Chapter 169 Shangguan Wan'er, the future leader of the Plum Blossom Internal Guard
According to the historical development of Feiqian in the Tang Dynasty, the initial credit accumulation was a long process.
First, each state entered the memorial office, which is the office in Beijing, to carry out this business on a small scale. When it became feasible, private businessmen poured in.
There will definitely be corruption and refusal to admit accounts, but since it is inconvenient for merchants to transport money and silk, the risks on the road are greater. In fact, it is a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.
As long as officials don't withhold too much, many businessmen will recognize that it is unrealistic to want perfection.
Li Yan knew that since there was already a flying money business among the private sector, the approval rate of this proposal was very high.
But there is a lot of knowledge about who to ask specifically.
It is most convenient to submit a letter directly to Li Zhi, but officials from various places have made frequent adjustments and balances recently. Once Li Zhi decides to promote flying money by the court, it will inevitably be an extension of political struggle.
It is not difficult to impress Empress Wu. This empress is in the stage of seizing power, so she will definitely push her to win over the people and build momentum for her return to the position of Queen of Heaven. However, if Li Zhi is jealous, she will be easily suppressed.
The prince is most concerned about people's livelihood, and it is purest for him to preside over it. However, the position of the prince is sensitive, and this matter is extremely profitable. If it is taken advantage of, it may harm the prince.
Thinking of this, Li Yan decided to drink a bowl of water.
If these three are not suitable, change to another target.
After having an idea, he nodded and said: "I'll try my best!"
Although the nephew did not guarantee it, Manager Xie knew that this matter was expected to succeed.
After he was very excited: "Then I, Mr. Xie, can seize the opportunity!"
Li Yan shook his head: "Even if the flying money business can be successful, we must proceed slowly. This matter is extremely risky. Once it is involved too deeply, it will be difficult to escape. Don't even think about seizing the opportunity."
The ones who are most eager to fly money are Shu merchants, because it is really difficult to travel in Shu. In comparison, Jiangnan has developed water transportation and the transportation is actually very convenient. The Xie family is just making a fool of themselves.
Manager Xie took a breath and regained his composure: "I understand!"
Li Yan added: "As long as the imperial court has this intention, announce it to the people, hook the hearts of Shu merchants, and let them do things honestly, it will be much easier. You should not go deep into the matter of flying money, but you can do it by contacting Shu merchants.
Chickens lay eggs, understand?”
Manager Xie's eyes lit up: "It's a wonderful idea to borrow a chicken to lay an egg. I'll tell my sister when I get back!"
Li Yan looked at the luxurious decoration around him, stood up and said: "This is a good place for me to meet each other. It is my own property and I can use it comfortably. But there is no need to transfer it to my name. We are all a family. Don't be so polite. It's important."
I will take care of it, okay?"
Manager Xie immediately said: "Okay! Okay!"
The implication of this young nephew's words was very clear. Don't disturb him with trivial matters, let alone use his reputation to show off.
"Uncle, I'll take my leave then!"
Li Yan bowed and left. Manager Xie quickly summoned his confidants and said seriously: "In the future, we are not allowed to gossip about the relationship between the inner guard Li Jiyi and us!"
The steward was quite disappointed and said, "Yes!"
After taking care of his subordinates, Manager Xie breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but grin.
The steward asked curiously: "The young man doesn't allow us to use his name, so why is the steward so happy?"
Manager Xie glanced at him: "That's stupid! A nephew with such a promising future has a long life ahead of him. Are you afraid that I, Mr.
…
On the other side, Li Yan was riding on a lion, looking thoughtful all the way.
There are two major events at present: finding the traitors in the court and sending envoys to Tibet.
Compared with the former, the latter requires more preparation.
For example, the tea that the Tubo people need, the letters from the Daughter Kingdom, the understanding of Lu Dongzan, the flying money that can win the hearts of Shu merchants...
With all these things in mind, be prepared.
By the way, he also has a friend in Tubo.
Kumarajiva, the king of Xiao Ming Dynasty.
"Mukuro!"
Just as he was thinking about that person who could tie with the poor monk, there were not many people in the world, when a call came from the corner.
Li Yan made a gesture, went to Duke Wei's mansion, handed the lion Cong to the servant, entered the gate building, and then looked to the side: "Chongyan, what's wrong?"
Ming Chongyan stood in the shadows, with anxiety on his brows: "Oh no, Wang Hongmin suddenly became seriously ill and is in danger of death."
Wang Hongmin was one of the eight suspects who interrogated Jia Sibo. He served as a doctor in the Ministry of Punishment. He was physically strong and powerful. He was also a powerful and successful person in his youth, so he was highly suspected.
Li Yan's expression changed slightly, and without saying a word, he jumped over the wall, started to use Qinggong, and started to run away.
Ming Chongyan sighed secretly from behind.
It was me who led Rokuro into trouble.
He quickly followed.
The reason why the two of them did not ride horses was because Wang Hongmin's residence was also in Pingkangfang, and the straight-line distance was not far away.
They climbed over the eaves and walls, and soon arrived outside the house. They heard a commotion inside and the sound of crying.
The sadness in those cries was much more real than when I saw Cui Shouye off.
Li Yan asked: "What's going on?"
Ming Chongyan said: "He has a family-run qi disease, and it attacks suddenly and violently. The doctor just judged that he may not survive the night."
Li Yan frowned: "Wang Hongmin has always been physically strong. Why did his sudden illness become so serious? Is there any external influence?"
Ming Chongyan said: "I asked Master Liu for advice, and he didn't see any signs of poisoning. According to people in the Xu family, Wang Hongmin's health has actually been not very good.
That's why the attack became particularly severe. Judging from the oral confessions, this is true."
Li Yan had already arrived at the back house. Looking diagonally downward, he saw a middle-aged man lying on the couch, surrounded by a circle of family members, who were already explaining their funeral arrangements.
Other doctors may still be wrong, but Sun Simiao's direct disciple Liu Shenwei couldn't detect the poisoning, so the degree of poisoning was very small.
Li Yan's eyes moved: "We cannot rule out the possibility that Wang Hongmin really died of illness, but the murderer has long been prepared to take advantage of this and shift the blame to him."
Ming Chongyan suddenly understood: "What Liu Lang means is that the murderer deliberately chose this doctor from the Ministry of Justice, who appears to be healthy but is actually in poor health, as a cover for the subsequent investigation?"
Li Yan asked: "On what day did Wang Hongmin go to interrogate Jia Sibo?"
Ming Chongyan said: "On the fifth day."
Li Yandao: "If the murderer was interrogated five days ago, Wang Hongmin must be instigated to interrogate him afterwards. If the murderer was interrogated after the fifth day, there is no need to do anything extra... Trouble!"
Ming Chongyan had an ugly face: "Yes, once Wang Hongmin dies, even if there is a murderer among the other seven suspects, they can still insist on it. Unless we find real evidence, this case will never be tried publicly."
"Aye!! Aye!!"
At this time, cries of sorrow came from below. Li Yan and Ming Chongyan looked at each other and left the palace quietly.
The two walked in silence all the way. After returning to the Duke Wei's Mansion, Ming Chongyan suddenly said: "It is impossible for the Meihua Internal Guard to keep using its manpower to monitor those seven suspects. If that traitor never takes action again,
This matter may be settled..."
Li Yan murmured: "Is it an unsolved case?"
Timetables appeared in his mind.
From the first to the sixth day, Song Ci, a member of the Criminal Department, interrogated him many times.
On the fourth day, the internal security agency asked Huang Zhen and Zheng Jing to interrogate him together.
On the fifth day, Wang Hongmin, a doctor in the Ministry of Justice, interrogated him.
On the sixth day, Li Qianru, the chief minister of Dali Temple, interrogated him.
On the seventh day, the internal security agency sent Shen Juyuan to interrogate him.
On the eighth day, Qiu Ying, led by the Internal Guard Pavilion, interrogated him.
On the ninth day, Xu Hui, the young minister of Dali Temple, interrogated him.
On the last tenth day, during Li Yan's interrogation, the consciousness-only energy hidden in Jia Sibo's body broke out, turning him into a living dead and unable to speak again.
Song Ci, Huang Zhen, Zheng Jing, Wang Hongmin, Li Qianru, Shen Juyuan, Qiu Ying, Xu Hui.
Regardless of their close relationship, Li Yan listed these eight people as suspects.
One is dead now.
However, Li Yan was not ready to give up and began to pace: "Now that things have come to a point, we have to start with consciousness-only energy."
Ming Chongyan followed: "Master Ke Qiuji is an eminent monk who is respected even by His Majesty. There is no reason for him to be involved in this kind of case..."
The master Kuiji mentioned by Chongyan of the Ming Dynasty was Shi Kuiji, a disciple of Xuanzang.
This man is the nephew of Yuchi Jingde. He was a wild and unrestrained young man. He was ordered to become a monk at the age of seventeen, and then he got out of control.
The abbot of Ci'en Temple is Master Puguang, but he also admitted personally that when it comes to the depth of Buddhist teachings, he is not as good as Master Guiji.
Li Yan said: "I met Master Guiji. This eminent monk is dedicated to understanding the Dharma and compiling scriptures. He never leaves home and will not harm others with his knowledge-only energy. However, Master Guiji also told me that this energy is not harmful to others."
Not to mention how difficult it is to learn the secret of the legend, even if you want to come into contact with it, it is extremely difficult. How did the murderer obtain it?"
Ming Chongyan said: "This is indeed strange."
Li Yan said: "I originally wanted to learn this power, but Master Guiji said it conflicts with the power I have learned. After I have practiced Bai Sheng Jin, I can no longer practice the consciousness-only power. The opposite is true. This shows that the murderer specializes in Buddhism.
A strong man with great strength, but none of the eight suspects meet this condition, Chongyan, what do you think?"
Ming Chongyan said: "Pindao, do you think we should forget about it?"
Li Yan was speechless: "You have to pay more attention to this matter. You can't pin your hopes on the traitor to die out. If that person silently saves money and causes a big incident, he will be completely passive by then!"
Ming Chongyan was horrified: "Yes! Yes!"
Hearing his silence, Li Yan's brows moved slightly, and he recalled the investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs during the day: "That Rong Niang is from Yeting, right? Does she know Zhang Yang's fiancée, the daughter of the magistrate of Qi in the Jiangnan case?
"
Ming Chongyan hesitated to speak, but finally said: "Liu Lang, she knows the Qi family. Not only her, you have also met the Qi family."
Li Yan was puzzled: "I've seen it too?"
Ming Chongyan said: "The Qi family is also a member of the Plum Blossom Internal Guard. She went under the alias Ye Niangzi and hid in the Duke of Zhou's palace to manage the inner house. Later, she was brought into the palace and never came out again..."
Li Yan stopped and murmured after a while: "It's her..."
Seeing that his mood was obviously depressed, Ming Chongyan comforted him: "Liu Lang, there is no need to blame yourself. The Jiangnan case has been revealed, Pindao has avenged his master, and the grievances of Qi's father have also been cleared. This is all because of you, and we Meihua
The inner guard...maybe he will end up like this one day!"
Li Yan thought that Ming Chongyan's original ending was to be assassinated and died, and he sighed: "He Lan Minzhi often beat his maids to death, and Mrs. Ye helped the emperor to do evil. I had no sympathy for her when she was caught, but I didn't expect it to be a murder case in Jiangnan.
She was forced to that point...Does the Plum Blossom Internal Guard like to choose among the sinners in Yeting?"
Ming Chongyan nodded: "Yes, those criminal girls are extremely loyal after being selected for training."
The young lady he saw in the palace in the afternoon flashed in Li Yan's mind, and he thought something was wrong: "Since we want to train plum blossom inner guards, the palace should impart knowledge, why should we go to the noble lady Su Pi to learn?"
He asked: "There is a six or seven-year-old young lady in Yeting. Isn't she also a plum blossom guard?"
Ming Chongyan asked about her appearance and said with a wry smile: "She is Rong Niang's daughter. She was brought into Yeting when she was a baby. She is very smart and studious. She has been selected as the youngest plum blossom guard. She is very valued. On weekdays,
Along with the Supi girls, she even learned the Supi language, just in time to listen to whether those sinful girls had any other thoughts."
"Even six- or seven-year-old children are trained to be spies...wait a minute, they are brought into Yeting when they are still in their infancy?"
Li Yan became more and more disgusted with the plum blossom guard, but he thought of someone again: "Which family's sinner is Rong Niang?"
Ming Chongyan said: "She is Shangguan Gong's daughter-in-law. Shangguan Gong was once kind to my Ming family. Pindao is among the Meihua guards and knows her situation best."
Prime Minister Shangguan Yi, all the men were executed, and the women were sent to Ye Ting.
And since Rong Niang is Shangguan Yi's daughter-in-law, her daughter is naturally Shangguan Wan'er.
Li Yan's eyes moved: "Who cares about that little lady?"
Ming Chongyan's eyebrows showed fear: "She is valued by Shang Gong. Shang Gong is a female official in Ye Ting who specializes in training Meihua's internal guards. She is very old. It is said that the former Zhao Guogong was in power. The sinful girls trained by her,
All of them can be qualified for the position of plum blossom internal defender as quickly as possible."
Li Yan thought of Rong Niang.
Whether she is the fake mother of Miss Dou Zhi, or the slave of Dou's Chamber of Commerce, Rong Niang can play the role with ease.
You must know that seven years ago, she was still the head wife of the prime minister's son. Did this change come from the hands of the minister?
Ming Chongyan sighed again: "Rong Niang really doesn't want her daughter to be valued by the palace, but in Yeting, those who are not valued will die quietly. Whether it is a blessing or a curse, it is difficult to say!"
Li Yan said intentionally or unintentionally: "Since Shang Gong is quite old and the young lady is very smart, maybe he wants to pass on what he has learned and train her to be his heir?"
Ming Chongyan frowned: "Liu Lang's guess is indeed possible. Rong Niang said that Shang Gong never bothered so much when training other criminal girls..."
"Shangguan Wan'er, the future leader of the Meihua Internal Guard?"
Li Yan vaguely understood how Wu Zetian wrested control of the Meihua Internal Guard from Li Zhi.
Li Zhi probably never imagined that Empress Wu would retaliate and kill all Shangguan Yi's family except the female family members. As a result, Shangguan Wan'er would eventually join Empress Wu.
Things are unpredictable.
The most unexpected thing is that he also found out.
Although this is just a guess, Li Yan has already cheered up: "Chongyan, do you want to change the Meihua Internal Guard so that tragedies like Madam Ye will never happen again?"
Ming Chongyan smiled bitterly when he heard this and said: "How can it be changed? From the moment we became Meihua's internal guards, our future has been destined."
Li Yandao: "Sometimes if you don't give it a try, you won't be able to imagine the outcome."
Ming Chongyan nodded perfunctorily: "Okay!"
Li Yan walked into the house, and just when Ming Chongyan thought the conversation was over and was about to leave, he saw a ray of light shining over him, dispersing the darkness beneath his feet.
He looked at Li Yan holding a candle by the window and smiling at him, and his heart trembled.
A moment later, Ming Chong bowed his head and retreated into the darkness again, suddenly feeling hopeful.