Lu Fang walked out of the palace with a steady step and carried a lantern. She looked at the two people standing outside the wall. After a slight start, she hurried to meet them: "Is there any progress in the interrogation of Tao Zhongwen?"
For Li Yan and Lu Bing, this period of time was very busy. One went to the White Lotus Sect's territory outside the Great Wall and rescued six ginseng dolls, while the other stayed up and spent time with Princess All Saints, wearing down each other's psychological defenses bit by bit.
In the end, she made a big mistake.
But for others, the imprisonment of Tao Zhongwen, the Great Tomorrow Master and the leader of the Taoist sect, was just yesterday. It would only be the third day after a while.
The news is still closed, and only a few people know it, so Lu Fang is both surprised and worried about the arrival of these two people.
He was surprised that Tao Zhongwen had confessed so quickly, but was worried that even if the other party confessed, there was no need to secretly summon him from the palace late at night.
Li Yan stood quietly and Lu Bing came forward: "Eunuch Lu, this matter is of great importance. We can only explain it to you alone..."
Lu Fang heard the words without hesitation and waved her hand gently. Several confidant eunuchs following behind him bowed and bowed, then retreated with small steps. The light of the lantern in their hands gradually faded away and soon disappeared into the night.
When there were only three people outside the palace, and besides Yan Song, they were the three most powerful people in the Ming Dynasty, Lu Bingcai recounted the situation he had learned so far in a low voice and selectively.
"Tao Zhongwen's accomplice in his previous life, Long Po, is actually hiding in Da Nei?"
Even though Lu Fang had been mentally prepared, the surprise was no small matter, and she hurriedly whispered: "If this is really the case, wouldn't your Majesty be in danger?"
Li Yan knew that this old slave was loyal to Jiajing, and he was in charge of the ceremonial department and kept the palace in good order: "I am asking Eunuch Lu to help me arrest Long Po in the palace to get His Majesty out of danger."
Lu Fang's face turned pale: "Zhenren Li is very aware of everything and sees through the traitors' schemes. I am really lucky for the Ming Dynasty! But there are 100,000 people in the palace, and that is another evil dragon... If the dog jumps over the wall in a hurry and hurts your majesty, I will wait for you."
It’s hard to escape the blame for death!”
Lu Bing said in a deep voice: "Now that we know about this kind of existence, we will not allow her to continue hiding in the palace, especially now that we have arrested Tao Zhongwen, how can we leave this scourge behind?"
Lu Fang had the idea of surrender for a moment. He could just let the mysterious Tao Zhongwen go and return home. At least there would be an explanation on the surface, but he also knew that this method was just weak and unwise.
He took a breath and thought for a moment: "Now that Long Po has succeeded, will he escape from the palace long ago?"
Lu Bing smiled bitterly: "To be fair to Eunuch Lu, I just asked Master Li about the same question..."
Li Yan explained: "Long Po hid in the palace not only to cooperate with Princess Wan Sheng's sinister tricks, but also because she is a real dragon and has the desire to absorb the emperor's real dragon energy."
"Today's earth is dirty and the spiritual energy is mixed, which is very bad for the gods. If there is no spiritual food, the dragon will fall into a deep sleep, and Long Po is no exception. She needs the environment in the palace as a special place for practice."
"So the incident between Prince Zhuang Jing and Princess Chang An is not the end. She may also want to take advantage of other princes and princesses..."
Lu Fang's expression changed again: "His Royal Highness Prince Yu? His Royal Highness Prince Jing? Princess Ning'an?"
Li Yan nodded: "The two highnesses have left the palace and moved into the palace. There is no danger for the time being. Princess Ning'an has a smaller target and has also been transferred."
The latter was originally just in case, but now it seems to be a wise move, otherwise the other party would really have to restrain its hands if they had hostages.
Lu Fang knew that she couldn't escape: "In that case, please show Li Zhenren how to find this dragon woman!"
Li Yandao: "The scope of this search is very large. It is not even limited to maids. The eunuchs may also be disguised as Long Po. From the lowest attendants to the four eunuchs with pens, everyone is suspected."
Lu Fang's eyes moved slightly and asked directly: "Why doesn't Mr. Li doubt me?"
Li Yandao: "Because Eunuch Lu has been serving His Majesty in his early years and has attracted too much attention in the palace. It is not suitable for Long Po to disguise himself, let alone to seduce the princess. And even the four eunuchs with pen pens may have been there many years ago."
As low-status chamberlains climb to this position step by step, they all have some suspicions about them."
Lu Fang nodded: "Thank you, Mr. Li, for trusting me. I understand, but there are too many people in the palace. If you search rashly, you will definitely alert the snake..."
Li Yan had already thought about it: "The yellow jade in the warehouse was stolen Ruyi. This treasure is priceless. Your Majesty once rewarded it to Princess Chang'an. Now that the princess has returned and saw people and things, she found that the treasure was missing. Eunuch Lu searched for it. Everyone in the palace
, if there is any suspicion, severe punishment will not be given."
Lu Fang breathed a sigh of relief: "This is indeed an excellent excuse, but how to screen out who is Long Po? It is not convenient for Li Zhenren and Governor Lu to walk in the palace."
"It's true that we are inconvenienced, but this thing is convenient."
Li Yan took out the Buddha relic and handed it over: "This Celestial Master's Pearl was originally the national treasure of the Sai Sai Kingdom. Long Po was imprisoned in the pagoda and took care of it for hundreds of years. She may not care about other treasures, but for
There must be a lot of attention paid to this object. I have set a divine ban on this treasure. Once I detect the slightest fluctuation of mana, it will immediately shine brightly."
Having said this, he opened his fingers slightly, and the wish-fulfilling orb rose up: "During the whole process, I will use this treasure to monitor remotely. Once a suspicious person is discovered, I will immediately enter the palace to suppress Long Po."
"Zhenren Li is strategizing, and the old slave is impressed!"
Lu Fang carefully took the Buddha relic and bowed again: "It's just for your Majesty's safety. I hope Master Li will take more care!"
"Eunuch Lu, you don't have to be like this..."
Li Yan raised his hand to help him: "Your Majesty has a protector by your side."
After the words fell, Xiaoqian slowly floated out from the darkness.
When Lu Bing and Lu Fang saw them, they hurriedly saluted: "Your Highness the Princess!"
Xiaoqian no longer cried, her brows were filled with solemnity: "My father's safety will be protected by this palace."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Lu Bing and Lu Fang said in unison: "Yes!"
Li Yan didn't say much, but nodded to Xiaoqian with encouraging eyes.
Xiaoqian also pursed her lips and responded firmly: "I must catch that Long Po!"
The best solution to such a tragedy is not to give verbal comfort, but to make the bewitched and induced murderer pay the price. Li Yan believes that Xiaoqian's experience with him is enough to make the right response. Once the thief appears,
The body is destined to have evil consequences.
The workload of searching for the thief was huge and time was tight. After a brief explanation, Lu Fang and Xiaoqian quickly returned to the palace and headed for the Longevity Palace.
…
More than an hour later.
The fires in the palace were shining in patches, not to mention the Xiyuan that was already lit with candles, even the deserted Forbidden City was bustling with activity. Many of the chamberlains who had gone to bed hurriedly got up and ran back and forth with flustered expressions.
.
Teng Xiang, Meng Chong, Huang Jin, and Yang Jinshui rushed over immediately, and saw Lu Fang asking with a heavy face: "Huang Yu Ruyi from the treasury disappeared for no reason, who among you has seen it?"
The four Bingbi eunuchs took a breath of air and sighed similarly to Chen Hong: "That treasure enshrined in the Western Regions was also stolen? Sir, please be careful, we will never dare to make a mistake!"
Lu Fang said coldly: "Just because you don't dare, it doesn't mean that no one below dares. Master Long live the Lord is furious. Such daring slaves must be thoroughly investigated!"
Seeing this kind-hearted ancestor with such a stern tone, and then remembering Jiajing's punishment of his servants, the expressions of all the eunuchs changed drastically, and they all knelt down: "Old ancestor, calm down! Old ancestor, calm down! We will investigate thoroughly!"
Lu Fang said: "Bring all the officials with their responsibilities to the Supervisor of Ceremonies. I want to question them personally..."
"yes!"
The four eunuchs with pens retreated and hurriedly ran towards the areas under their jurisdiction, feeling quite uneasy.
They were not afraid of finding Huang Yu Ruyi, but they were worried that this investigation would involve other things.
Corruption in the inner court of the imperial palace has always been extremely serious. There are many tricks on the upper and lower levels, especially the Treasury Department. In addition to collecting many palace supplies, it is also a storage place for stolen money from various places.
In other words, the property of corrupt officials confiscated from various places will be transported into the inner treasury. There are too many places to manipulate.
In the past, during the Zhengde Dynasty, this place was almost reduced to a small treasury for the eunuchs. Emperor Zhengde didn't care what he asked for, as long as it went along with his pleasure. But under an emperor like Jiajing who firmly controlled the economic lifeline, embezzling his money became a problem.
It's much more difficult.
Of course, no matter how hard it is, he can't curb his corruption. Zhu Yuanzhang still kills corrupt officials all day long, and he continues to do so one after another. What's more, the eunuchs who have no roots have a desire for money far beyond ordinary people.
Lu Fang knew this well and was unwilling to criticize too much. After all, looking at the entire two hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, the eunuchs of their time were already cautious and could not push people too hard, but this time they had to do it
.
Carrying the inner secrets of the Heavenly Master's Orb, batches of internal servants were sneaked into the courtyard of the Supervisor of Ceremonies for interrogation, while the Ruyi Orb outside the palace clearly displayed the light and shadow.
"The orb is not responding."
"The orb is not responding."
"The eunuch in the third row, second from the right, is probably too greedy. He is so frightened that he can't stand still. His mentality is not good..."
Li Yan carefully observed the reactions of each group of servants and calmly screened suspicious targets.
Lu Bing also watched carefully, and even opened his mouth to make comments. Then he looked at the long line of people entering the palace and frowned: "There are too many servants in the palace. We really need to screen them carefully from top to bottom.
I’m afraid it will take ten days and a half to check?”
Li Yan knew very well that this was just like searching for prisoners in surveillance cameras in later generations. It was a patient and meticulous job, so he was ready for a protracted war: "Then we have to investigate further. Long Po can get close to the princess when she was a child.
Her status won’t be too low. If she doesn’t change her identity, it won’t take long for her to be exposed..."
Lu Bing sighed: "It's a pity that Her Highness the Princess's memory has not been fully restored. She cannot remember her appearance and features, and she cannot even determine whether she is a eunuch or a maid. Otherwise, it would not have been so difficult."
Li Yan said calmly: "If the 'Spirit Locking Ring' is not broken for a day, the memory of your life will not be fully recovered. Take your time."
Lu Bing looked at the surrounding environment: "Sir, it's not a problem to be here all the time. Should we find a hiding place?"
Li Yan said: "When it gets daylight, I will change the place to watch. Governor Lu had better go to the prison to interrogate Princess Wan Sheng as usual and stabilize her so as not to cause trouble at this critical moment."
Lu Bing nodded: "Understood! Although it is unlikely, we still have to prevent her from notifying Long Po through the air and letting her slip away unnoticed. Then I will go back and rest first. I will wait for the good news from Mr. tomorrow.
!”
Li Yan nodded.
In this way, he spent the whole night in the palace, and he also checked boringly all night. When it was dawn, he immediately took off in the wind, returned to the treasure ship, and continued to check in a comfortable environment.
As time goes by, all the prominent eunuchs in the palace have been investigated, even the higher-status maids are no exception. Lu Fang, who was alarmed, also went to the palace to pay a visit. While apologizing, he also made
There was a temptation.
But the Heavenly Master's Pearl didn't move.
No trace of Luang Phor was ever found.
"It seems that we are not lucky this time...or is Luang Po really leaving?"
"No! In that case, Princess Halloween doesn't have to be so nervous. Regarding the cause of the princess's death, there are many lies in her words. The most likely purpose is to protect the safety of her mother..."
Li Yan remained patient, firm in his thinking, and began to plan the next specific arrangements.
After the dignitaries of the palace had finished investigating, there were a large number of ordinary chambermaids and maids. Lu Fang was obviously far less energetic than him and Lu Bing, and could not carry out the fine tradition of investigating the case all night long. Counting the rest time, half a month
I'm afraid I can't even sift through them carefully.
We still need to find a suitable excuse for the secret minister to meet the subordinates at the bottom. Huang Yu Ruyi's excuse is not enough, and some more are needed.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Li Yan quickly finished thinking and looked around, preparing to find someone to take over.
In the past, when Tao Yin and Chi Lian were here, they could still watch each other, but now they stay outside the wall. It seems that the only one left in the treasure ship who can take on this important responsibility is that one.
"Go and wake up the dragon girl..."
Not long after, Dragon Girl walked out sleepily: "Is dinner served again?"
Li Yan looked at her calmly and did not scold her. She suddenly felt embarrassed and explained in a low voice: "The practice of our dragon clan is to sleep. This is the way to practice. You have to believe me..."
"Trust you, come here, I'll teach you how to watch the surveillance..."
Li Yan waved helplessly, and when the dragon girl arrived obediently, his eyes suddenly moved: "Wait a minute, if the dragon clan is lethargic in this environment, will the dragon lady also have a place to sleep?"
“Overlooking the Forbidden City and Xiyuan!”
The Ruyi Pearl stretched his vision under the command, and Li Yan searched the entire palace, and finally landed in an incredible place.
It is usually the closest to Jiajing and the easiest place to absorb dragon energy. There is also a treasure that has a lot to do with the Halloween Princess but has been ignored before.
"If you hide here, you will really regard the imperial power in the world as nothing, and you will be extremely bold!"
…
Xiyuan.
Stay safe.
Jiajing was brought to Nanhai for protection by Xiaoqian. This immortal cultivation place immediately became vacant, and there were many fewer eunuchs serving him.
But people who came and went still walked slowly and looked in awe, because in addition to the smoke curling up in the hall, there was also a huge longevity peach placed in the middle.
This fairy peach presented by Tao Zhongwen has been preserved to this day, and it seems that it has not changed in any way. It still has a round and smooth outline and a vivid green color.
Sometimes the servants who come and go can't help but get close to it. Even if they take a whiff of the fragrance, they feel so comfortable. It smells much better than the elixir, but they don't dare to get closer.
In addition to being afraid of Jiajing's punishment, it was also because the aura was indeed too strong, and it felt like it was unbearable for the mortal body.
They also heard the news that Tao Tianshi was imprisoned. For these eunuchs, they did not believe that he would do evil. After all, even such a precious fairy peach...
Boom!
"It didn't rain today...why did it thunder suddenly?"
As soon as this thought flashed through his mind, a brilliant and majestic purple spirit filled his sight.
The thunderer, the command from heaven, under such divine power, most of the servants fell to the ground. There were also a few eunuchs with suitable angles. They were horrified to find that a bright purple electric light penetrated the roof and hit the longevity peach hard.
.
The most terrifying thing is that the longevity peach did not crack, but a skinny claw broke through the shell and accurately faced the thunder.
"boom--!!"
Accompanied by an earth-shattering sound, Li Yan appeared above in the midst of thousands of silver snakes dancing wildly, looking down coldly: "Long Po... I finally caught you!"