Xiao Cheng stood outside the Yangxin Hall, looking at the rain falling along the eaves of the hall, wondering what he was thinking.
Zhongqing City is like spring all year round, but it is summer after all, and the weather is inevitably getting hotter. However, the sudden heavy rain in front of us drove away the heat, making people feel a little bit chilly in this season.
At this time, all the attendants in the palace were standing at a distance, leaving only Feng Bao and Guo Xie waiting beside Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng looked at the majestic palace looming in the rain and said in a deep voice:
"It was a helpless move for the Miscellaneous family to hide among merchants. However, it did not want to be like this, but it made the disciples of the family so short-sighted. It used to be one of the top ten families, but now it is really incompetent. You sent someone to reprimand a group of people.
"Fan, let them focus less on business. From now on, they should concentrate on their studies and teach their disciples!"
As the chief disciple of the Za family, Jin Tangfeng has such a short-sighted vision. He only knows how to hang out among merchants every day, and he has learned a lot from those merchants who regard money as their lifeblood. As a result, he has ended up like this. In fact,
What a pity.
Hearing this, Feng Bao couldn't help but ask:
"The properties under the Zajia family..."
"Those who were involved in this and helped Jin Tangfeng conceal the court will have all confiscated. The rest cannot be touched at all and will be returned directly to the Za family!" Xiao Cheng said solemnly.
Having said this, Xiao Cheng explained again with a serious expression:
"You should keep an eye on this matter in person. The property of the Zajia family and the members of the Zajia family who are not involved cannot be touched by me at all!"
Feng Bao had a very high level of political awareness. At this moment, his mind changed and he already understood what Xiao Cheng meant.
This incident is the first time that members of the Zhuzi Bai family have been involved in such a serious case. The reason why His Majesty made such a special statement today is obviously to set a standard for the future.
From now on, matters in Dayun Court, whether they are political struggles or violations of laws and disciplines, will only be investigated by individuals, and will never involve the sects and schools behind them.
Hundreds of families in the Xia Kingdom had old grudges against each other and constantly criticized each other. They each supported the prince to seize the rightful son. As a result, the Xia Kingdom's court was in chaos and the government was unstable. This should serve as a lesson for Yin.
Although this incident alone cannot truly prevent hundreds of schools from criticizing each other, Xiao Cheng is young now and is confident that he will be able to avoid this matter by slowly rectifying it in the future!
Feng Bao quickly lowered his head and responded:
"According to the order!"
Having said this, Xiao Cheng paused slightly and suddenly asked:
"Is Qu Cheng really seriously ill?"
Feng Bao heard this and quickly replied:
"On the second day after Qu Jing was taken away, Shangshu Ling lay down on the bed and couldn't get any water in. Because the Qu family's wife personally took care of her, Dongchang's spies couldn't get close, so we still need to investigate whether it is true.
"
Xiao Cheng shook his head slightly when he heard this, sighed softly, and said bleakly:
"After all, you think of me as being mean and unkind..."
At this time, making this gesture was nothing more than testing Xiao Cheng to see if this move deliberately involved the Qu family in order to eliminate the influence of the three families of Ma, Qu, and Tao in the court.
Xiao Cheng turned back to look at Feng Bao and said:
"After several days of investigation, do you know what role Qu Jing played in it?"
When Feng Bao heard this, he paused for a moment, then looked up at Xiao Cheng, showing a cautious look, and asked softly:
"Well, what do you think, Your Majesty?"
Xiao Cheng couldn't help but rolled his eyes and said angrily:
"Are you asking me, or am I asking you? Tell the truth!"
When Feng Bao heard this, he quickly lowered his head and said:
"After Jin Tangfeng was imprisoned, he was very cooperative and told everything he knew. He accused Qu Jing of being the mastermind behind the scenes. His predecessor, Cao Shangshu Liu Yu, didn't say a word after being imprisoned..."
Feng Bao paused for a moment when he said this, and noticed that Xiao Cheng's expression was not abnormal, and then continued:
"However, Xiang Shan, the housekeeper of the Qu Mansion, confessed under torture that he was the one who set up a trap for Qu Jing. Qu Jing was trapped in a trap inexplicably. She was worried that her family would know about it, so she had to try her best to find out.
Raising silver. Xiang Shan took this opportunity to get Qu Jing's seal certificate in the name of trying to raise money..."
Of course, there is no need to say much about what happens next.
Using Qu Jing's seal as a certificate, he gained the trust of his predecessor Cao Shangshu Liu Yu, making him think that he was working for the Qu family.
With Liu Yu, an old official who was closest to the Qu family, coming forward, and Qu Jing's seal, he would naturally be able to influence the officials below.
Hearing this, Xiao Cheng suddenly asked again:
"What do those Xia Kingdom embroidery envoys say?"
Feng Bao said softly:
"The few embroidery envoys from the Xia Kingdom who were sent to the Dongchang secret prison couldn't stand it anymore, and they all confessed like beans poured out of a bamboo tube. It was precisely with the cooperation of their people that Xiang Shan could act like a domestic slave.
Identity, doing such a big thing..."
Although Xiang Shan has the trust of the Qu family, in the end he is just a domestic slave. His status, vision, means, and trusted staff are not enough to do these things properly.
It was only thanks to the embroidery envoys of the Xia State and the mobilization of manpower among them that they were able to trick high-ranking officials like Liu Yu into turning around. They were able to remotely control northern officials while sitting in Zhongqing City.
As for this Qu Jing, it is obvious that he was just taken advantage of.
Xiao Cheng raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Have Xiang Shan and Xiu Yi Shi been in contact before?"
"Half a year ago, Xiang Shan misappropriated the assets of Qu Mansion and incurred a deficit. It was the Xiu Yi Envoy who made up for it. After a period of time, the two parties had more and more contacts. There were more and more handles, and finally the Xiu Yi Envoy was able to make up for it.
They blackmailed and promised huge profits, so that Xiang Shan could be used by them."
When Xiao Cheng heard this, he narrowed his eyes with a solemn expression and said in a deep voice:
"What a trick! Half a year ago, there was no trouble in the southwest of Xia Kingdom. He should have made a random move. Then under this person's plan, it used such amazing results. Now the chief officer of Xia Kingdom's Embroidered Clothes Envoy in Yun Kingdom
Who is it?"
When Feng Bao heard this, he lowered his head slightly and said:
"It hasn't been found yet, but Dongchang has already searched for the embroiderer in the capital, and I will give an explanation to His Majesty!"
Xiao Cheng pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said:
"I'm afraid it won't be of much use! This person's methods are so powerful, I'm afraid there are only two or three small fish and shrimps left in Dongchang's net..."
Having said this, Xiao Cheng said in a deep voice again:
"Dongchang will try his best to investigate. We also have Shang Yu's backup office and An Zi's spy in Yun State who can also investigate this matter!"
Guo Xie, who had been silent for a long time, immediately bowed his hands and said in a deep voice:
"According to the order!"
Xiao Cheng turned his head and continued to look at the continuous rain outside, and said in a deep voice:
"Since Qu Jing is not involved in this matter, let's find a nice sunny day and let him out! As for Qu Qing, he is old and frail and has been working hard for the country, so he is bedridden. Please ask the imperial hospital to treat Qin and
Go to Qu Mansion to diagnose and treat him!"
Old and frail?
Feng Bao's eyes flashed, and he immediately lowered his head in response.
------------------
Xia Kingdom, Jinling City.
As the capital of the Xia Kingdom, through the management and expansion of successive emperors of the Xia Kingdom, Jinling City is 130 miles long from east to west and more than 90 miles from north to south, covering an extremely vast area.
There is a river outside the city, and the mountain is a natural barrier. It is a place where dragons and tigers are roosting, and the king's energy is steaming. There are nine longitudes and nine latitudes in the city, and nine tracks are painted. The left ancestor and the right she, facing the market, are majestic and full of splendor.
It is a city that is more majestic, magnificent and prosperous than Zhongqing City, and is the well-deserved number one capital city in the world.
In a mansion not far from Prince Qi's residence, a heroic maid quickly walked into the study, bowed to the throne, and then said urgently:
"Princess, something happened!"
On the throne, Yu Yingyao was dressed in men's clothing and had her hair tied up with a jade crown. At this time, her beautiful eyebrows were raised, her beautiful facial features appeared heroic, and her appearance was full of energy. I don't know how different she was from the appearance of the weak princess back then.
.
After hearing the report from her subordinates, Yu Yingyao frowned and said in that clear voice:
"But something went wrong with the allocation of supplies between the DPRK and China?"
The maid immediately reported:
"Yes, the supplies were originally on their way, but when they were about to arrive at Shaoyang County, they blocked the road for refugees and bandits. They have not been able to travel for five days!"
In Shaoyang County, there is the Tanjiang River, a branch of the Yangtze River. The Tanjiang River can be used to connect the six counties in the southwest by water transportation. However, I did not expect that such a thing happened before the supplies were delivered to Shaoyang County.
Hearing this, Yu Yingyao frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:
"Which imperial brother is the one who is secretly doing something? The fifth emperor brother had done something secretly before and was warned by his father once. The disciples of the seventh emperor brother all lost their orders when they were serving as chief ministers. They wanted to use this influence to raise supplies.
However, I sent people to secretly remove his retainer. The Eleventh Emperor is still imprisoned because of his previous collusion with the Li Dynasty to assassinate me. It should not be him..."
She paused and then said:
"The rest of the princes only have some manpower in Jinling City. They are temporarily out of power. They should not be able to take action in Shaoyang County!"
Having said that, the relief supplies escorted by the elite soldiers and horses of the imperial court were blocked by a group of refugees. It is really impossible to say that no one was behind the plan!
Yu Yingyao narrowed her eyes, thinking, and at the same time subconsciously began to tear off her thumb nail.
Although there are many princes vying for the throne today, there are only a few adult princes who can extend their power beyond the city of Jinling. There are really not many people to suspect.
"Could it be..." Yu Yingyao's expression became even darker, and her voice became lower and lower as she spoke.
And at this moment, another maid hurriedly walked into the calligraphy and said urgently:
"Princess, the A-shaped stronghold in Zhongqing City has been destroyed. Only the fourth-grade embroidered clothes allowed Yu Cheng to escape. Cao Shangshu Liu Yu, a householder in the Yun Kingdom, Jin Tangfeng, a disciple of the Miscellaneous Family, and Xiang Shan, the housekeeper of the Qu Mansion, have all been arrested!"
When Yu Yingyao heard this, her face suddenly became gloomy.
It is true that blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone.
Xiang Shan, the housekeeper of Qu Mansion, was just a casual move by her before.
However, a plague suddenly broke out in the southwest counties, and all kinds of supplies were in short supply. Instead, she played a greater role in this idle move.
After all, compared to mobilizing a large amount of supplies within the Xia Kingdom and transporting them to the southwest counties, obtaining the supplies directly from the Yun Kingdom resulted in much less loss and was more convenient.
It's a pity that this move was taken before it had any effect...
If it weren't for the current difficult situation for the Emperor, I would have wanted to fight you again, Emperor Yun!
Thinking of this, Yu Yingyao shook her head slightly and said with a hint of regret:
"The Yun Kingdom is beyond my reach for the time being, so there is no need to count on it. We must mobilize all the people under our command to ensure that the imperial supplies are delivered to the emperor as soon as possible!"
My maid lowered her head and responded:
"yes!"
After saying that, the two of them turned around and went down to deliver the order.
Yu Yingyao stood up slowly, looked in the direction of Zhongqing City through the study window, and murmured:
"Emperor Yun, next time..."
--------------------------
Zhongqing City, Qufu.
In a room filled with the smell of medicine and urine, Qu Cheng closed his eyes tightly, frowned, and lay on the bed, looking weak and as if he was about to die of illness.
Qin He slowly removed his hand from Qu Cheng's wrist, turned to look at Mrs. Qu's family, whose eyes were full of nervousness and panic, and said calmly:
"Shang Shuling, your master's scattered pulses are floating and disordered. They are superficial but not internal. The middle part of the pulse is gradually empty, and it must be stopped. This is a sign that the body is extremely weak. It needs to be calmed down with medicine, and there should be no more physical exertion in the future!"
Hearing what Qin He said, Mrs. Qu's wife breathed a sigh of relief subconsciously, but then she reacted again, with a worried look on her face, and leaned forward and said:
"In that case, please ask Yuan Qin to take the trouble!"
Qin He nodded slightly, stood up and glanced at Feng Bao who was standing aside, then stood up and left to fill out the prescription.
Feng Bao looked at Qu Cheng lying on the bed, then glanced at the Qu family's wife beside him, and then said:
"His Majesty was worried about Shangshu Ling's condition, so he sent our family to visit him."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Qu's wife bowed again and said sadly:
"Your Majesty, thank you for your concern!"
When Feng Bao heard this, he suddenly changed the topic and said:
"Before our departure, Your Majesty specifically asked our family to explain that the matter of your young master has been found out and he was not involved. He will be released home after a few days. Madam, please don't worry too much.
Got it!"
When Mrs. Qufu heard this, her eyes suddenly lit up, her sadness disappeared, and she said in surprise:
"Is what my father-in-law said true?"
Feng Bao smiled and said:
"How can what your Majesty told you be false?"
Madam Qu's wife breathed a long sigh of relief, bowed to Feng Bao repeatedly, and said:
"Thank you for taking care of me, father-in-law! Thank you very much, father-in-law!"
When Feng Bao heard this, he quickly got out of the way and said:
"Madam, this is ruining our family..."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, has worked hard for the country and has become so haggard. Your Majesty will definitely not forget it. From now on, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, can take good care of yourself at home. All the necessary materials, treasures, and precious medicinal materials will be supplied by the palace!"
At this time, Mrs. Qu's heart was already filled with the news that her son was fine, and the joy on her face could no longer be concealed.
Feng Bao chuckled, turned his head and glanced meaningfully at Qu Cheng, who was unconscious on the hospital bed, before saying goodbye and leaving.
When Feng Bao left and Mrs. Qu was the only one left in the room, Qu Cheng slowly opened his eyes, then forced himself to sit up.
Mrs. Qu quickly stepped forward to support Qu Cheng and said happily:
"Master, Jing'er is fine!"
Qu Cheng forced out a smile with some difficulty, nodded, and said:
"Yeah, it's okay!"
Mrs. Qu, who had been sharing the same bed with her for many years, could tell at a glance that there was something on Qu Cheng's mind. She couldn't help but look at him and said:
"What's wrong?"
Qu Cheng opened his mouth, and after a long silence, he sighed softly:
"Your Majesty asked Feng Bao to send a message, which is telling me that this Shangshu Order has reached its end!"
Mrs. Qu was a little stunned and subconsciously said:
"Why is this, doesn't Jing'er have anything to do with this matter... just because of Xiang Shan?"
Upon hearing Xiang Shan's name, Qu Cheng's face immediately sank and he said:
"Liu Yu is my confidant and Xiang Shan is my housekeeper. I can't get rid of this matter..."
Qu Cheng never expected that the butler he had used for so many years would have such ambition and courage. The most important thing was that he didn't notice it at all.
Although he is indeed innocent and has never participated in this matter, Liu Yu and Xiang Shan are involved. In the eyes of outsiders, he cannot be so clean and must be related to this matter.
"Also, Xiang Shan is able to influence so many officials just by using the name of my Qu family. How do you make Your Majesty think of such a big event?"
In fact, this point is the most critical.
The head of the Ma family, Ma Minwen, used to be the governor of Li Neishi. Qu Cheng was born in Shaofu. General Tao Ai was the Taiwei and took charge of the military. The three families were basically focused on money, food and soldiers. This is why Xiao Cheng
With their help, I was able to quickly master the Yun Kingdom Court.
Although the three families have little contact now, because of their in-law relationship with the Yang family, the Ma, Qu, and Tao families are already tied together in the eyes of outsiders, and they are also related to the royal family.
Even though Ma Minwen tried his best to restrain him from behind, it was difficult to prevent the disciples and former officials of the three families from hugging each other to warm each other, forming an extremely powerful political force.
In the name of Qu Jing, Xiang Shan was able to make the officials in the northern border obey his orders through a show of force, which is enough to prove the extent of the influence of the three families.
How could the emperor be willing to see a political force with such huge influence in the court, comparable to imperial power?
Therefore, Qu Cheng has nothing to do with this matter.
When Mrs. Qu heard this, she was stunned and said:
"Is this why the master pretended to be ill and refused to allow his daughter-in-law to go back, so he looked for solutions at home?"
Qu Cheng sighed quietly and said with a hint of relief:
"Now His Majesty did not take the opportunity to get angry and clean up the old officials of my Qu family. Instead, he took advantage of the reason that I was seriously ill and gave him the treatment of honorary support. This is already benevolent enough. You must not ask for anything more!"
When Mrs. Qu heard this, she looked relaxed and said:
"That's good. Thanks to the contribution made by the master, Jing'er will be a wealthy and idle person from now on. It's great!"
"Wait a few more days and I will submit a letter."
As Qu Cheng spoke, he patted his old wife's hand gently, and the two looked at each other and smiled.
--------------------------
Yunguo, Yongzhou, in the border army camp.
Zhendong General Shi An looked at the letter in his hand and his face turned slightly pale.
He stood up, subconsciously looked at the heroic young man in the tent, and said in a trembling voice:
"This, this, I am handsome in this matter..."
General Wu Xiang, Di Qing, slightly handed over his hand and said in a deep voice:
"General Zhendong, please be patient. Your Majesty knows that the impeachment of the censor was caused by officials from the border army working together in secret. The general is in the army and has little to do with this matter! Besides, this was the original work of the former Queen Mother
How can Your Majesty blame the General for the ills left by Master Wang Xiao?"
Hearing these words of comfort, Shi An felt slightly at ease.
Shi An saw with his own eyes how Xiao Cheng personally conquered the country, subdued the border troops, and turned the Xia Kingdom upside down.
Such a king's wisdom, tactics, military strategy, and martial arts skills are rare in ancient times. He will not be able to rebel at all.
And even if he wants to rebel, his soldiers who respect His Majesty as a god will never follow him in rebellion!
Shi An said to Di Qing:
"I wonder how your Majesty plans to arrange this matter?"
Di Qing bent down slightly and cupped his hands, saying in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty also knows that the general cares about Paoze and will not be cruel. However, these generals from the border army have formed cliques for personal gain, ignored the law, and have hindered the operation of government through their words and deeds. General, please think of the overall situation!"
Hearing this, Shi An hesitated for a while, then gritted his teeth, bowed his hands to Di Qing, and said in a deep voice:
"I, Shi An, will never disobey His Majesty's orders!"
Di Qing nodded slightly when he heard the words, took the imperial edict from the soldiers behind him, and said loudly:
"In response to Tianshun's timing, and under the command of Ziming, Emperor Dayun issued an edict:
Shi An, the general of Zhendong, led the army to attack Li and guarded the border. He protected the country and the people during the crisis of the country. He has great virtues and righteousness and outstanding achievements. He was promoted to the general of the Chinese army and took charge of the garrison in the middle of the capital. I admire you here!"
The senior military positions of the Yun Kingdom have not been touched by Xiao Chengda for the time being, and they still follow the old rules.
Under the rank of Taiwei, there is the position of General.
In addition to titles such as Hussar, Chariot, and General Wei, there are also general titles such as Zhongjun, Fujun, Shangjun, and Zhenjun.
Further down, there are the four expedition generals. Then there are the four town generals of Shi An.
Although his military power is not as good as before, it is still a great favor to be promoted to the position of general.