than those of the Qing court.

However, trying to bribe the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace to murder the emperor is difficult, not to mention whether it would be successful. Even if it was successful, it would be extremely difficult to keep it completely secret.

Li Wendao shook his head and said, "No, how can I be so unwise? The evil of regicide is related to the great justice. You must not do it yourself. Moreover, if the king ascends the throne directly, can Kunming stop it? What I am worried about is the reputation of the king after his death. The king started an army with a weak force and took over the world. In the future, if there is a saying in the glorious history that the emperor obtained the country unjustly, wouldn't it be the fault of us as ministers?"

Meng Bian suddenly realized something after hearing this: "The Taoist's words are profound and far beyond what Qian Biao and others think. I wonder if you have any suggestions? Please speak freely!"

Li Wendao looked around without leaving any trace, then lowered his voice and said: "Now Wu Sangui has completely occupied Sichuan and sent a large army to confront Li Dingguo. If Wu Sangui enters Kunming, there will be no war between us. When the time comes, your ascension to the throne will be what the people want. In the future, history books will say that the emperor has obtained the country in a legitimate way, better than the Ming Taizu!"

Meng Bian frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "Master, you have a far-sighted vision and a profound analysis. However, although this plan is good, it is not easy to implement. In the past, Li Dingguo sent troops to Huguang with great power. He conquered several cities in a row. Many Qing generals were killed by him. Even Gongshun King Kong Youde was forced to burn himself to death. If we rely on Wu Sangui, I'm afraid the outcome of his confrontation with Li Dingguo is unpredictable!"

Li Wendao smiled softly and said, "Master Meng's concerns are not without reason, but this is exactly why I came to find the commander!"

"Master, please tell me in detail!"

"The Ming court has been plagued by internal strife time and again. Even though only Kunming remains, there is still endless internal consumption. Although Li Dingguo has made great achievements in the military, Sun Kewang's camp system has collapsed. After a long confrontation, the army will inevitably be short of food. Once the party struggle re-emerges, it will inevitably affect the front line. Therefore, I assert that if the two fight, Wu's army will defeat Li's army!" Li Wendao said a lot in one breath, then picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.

Meng Bian frowned and poured more tea for Li Wendao, then said, "Master, please stop keeping me in suspense. Please tell me directly, what do you want me to do?"

Li Wendao hesitated for a moment, then said: "Although Wu Sangui has a great chance of winning, there is always a chance of failure. Therefore, I have a plan, which should be carried out secretly by the Qingluan Guards!"

"Master, please speak frankly!"

"The Qingluan Guard has been planning for so many years, and now the king is at his peak. There must be ministers in Kunming who secretly defect to the king. Therefore, the Qingluan Guard can order these people to stir up a storm in the Kunming court. The best thing is to start with the food and grass, or investigate corruption, or investigate treason. In short, Li Dingguo's logistics must be uneasy!" Li Wendao said in a deep voice.

Meng Bian pondered for a moment, then nodded gently. This matter is not simple, but it is not difficult either.

But after a while, Meng Bian asked anxiously: "Master, if something happens, Wu Sangui marches straight into Kunming, and Yongli fails to escape, then Wu Sangui will hold the emperor in his hands, wouldn't it be even more difficult?"

Li Wendao nodded and said, "This is another important matter for the Qingluan Guards, and this matter must be handled by Lord Meng himself. Lord Meng is loyal and has been with the king since he was a child. If we talk about the people the king relies on most, the commander must have a seat. Moreover, Lord Meng's brother shed blood for the king on the battlefield. The king is kind and generous. The king will definitely remember these things. Therefore, for the king's sake, Lord Meng has no choice but to do this matter."

Then Li Wendao took a deep look at Meng Bian and said in a deep voice: "Once Li Dingguo's defeat is obvious, then Emperor Yongli must not fall into the hands of Wu Sangui, nor can he fall into the hands of Li Chengdong and Zheng Sen. Yongli can only go to our army or flee to Burma!"

After finishing speaking, Li Wendao hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said softly: "But the best situation is the day when Wu Sangui enters Kunming and Yongli martyrs his country. This is not because I am cruel, but because I am thinking for the people!"

Meng Bi'an stroked his chin for a long time and said, "The Taoist's plan is indeed a brilliant one. If Wu Sangui enters Kunming and Yongli dies, people will say that Wu Sangui murdered the emperor, which will not harm the king's reputation. The cleverness of this plan is to kill someone with a borrowed knife. In this way, Wu Sangui will be infamous and will not be able to compete with the king!"

Li Wendao nodded and said softly, "Master Meng, this matter is only known by heaven, earth, you, and me!"

Seeing Meng Bian nodded solemnly, Li Wendao sighed and said, "How can such a dirty thing be known to the king? How can it humiliate the king's heart? In the future, when the king ascends the throne, he will be upright and no one can criticize him. By then, the world will be peaceful, and I will retire to the mountains and forests and not be part of the world."