The royal family members and servants were all imprisoned in the wing. Zhang Yan, Zuo Chengmu, and Cheng Yuqian occupied the front hall of the royal residence for interrogation and discussion.
Wang Chaotai has no backbone and will reveal everything when he is tortured.
Before Yu Xinyuan and Cheng Yuqian arrived, Wang Chao made him acquainted with Chen Ruyi, and used the Hubu Bank case to persuade Wang Tian and Yu Xinyuan to help Xie Chaozhong lead the army, marry Chen Ruyi, and be defeated by She Feihu because of the Huizhou Army defeat.
, Han Bin threatened to join the thieves, and then cooperated with the She family to create trouble in Jiangning City, deceiving Emperor Yongxing to abandon Jiangning and flee to the west. He did not have the courage to hide it at all, for fear of being too slow to speak, and he would be punished.
punishment.
The imperial guard guarding the outside informed that Yu Xinyuan and Chu Wang Yuan Hancheng were coming. Zhang Yan, Zuo Chengmu, and Cheng Yuqian looked at each other. Wang Tian was ill in bed, and he was already a toothless tiger. Yu Xinyuan was unable to support a tree, and it had no impact.
In the overall situation, it is true that they can put the responsibility for the defeat of Huizhou and the emperor's abandonment of the capital and flight west on Yu Xinyuan, Wang Xueshan, and Wang Tian, but what good will this do to the three of them?
"Should we ask Mr. Yu to go back and rest first, and then ask Prince Chu to come in to discuss something?" Zhang Yan said.
Zuo Chengmu nodded to Cheng Yuqian calmly.
Zhang Yan, Zuo Chengmu, and Cheng Yuqian avoided seeing him and just asked Yu Xinyuan to avoid the matter. The chill in Yu Xinyuan's heart instantly went from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. They said they sent someone to escort him back to his residence, but in fact they were imprisoned. He was at this time
Ju Chao, but he was unable to join forces with Zhang Yan, Cheng Yuqian, and Zuo Chengmu to fight against each other, and he had no capital to fight at all.
Yu Xinyuan just said to Chu Wang Yuan Hancheng: "Sacrificing me will not do you any good at all!"
King Yuan Hancheng of Chu did not know the details, but the assassin was sent by Wang Xueshan. At this time, Zhang Yan, Zuo Chengmu, and Cheng Yuqian wanted Yu Xinyuan to avoid them. They could not make any promise to Yu Xinyuan immediately, but just said: "Master Yu is also very frightened, so he should go back first."
Rest at your residence..." He left Yu Xinyuan there and went into the hall to see Zhang Yan, Zuo Chengmu and Cheng Yuqian.
"What happened? If the assassin was sent by Wang Xueshan, why can't Mr. Yu be trusted?" So many things happened in one day. Chu Wang Yuan Hancheng also lost his patience and walked into the lobby. Seeing that there were no outsiders, he opened his mouth.
Ask directly.
"Wang Xueshan was bribed by the She family a long time ago..." Zhang Yan told the King of Chu one by one the details.
King Yuan Hancheng of Chu was stunned for a long time and did not come back to his senses. He said in surprise: "Wang Xueshan, a dignified minister of household affairs, was actually coerced into becoming a thief by a simple trick?"
"Fear!" Zhang Yan uttered one word softly.
This word also seemed like thunder falling in the heart of King Yuan Hancheng of Chu - Wang Xueshan was not afraid of the She family, but of Huaidong! Emperor Yongxing made many mistakes. In the early days, he insisted on asking Xie Chaozhong to lead the army until he finally lost his mind and abandoned Jiangning.
, in the final analysis, we are also afraid of Huaidong!
I was really afraid that something would come my way, and everything would fall into Huaidong's trap in the end.
King Yuan Hancheng of Chu sat down on the frozen high-backed chair and was speechless for a long time.
"Prince Chu, how is Liu Zhi doing?" Zuo Chengmu asked.
"The pulse is still there, but I am unconscious. Whether I can survive it depends on God's will?" King Yuan Hancheng of Chu said.
"Even if Liu Zhi is dead, the evidence that Wang Xueshan and his son were thieves and plotted to assassinate is conclusive, and they have an explanation for Huaidong," Zhang Yan said, "But how far will the matter go? Can Prince Chu give us an idea?"
King Yuan Hancheng of Chu looked at Zhang Yan, Cheng Yuqian, and Zuo Chengmu. His mind was spinning rapidly. Even if the Hubu Bank case was not revealed, Wang Tian and Yu Xinyuan could be saved, and the responsibility for the defeat of Huizhou and the escape of Emperor Yongxing to the west would be laid.
It's enough for Wang Xueshan. Even if Wang Tian and Yu Xinyuan are handed over to Huaidong, Zhang Yan, Cheng Yuqian, and Zuo Chengmu will not get substantial benefits. On the contrary, it will weaken them so that they can fight against each other after returning to Jiangning.
The power of Huaidong...
Of course, Liu Zhi's life and death were unknown, so they could not kill Wang Xueshan and his son and escort him to Jiangning for trial. The Hubu Bank case would still be revealed by Wang Xueshan and his son.
All the officials moved westward with the emperor, and all the documents and files of the Ministry of Hubu that could be moved were moved, and those that could not be moved were burned. The evidence of the Hubu Bank case could be completely destroyed, and then the excuse could be made that "Wang Xueshan and his son are about to die."
"Bite people randomly to disrupt state affairs" and push them away...
Yuan Hancheng said: "After the emperor returns to Jiangning, you and the others compete with Huaidong, both outside and outside, to protect Mr. Yu and Mr. Wang, which will be of great benefit to everyone without any harm. Although Mr. Wang is bedridden at this time,
But he should be someone who understands..." He said this while looking at Zuo Chengmu.
Among these people, Zuo Chengmu had the least grudge against Huaidong. In fact, from the time when Xie Chaozhong led the army until Emperor Yongxing abandoned the capital and fled west, Zuo Chengmu strongly opposed it - if Zuo Chengmu surrendered his identity,
If you bow to Huaidong, you might end up better than others.
"What Prince Chu said is right," Zuo Chengmu said calmly, "Master Yu and Master Wang are not wrong, and they really cannot be handed over to Huaidong for bullying; and if the imperial family can be revitalized in the future, it must rely on Huaidong.
The army in Jiangzhou cannot be fought in the west. All the documents in the household department have been destroyed. The household department still has hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. There is really no need to transport it back to Jiangning..."
Yuan Hancheng, Zhang Yan, and Cheng Yuqian were all eyeing him, and Zuo Chengmu couldn't even think of jumping on the pirate ship.
Yuan Hancheng said something like "outside but not inside", and his intention was very obvious.
When he fled westward with the emperor, he was short of food and grass, but there would be no shortage of gold, silver and jewels. When he fled westwards, all the savings of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Ministry of Works, Internal Affairs and Jiangning Prefecture were emptied. When the accompanying officials fled westward, they would also be able to
The gold and silver he brought with him was in the house at his feet. In a hurry, Wang Xueshan escaped from Jiangning with more than 200,000 taels of silver.
Zhang Yan and Cheng Yuqian are both greedy for money, but even more greedy for power - without power, the more property you have, the more fish you have to wash on the cutting board to be slaughtered. As long as you keep your power, no matter how much you get, you can get more than ten or two hundred thousand taels of silver.
Put it in their eyes.
But this money is particularly crucial for the Huaixi and Jiangzhou armies who are in embarrassment at this time. If they get it, they can increase their strength and have more confidence to fight against Huaidong.
It was very clear what Yuan Hancheng was thinking, so Zuo Chengmu simply said it to him as a sign of jumping on their pirate ship - only in this way could he keep peace.
Zhang Yan said: "At the beginning, the Bank of the Ministry of Household Affairs invested 500,000 taels of silver, but all was lost in the blink of an eye. Naturally, there were no accounts to check at this time. Wang Xueshan copied out more than 200,000 taels of silver, and asked for tens of thousands taels of silver.
Take it out to deal with Jiang Ning, deduct 200,000 taels of silver, and there is still a gap of 300,000 taels of silver. Lord Yu, Lord Wang, they must also be willing to fill it..."
Yuan Hancheng was overjoyed and said: "Master Zhang is so loyal to the imperial family!"
Zhang Yan smiled, a bit bitterly. He also admired Lin Fu, but after Tang Haoxin died, he must stand on the opposite side of Huaidong - only the strength of Huaixi and Jiangzhou Army, Jingxiang, and Xiangtan
The more solid it is, the more secure they will be after returning to Jiangning.
Chen Huazhang, the Chen family represented by Chen Huawen, had long had a good relationship with Huaidong, and by joining him at this time, he could still keep his roots; Zhang Yan, an eunuch, had no clan power or township party to rely on, and if he was against Huaidong
Giving up resistance, being demoted, or dying in a foreign land are all good endings.
Zhang Yan understood the cruelty of official fighting better than anyone else.
After the agreement was reached, people were immediately sent to fetch Yu Xinyuan, and then sent to fetch Wang Tian, who was ill in bed.
When Yu Xinyuan went back, he was heartbroken. When he came back, he heard that there was an opportunity. As long as he took out 150,000 taels of silver, he would completely tie up a boat with Zhang Yan, Cheng Yuqian, and Zuo Chengmu. How could he care about the little money that hurt his heart? He hurriedly agreed.
Come down.
Wang Tian was bedridden, and was carried by his two sons to discuss matters. Chu Wang Yuan Hancheng and Liu Zhi came to live in the nest without informing him. Suddenly, so many things were told to him. Wang Tian was stunned for a while.
It was also difficult to digest and drained his energy for a long time. Wang Tian considered all the details and could only follow Zhang Yan and others.
After the matter was settled, Yu Xinyuan asked: "Should this matter be reported to the Holy Father?"
"That's right!" Chu Wang Yuan Hancheng said.
*************
Ever since he killed the palace maid with a sword, Emperor Yongxing had stayed in his room to rest. The concubines and the two young princes were too afraid to come to serve him.
Fortunately, Zhang Yan and other ministers took the decision, Emperor Yongxing lost his temper, and the eunuchs and maids had the courage to ignore it, but Xiaoyi waited on him to prevent Emperor Yongxing from hurting him.
A few days passed, and the mania and resentment in Emperor Yongxing's heart were suppressed. However, his body became weaker and weaker. He picked up the bronze mirror and looked at it. He almost thought he was another person. His cheeks were sunken, his long hair was messy and yellow, and his eyes were filled with blood.
It was bloodshot, Qiang was panting even as he sat there, as if he was terminally ill.
"The King of Chu, Prime Minister Cheng, Prime Minister Zuo, Mr. Zhang, Mr. Yu and other lords are asking for an audience outside the palace..." Huang Menlang walked in and reported that this was the most spacious room in the Yamen House in Juchao County, but it was far from the largest room in the palace.
Compared with the palaces in the imperial city, Huangmenlang is accustomed to calling it "the palace".
"King Chu, Lord Yu," Yuan Jianwu responded doubtfully, with a splitting headache. He was a little confused for a moment, but then he thought again, "Is Yu Xinyuan back?"
"It's Mr. Yu Xinyuan and Prince Chu who have returned from Shouzhou!" Huang Menlang received Zhang Yan's instructions and Xiaoyi replied.
"My uncle, King Chu, is also here," Yuan Jianwu burst out laughing, "I said that Huaixi are all my loyal ministers, and they will definitely protect me. When will Dong Yuan lead his troops to recapture Jiangning for me, and bring those people back to Jiangning?"
Catch all the rebellious ministers and traitors?" He laughed and was about to stand up, only to feel his body swaying very much. Huang Menling hurriedly came to help him, and Yuan Jianwu said: "Hurry up and call the ministers in, I still want to discuss the big plan with them...
"
The house was not deep, so Zhang Yan and others listened clearly to what was going on inside. They looked at each other, smiled bitterly, walked in, kowtowed, and everyone else was silent. Zhang Yan started to play: "
I have something important to report to the Emperor..."
"If you have any good news, tell me quickly, tell me quickly..." Yuan Jianwu cheered up and sat on the bed with his waist bent. He asked Zhang Yan and the others to sit flat on their backs, and asked the chamberlain to bring chairs for the ministers to sit on. Huang Menling looked embarrassed.
Feeling embarrassed, he turned around and walked out first.
Food and firewood are both necessities. All the decent furniture in the house was dismantled and used as firewood, and not even a chair was left. Naturally, Zhang Yan and others knew that there was no chair that could be lifted up, so they still insisted on kneeling there and refused. He stood up and said: "I have found out that Wang Xueshan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Household Affairs, colluded with the rebels of the She family before the war. Chen Ruyi, the concubine taken by his son Wang Chao, was the spy of the She family in Jiangning; Xie Chaozhong led the troops and Instigating the emperor to leave Jiangning to patrol Luzhou was all a trick carried out by Wang Xueshan, who was inspired by the extravagant traitor... He was deceived by the traitor, and the ministers were not aware of it, so that the emperor was reduced to this. Please punish the crimes of the ministers and others!"
"What!" Yuan Jianwu felt as if his heart had been hit hard. He sat on the bed in a daze for a long time, muttering to himself repeatedly, "How could Wang Qing betray me? How could Wang Qing betray me? How could Wang Qing betray me?" This reaction After repeating it dozens of times, his eyes became fierce again, and he gritted his teeth and said, "The Wang family has been deeply favored by the emperor, but they betrayed me and caused me to lose our great country. I deserve Lingchi! The whole family, no, the three clans were all executed at Lingchi." !”
Zhang Yan looked at the emperor who seemed to have regained some sense. He lowered his head and glanced at Yuan Han on his left. He thought that if the emperor could put all the blame for the failure on Wang Xueshan, he would probably feel more relaxed and no longer irritable. Once you regain your sanity, everything will be easier.