There was a tense atmosphere in the imperial study room.
Except for the prince Zhu Gaochi who looked casual, everyone else lowered their heads and trembled, not knowing what to do.
Xiao Chen, on the other hand, was also confused by Ming Chengzu's arbitrary decision.
"Your Majesty, in fact, Dingxi Hou's escape was deliberately arranged by his subordinates." Xiao Chen said slowly.
"Deliberately arranged? What about the report you gave to the court?"
"The report to the imperial court is just to hide the truth from others. Just now, my subordinates also said that from Gongchang Mansion to the Ministry of Household Affairs, they were able to conceal such a severe drought in Gongchang. Dingxihou's rebellion case, my subordinates' arrangements
, if a little bit of news leaks out, the expected results will not be achieved.”
"I want to rebel, but with the strength of Dingxihou alone, I can't achieve anything. My subordinates are worried that in the court, there are hidden accomplices who may be in contact with him at all times. It is easy to capture Dingxihou, but if you want
Taking down everyone hidden in the court and related to him is a very difficult task."
"My subordinates used a trick to allow Marquis Dingxi to escape. In fact, he had sent people to follow him secretly. At this juncture, the first person he surrendered to must be his collaborator."
At this point, Xiao Chen suddenly stopped talking.
"You mean?" Ming Chengzu narrowed his eyes slightly, rested his elbows on the table, leaned forward, and looked at Xiao Chen quietly.
"Yes." Xiao Chen nodded, "Dingxi Hou traveled thousands of miles, fled all the way east, and actually entered the Han Dynasty Palace. This subordinate never imagined that. Although he wanted to catch all his accomplices, but, Han Wang, why
He is also a prince, and the name of an accomplice in rebellion cannot be attached to him."
"In desperation, my subordinates had no choice but to turn to the factory master and ask him to arrange for manpower to kill Dingxihou directly. This crime of treason should be stopped here at Dingxihou."
With a frank look on his face, Xiao Chen said softly.
Ming Chengzu turned his head and looked at Lin Shangli who was kneeling in front of him: "Did Xiao Chen inform you about this?"
"Yes." Lin Shangli nodded hurriedly, "When I sent people to Le'an Prefecture, I asked Xiao Si to intercept all the memorials given to you by the King of Han."
"Are you afraid that the King of Han will sue Dongchang for dereliction of duty?"
"I'm not afraid of this. What I'm afraid of is that after the emperor found out that Marquis Dingxi had escaped, he went to the Han Palace as soon as possible."
"Alas." Ming Chengzu sighed.
"After taking such a big detour, are you afraid that the King of Han will be implicated in the crime of treason? Are you afraid that if the nine tribes are implicated, the nine tribes of the King of Han will include me?"
Lin Shangli stopped talking and nodded gently.
Xiao Chen puffed out his chest: "Your Majesty, now that the Marquis of Dingxi has been executed, this case should end here."
"That's all." Ming Chengzu waved his hand and looked at Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, "Didn't the King of Han write you a letter? Just give him a reply."
"What do you mean, father?" Zhu Gaochi bowed and said.
"Tell him with your tone that I am very disappointed in him and never want to see him again in my lifetime."
"My son, I obey."
Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty looked at Lin Shangli again: "I have ordered that memorials from Le'an Prefecture no longer need to be sent to the imperial study. I don't want to see or hear anything about Le'an Prefecture."
"Your Majesty." Lin Shangli grinned, as if he wanted to plead with the King of Han.
"Just do as you are told." Ming Chengzu closed his eyes and leaned firmly on the back of the chair.
At this moment, Ming Chengzu felt very sad.
The Marquis of Dingxi, who hid armaments secretly and intended to rebel, found the first person he looked for after escaping, and it turned out to be his own son, the King of Han.
Is this the son preparing to conspire with others to seize the country from his father?
Ming Chengzu's heart had never been so lost and painful as it is now.
"Your Majesty, are you feeling uncomfortable? May I give you a squeeze?" Lin Shangli stood up.
"Yes." Ming Chengzu nodded, "Everyone else, please go out and let me have some peace and quiet."
"Yes." Everyone responded and slowly exited the imperial study room.
Outside the door, Prince Zhu Gaochi patted his chest and let out a long breath.
"Now, I'm afraid my second brother is really doomed."
"Isn't it a good thing that Your Highness has lost a competitor, and you still feel sorry for him?" Xiao Chen rolled his eyes at the other party.
"I always feel that together we put him a little too hard."
"Is it heavy? I don't feel heavy at all."
"You didn't hear what my father said just now. From now on, his memorials are not allowed to enter the imperial study. If you can't go back to the capital, your father will not read the memorials. As a prince, what is the difference between this kind of treatment and that of ordinary people?"
Zhu Gaochi shook his head and said.
"Have you ever had the common people in your heart?"
"Why do you ask that?" Zhu Gaochi was startled.
"The King of Han is cruel and cruel, and takes pleasure in torturing people and criminals. If he succeeds to the throne, how can the common people in the world live a good life? Now, although he cannot enter the capital or make trouble, he can still dominate in Le'an Prefecture.
.If your highness can, you should still find a way to remove the title of King of Han from his head so that he has no power at all, so that he can truly care about the people."
Xiao Chen said with a serious face.
"This, I'm afraid this is not easy to handle. At least, with my current power, I can't do this."
"Then wait until you have the power before you do it." Xiao Chen smiled faintly.
"Brothers, let's just forget about it. He is already miserable."
"When he was creating public opinion in the capital and trying every possible means to use conspiracies and tricks against His Highness, he never thought at all that you and Your Highness are brothers. This time, he gave the emperor a lie, and his purpose was to hold Dongchang accountable. He knew that Dongchang was very supportive.
You, he is also targeting Dongchang. Isn't this an indirect attempt to weaken your power? The King of Han's desire to seize his direct descendants has never been eliminated. Your Highness cannot be benevolent as a woman."
Xiao Chen said with a smile.
As if he had made up his mind, Zhu Gaochi patted Xiao Chen on the shoulder: "I promise you that after inheriting the throne, I will take his title of King of Han."
"His Royal Highness has inherited the throne. It doesn't matter whether he takes the title of King of Han or not. Just arrange for the royal guards to control the King of Han's palace and let the King of Han live a free and easy life there."
"Isn't this house arrest?"
"What happened to the house arrest? At least his title of King of Han is still there." Xiao Chen chuckled.
"You are so sinister." Zhu Gaochi grinned.
At this moment, thousands of miles away, in the Taizhou Prefecture under the Chief Secretary of Zhejiang Province, a small fishing village called Nanping Village was decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, and it was full of joy.
Tomorrow is the big day for Zhang Erwa in the village.
The parents spent five taels of silver and asked a matchmaker to finally arrange a marriage for their son.
Looking at the big red words "Happy" on the door, the old couple smiled from ear to ear.
Nanping Village is only a few miles away from the seaside, and most of the people in the village make a living by fishing.
If you are lucky, you can go to sea once and exchange the fish you catch for enough food, and you can also exchange for some silver.
Zhang Erwa's family also saved for who knows how many years before they had enough five taels of silver.
Although they spent all their money in one go, they couldn't suppress the happiness on their faces when they thought of their new wife coming in and having a grandchild to hold.
Zhang Erwa is tall and thick. Years of wind and rain have made his skin dark, and he looks like a bison when he stands.
"Er baby, have you sent out all the invitations to your relatives?" Old Man Zhang asked, holding a bucket in his hand and adding water to the half-person-high water tank next to him.
"Give it away, give it all away." Zhang Erwa smiled honestly, picked up the broom leaning against the wall, waved her arm, and started cleaning the yard again.
"Just give it away. In the past few years, there have been no happy events in our family. We ate a lot at banquets at relatives' houses, and they didn't even eat our meal. This time I want to marry you a wife, and we will entertain the relatives well." Old man Zhang
Said with a smile.
"Okay." Zhang Erwa smiled again.
Old man Zhang turned back and looked at Zhang Erwa with a little dissatisfaction and distress: "You know, well, our hairtail may not be enough. You can borrow some from Aunt Zhang's house next door. Once this matter is over, we will return to the sea after we return.
people.
"Okay." As if she didn't hear Old Man Zhang's reproach, Zhang Erwa only answered with one word, put down the broom in her hand, and walked out of the yard.
Faintly, a lot of dust seemed to be rising from the east side of the village, and then there were waves of running sounds.
Zhang Erwa stretched out her right hand and rubbed two fingers in the air.
"The humidity is so heavy, where does the dust come from?"
Before he could figure it out, several villagers had already ran over from the east end of the village.
While running, he shouted: "The Japanese pirates are coming, everyone, run away."
