Chapter 247 Self-recruitment

Murong Yu would not easily believe Hao Ren.

Similarly, he would not easily dispel his doubts about He Tingfang and Murong Xun.

When Hao Ren left the palace, Murong Yu immediately sent someone to follow him and investigate around Heishan Mansion.

Although Murong Yu had secret guards, they were mainly stationed in the homes of princes, generals and ministers. There were not enough people to station one in the house of every person in the court.

People like Hao Ren were not qualified to be placed as spies, so Murong Yu only sent people to investigate occasionally.

Soon, the people sent out came back to report:

"Your Majesty, Hao Ren went straight back to his mansion after leaving the palace. It seems he went straight to the backyard to meet his wife. I have inquired about their movements over the past two days near Heishan Mansion. I heard that Hao Ren and his wife had a quarrel at Heishan Mansion the night before last, with ghosts howling and wolves howling, and the neighbors could hear it."

Murong Yu nodded.

This is consistent with what Hao Ren said.

This Hao Ren is so henpecked that it's hilarious to tell others about it.

"Also, when I returned, I was ordered by the Emperor to contact our people at Prince Gong's Mansion. I heard that Prince Gong has been going to Tingyuxuan quite frequently lately. In previous years, he would go once after Qingming Festival, but this year, he's been gone for several days straight before Qingming Festival."

"Tingyuxuan?"

Murong Yu sneered: "My Seventh Brother is truly an infatuated man. After so many years, he still misses the old lady. Is he blaming me for what happened back then?"

At this time, Wang Nei Shi reported outside the palace:

"Your Majesty, Secretary He requests an audience."

Murong Yu twisted his fingertips slightly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

He Tingfang's arrival was quite coincidental. Just when we were about to investigate him, he showed up on his own.

Coming here at this time may be related to the Xiaoyaofang incident.

After years of serving as a minister to the emperor, He Tingfang had a lot of ideas about Murong Yu, and Murong Yu also knew a little about He Tingfang's style of doing things.

Murong Yu speculated that if the vault that Hao Ren mentioned did not exist, or if the vault had nothing to do with He Tingfang, He Tingfang would definitely not mention anything about Hao Ren and Xiaoyaofang today and stay away from trouble.

If this treasury belongs to He Tingfang, He Tingfang loves money like his life, and he will definitely try to accuse Hao Ren in front of the palace, but he will not openly admit that the treasury is his.

Unless, in order to protect Murong Xun, He Tingfang took the initiative to admit all of this, so that Murong Xun could openly distance himself from it.

"Let him in."

Murong Yu's brows were gloomy.

He wanted to see what He Tingfang would do.

The imperial study was bright and clean, with wisps of ambergris smoke rising from the air.

The shadow of a tree of flowers fell into the room and landed on the boot that He Tingfang stepped into.

The flower shadows bloomed vigorously, but the man looked listless. His sunken eyes even made him look a little older.

He Tingfang first discovered that all the mother Gu were missing in the mansion. Shocked, he searched for the traitor in the mansion. At the same time, he heard that Hao Ren had entered the palace to meet the emperor.

In the past, he would have simply tied him up and tortured him, forcing him to reveal the whereabouts of the vault, and then killed him.

But it didn't work this time.

Hao Ren has a master on his side, and he can't touch Hao Ren.

He also thought that the experts around Hao Ren were most likely sent by the Emperor. Furthermore, with Hao Ren's sudden visit to the palace today, He Tingfang was almost certain that the Emperor had set his sights on the treasury and instructed Hao Ren to take action.

After years of serving as a minister to the emperor, He Tingfang realized that the emperor always liked to dirty other people's hands while he sat behind the scenes and watched the fire.

The emperor would set his eyes on his treasury, which means he must be dissatisfied with him.

He Tingfang would not allow himself to become the second Pei family. At this time, no matter how heartbroken he was, he had to apologize to the emperor in public and admit the matter of the treasury. Maybe he could even sell it well.

"Your Majesty, I am guilty!" He Tingfang knelt down and confessed his guilt after entering the room.

Murong Yu dismissed the others, leaving only He Tingfang. He was furious but pretended not to know and asked:

"What is He Aiqing doing? What crime have you committed?"

He Tingfang's face was filled with shame:

"Your Majesty, I have a corrupt nature and have secretly amassed a considerable amount of gold and silver. Your Majesty has been extremely kind to me, and I originally intended to turn it all over to the national treasury for state use. However, a fire broke out recently in Xiaoyaofang in the city."

When Murong Yu heard He Tingfang admit the vault so proactively, the fake smile on his face disappeared, and his eyes were full of sarcasm:

"So, Lord He amassed his personal wealth in order to help the nation? And what does this have to do with the fire at Xiaoyaofang?"

Murong Yu's calm and sarcastic reaction made He Tingfang clearly understand that Murong Yu already knew everything and was just asking questions knowing the answer anyway.

He Tingfang closed his eyes and said:

"Your Majesty, I hid the gold and silver underground in Xiaoyaofang. However, after the fire that broke out over the past two days, the gold and silver underground disappeared. Therefore, I have come to report to Your Majesty. If Your Majesty can trace the whereabouts of the vault, I am willing to hand it over in full."

After He Tingfang finished speaking, he felt that he had said everything and had given the emperor a way out.

He did not point out that the emperor had sent people to set fire to get the money, and he also showed that he was willing to hand it over.

Murong Yu's eyes became even colder when he heard this.

He is indeed an old fox.

On the one hand, he admitted to the treasury in front of the emperor so that others could distance themselves from it; on the other hand, he lied that the treasury was stolen and hid the money again.

He wanted to see what He Tingfang and Murong Xun were trying to do.

Murong Yu took a sip of tea and sighed:

"Lord He, you claimed to have amassed a vast fortune, but now it has been robbed by thieves, and with no concrete evidence to prove it, how can I punish you? Furthermore, you have dedicated years of your life to the affairs of state, serving the people and the country. Now that you wish to offer us your treasury, I am deeply gratified. I will have someone investigate the matter of the treasury. Lord He, please do not blame yourself for this momentary mistake."

He Tingfang was surprised.

He expected the emperor to be unhappy, but he didn't expect the emperor to treat him so lightly.

It seems that this money really made the emperor happy.

Thinking of the vault, He Tingfang's heart ached again, and he really said goodbye with tears in his eyes.

He Tingfang left the imperial study and left, stepping on the shadows of the trees.

Murong Yu looked at the place where He Tingfang had just stood and recalled the scene many years ago.

When he was young and had not yet ascended the throne, He Tingfang was also so humble and respectful in front of the late emperor and Prince Minghuai.

But in private, He Tingfang took the initiative to surrender to him.

Now, He Tingfang looked very respectful and devoted in front of him.

In private, is there another face?

Ta-ta.

Murong Yu tapped the pen twice on the table.

The secret guard who had just disappeared reappeared:

"What are your Majesty's orders?"

Murong Yu's eyes were dim:

"Go check on the owner of Xiaoyaofang and dig something out of him."

…

"Hit! Hit—"

“Go!”

“Ahhhh it hurts!”

Martial arts hall.

A group of elementary school students were sweating profusely while fighting.

Coach Lin asked them to divide into two teams and discussed tactics and strategies in advance.

When the fight really started, no strategy was used and it just turned into a fight between two groups of kids.

This was the first year that the martial arts school recruited such young children, and it was also the first time that Coach Lin taught so many students in their early teens.

I didn't expect the first fight to be so chaotic.

Both of Yuan Caiwei's shoes were stepped on.

A small flower bud on Su Zhizhi's head turned into a chicken coop.

Coach Lin reminded helplessly:

"Remember the tactics, the tactics! Cooperate and stay calm!"

"Don't just rely on brute force."

"Hey, stop pulling down people's pants!!"

"I'm talking to you! You can't bite with your teeth!"

"And you! Who told you to fall down and pretend to be dead..."