Chapter 75: Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkeys
The carriage slowly stopped at the city gate, the curtain was lifted from the inside, Gu Youan waved, and Liu Ling hurried forward.
Zhou Chen and the people who were waiting on the roadside to watch the excitement stretched their necks to see the lower half of Prince Qi's face in the carriage. It was cold and he looked unhappy.
Zhou Chen quickly lowered his head again.
Gu Youan ordered Liu Ling, "Tell everyone to disperse. What are so many people doing at the West City Gate?"
Liu Ling lowered his head and said, "They also want to welcome the two masters and do their best."
Gu Youan raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced at Zhou Qi: "Did you hear that? I came to see if you were dead or not."
Two days ago, news of Prince Qi's death spread from somewhere in Songjiang City, and Liu Ling arrested the officials who gathered in the yamen on the pretext of causing trouble.
Zhou Qi sneered: "Go back home."
"yes."
The crowds inside and outside the city gates were dispersed, the city guards remained outside, and two shifts of guards from the palace escorted the prince and princess back to their residence. The group entered through the west gate in a mighty procession, passing through the west street lined with government offices. The gates of Prince Qi's palace were wide open, welcoming their master inside.
The heavy gate of Prince Qi's Mansion slowly closed, as if the events that had happened in Songjiang City in the past few days were like ripples in a lake, gradually disappearing.
When the carriage arrived at the second gate of the mansion, Xu Zhi, who had returned home earlier, had asked someone to prepare a recliner. He lifted the master from the carriage onto the recliner, and then carried the recliner to the bedroom in the main courtyard.
Zhou Qi was tired of lying down and was not in a hurry to go back to the bedroom. He pointed to the study, and Xu Zhi hurriedly asked someone to carry his master to the study.
He was already tired after the journey back, and when he saw him go to the study, Gu Youan turned around and followed him holding Xiaoju's hand.
Liu Lingchi entered the room a step too late, and Xu Zhi, Xiaoju and several servants carrying recliners came out of the study.
After Liu Ling went in, the study door closed tightly, and Zhou Chen's running footsteps suddenly stopped.
Zhou Chen slowly walked to the bottom of the stairs, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and asked Xu Zhi, "Didn't the prince call me?"
Xu Zhi smiled and said, "No, I guess after asking Chief Steward Liu, I'll ask you. After all, you are the chief historian of our palace. The prince can't get around you."
Zhou Chen breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately, it was okay.
In the study.
Liu Ling took out two lists, one was the arrest list of the city defense army, and the other was the arrest list of Songjiang City officials.
After seeing this, Gu Youan asked in surprise, "So many people?"
Liu Ling said, "There aren't many people who are truly treacherous. The others on the list are just examples to scare the monkeys."
"Where do you come from?" Gu Youan handed the list to Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi glanced at the list and explained, "Many years ago, I was ordered by my father to travel from Luoyang to Songjiang City to attend my mother's funeral. He passed away shortly after I arrived. When Zhou Xuan ascended the throne, he ordered me to observe three years of mourning for my mother in Songjiang City, and I didn't have to return to Luoyang. After my father was buried, Zhou Xuan gave me Songjiang City as my fiefdom, and all the servants who were still in the Prince Qi's mansion in Luoyang moved there."
Whether he came to Songjiang City to attend his mother's funeral or he was unable to return to Luoyang to observe mourning for his mother, he had no preparations or arrangements before coming to Songjiang City, so he did not have many useful civil and military officials after arriving in Songjiang City.
Gu Youan asked, "So that's why you boldly appointed exiled criminal officials and opened up the system of selecting both civil and military officials?"
"Well, the officials who are selected as prisoners always need to be observed for a period of time. Some of them were released by Zhou Xuan. Even if they have some abilities, they cannot be placed in key positions. Therefore, there are still few officials who can take on important positions."
He is short of manpower. Everyone knows that he is short of manpower. General Zhang Minghui of Yanzhou, General Bai Shijie of Liaodong, who are closer to Songjiang City, and even the Meng family have secretly sent a lot of manpower to Songjiang City.
He accepted everyone who came. As long as they were not Zhou Xuan's men and had some skills that could be used, he would use them. Some of these people were in the city defense army he established.
Zhou Qi said casually, "A few years ago, Zhou Xuancai came to power and was anxious to win over the civil and military officials. I had to seize the opportunity to firmly grasp the Northeast Army, which was the most important thing in my hands. Half of my confidants were inserted into the Northeast Army."
He didn't have many confidants to begin with. Half of the Northeast Army was sent to control the situation, and there were also secret guards who were gathering information for him. With this calculation, there were not many confidants left in Songjiang City.
Gu Youan couldn't help but feel sorry for him and held his hand. He had had a really hard time in the past few years.
Zhou Qi grabbed her hand and refused to let go, saying disdainfully, "If it weren't for the real lack of manpower, would this king have used Zhou Chen so heavily?"
"Zhou Chen, does have some little thoughts, but he's quite loyal to you." Gu Youan smiled and said a few good words for the somewhat pitiful Zhou Changshi.
Zhou Qi nodded, he knew this.
After the prince finished speaking, Liu Ling said, "The riot in the city guards' barracks that night was a diversionary tactic. They were waiting for a disturbance in the barracks so they could set fire to the granary and cut off our retreat."
"Have they all been arrested?"
"They were captured with the intention of setting fire to the granary. The people who spread the news about the prince in the city... were all spies planted by the palace here. We hadn't touched them before, but we were playing it safe. This time, we caught them all at once."
The emperor's spies are chickens and must be slaughtered; the other officials who came to Songjiang City from Yanzhou, Liaodong, Mengjia and other places to work for their Qi Wang Mansion are monkeys. This time, a group of them who jump high were captured, and their arrogance must be suppressed by killing them.
"well done!"
A smile appeared on Liu Ling's old face. He had followed the prince for many years, so he could guess what the prince was thinking.
Zhou Qi tapped the back of his chair with his free hand. He said coldly, "No matter where they come from, since they have accepted the king's favor, they must serve the king wholeheartedly. A little bit of ulterior motive is nothing, but if they dare to betray the king, they will pay with their lives."
Liu Ling nodded. "Everything has been thoroughly investigated. I checked the almanac and the day after tomorrow is a good day. Those who deserve to be beheaded will be beheaded. As for the others, after their crimes are judged and they are fined a few months' salary, those who should be released will be released."
It's enough to scare the monkeys, but it can't delay their work.
Zhou Qi nodded and agreed: "Tell them all to go and watch the execution."
"I understand." Liu Ling retreated.
Gu Youan tugged at his sleeve and shook it: "You're not in a hurry to mobilize the Yanzhou and Liaodong armies, is it because you don't have enough manpower?"
"That's the reason."
"You're willing to use the manpower that Zhang Minghui and Bai Shijie sent you, probably to leverage their power in the future."
Zhou Qi smiled and said, "The one who understands me is An An."
Zhou Xuan tried to win over military generals in order to gain control of the military power, but the generals were afraid that he would abandon him, so they left him an opportunity.
"If it doesn't involve our foundation, we can naturally cooperate. But if they have thoughts that they shouldn't have, there's no need to talk about it." A hint of murderous intent flashed in Gu Youan's eyes.
Zhou Qi naturally knew what she meant. He patted her hands and said, "Don't worry, Baldy will find out everything. If Zhang Ming dares to raise his claws, I will chop him off even if it means risking half my life."
He knew without asking that Zhang Minghui didn't have the guts to sell him to Zhou Xuan. If Zhang Minghui was smart, he would have known what to do when Baldy went there.
Gu Youan asked him, "What do you want to do in the palace?"
"Princess, do you want to avenge me?" He squeezed his hand again and kneaded it.
Gu Youan pulled his hand back: "You know my temper. I won't offend anyone unless they offend me. But if someone offends me, I will kill them!"
"Is it the same for me?"
Seeing that he still had the heart to joke, Gu Youan sneered: "If there is a day when you succeed, I will accompany you through all the hardships over the years. If you give what belongs to me to someone else, you can try it."
Zhou Qi smiled and said, "The princess is so powerful, I dare not offend her."
"Let me tell you something serious, stop talking nonsense."
Zhou Qi took a deep breath and said seriously, "Zhou Xuan cannot die, at least not now. If he dies suddenly, the Great Zhou Dynasty will be in turmoil."
Gu Youan naturally knew that Zhou Xuan could not die suddenly. It was precisely because he knew this that she was so angry before. However, even if he could not ask Zhou Xuan to pay with his life, he could not do nothing.
"You tell me first."
Gu Youan chuckled softly as she leaned against the armrest of the chair. Her figure was enchanting, her arms gently wrapped around his shoulders. She exhaled softly as she spoke, "I heard from Liu Ling that there's a secret medicine in the palace. Long-term use can make a person's skin fair, their hair and beard thin, their voice soft and charming, and their male essence gradually disappear!"
Zhou Qi's heartbeat quickened at her behavior, and he shuddered at the words she uttered: "Is there such a medicine?"
"Yes, there is. I heard it's a forbidden drug in the palace. Where did it come from? In the previous dynasty, a woman from southern Xinjiang entered the palace as a concubine. Unfortunately, the emperor was unfaithful to her. That woman created this drug, which caused the emperor to have no children from then on."
Holding his chin, the two of them looked at each other, and Gu Youan threatened: "You won't be so cruel just because Zhou Xuan is your nephew."
Isn’t Zhou Xuan evil? Doesn’t she like to do dirty things? Coincidentally, she is not an upright person either.
Zhou Qi thought about it carefully and said, "The princess is willing to take the trouble to avenge me, so I am naturally happy to see it happen. I think it's okay to give Zhou Xuan a little surprise."
Gu Youan stood up and said, "Oh, Your Majesty is a wise man. It's good that you know I am venting my anger for you."
Zhou Qi leaned back in the recliner and looked up at her with a smile. This was the princess he had begged for, and they were truly a perfect match made in heaven.
It had been a while since Liu Ling came out of the study. The doors and windows of the study were closed. Zhou Chen, who had been waiting outside, frowned more and more. He was so impatient that he went to talk to Xu Zhi.
"We are old acquaintances. Please do me a favor and tell the master that Zhou Chen wants to see him."
Since his master didn't ask him to come in, he should take the initiative to let his master know that he is here.
Xu Zhi laughed, patted Zhou Chen on the shoulder, and readily agreed: "Brother will ask for you."
Xu Zhi knocked on the door and entered the study. Outside at the bottom of the stairs, Zhou Chen lowered his head and snorted coldly, brushing off the dust on his shoulders in disgust. This kid Xu Zhi actually dared to call himself brother in front of him. He was really lawless.
Xu Zhi came out and said with a smile, "Master Zhou, the master invites you in."
Zhou Chen hurriedly said with a smile: "Thank you very much."
Xu Zhi grinned again, stepped aside and asked him to come in.
When Zhou Chen entered the door, he felt something was wrong. He turned around and saw why Xu Zhi didn't close the door.
Gu Youan smiled and said, "Zhou Changshi, you've been really hard-working these past few days. There aren't many people in Songjiang City that my wife and I can trust, and Zhou Changshi is one of them."
Zhou Chen didn't care about the door and knelt down hurriedly, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your trust. I will do my best to serve you."
Zhou Qi hummed: "I know you are loyal, go down."
"yes."
After Zhou Chen left the study, Xu Zhi was waiting outside and asked with a smile, "Master Zhou, are you coming out soon?"
Zhou Chen smiled and nodded: "You go ahead and get busy, I still have things to do, let's talk about it later."
"Okay, please, Mr. Zhou."
Gu Youan said to Zhou Qi, "I remember when we were exiled to Songjiang City, we encountered bandits. Lord Su and his family were also captured. I was lucky enough to escape with Axuan. Later, we encountered the Han family caravan returning to Songjiang City. They sent people to Prince Qi's Mansion to report the news. At that time, Zhou Chen led the guards of Prince Qi's Mansion to suppress the bandits. It was so impressive."
Until now, I didn't expect Zhou Chen to have such a personality.
Zhou Qi smiled and said, "Zhou Chen's ancestor was originally a slave who rose from humble beginnings. Because he saved the Great Zhou Dynasty's Emperor Taizu, he was later given the surname Zhou. For generations, the Zhou family has been neither talented in literature nor in martial arts, but they excel in loyalty. The Zhou family's children have always served as officials under the imperial family."
"Zhou Chen is considered a smart person in his family. He can do a good job when ordered to do things. However, he can't make big decisions. This is where he is inferior to Liu Ling."
Gu Youan knew immediately that perhaps it was because of Zhou Chen's background that several generations of people had been dependent on their masters for their livelihood, fearing that if they did not do things well, they would dislike their masters and ruin their future.
Liu Ling is different. He is smart and knows his limits. He can handle many things without his master asking him to do anything.
Gu Youan: "It's a pity that Liu Ling is old."
Zhou Qi also felt it was a pity, but said: "Liu Zhong looks like his godfather, so he can be used."
Gu Youan nodded.
The couple stayed in the study for an hour, and Zhang Shinan came to urge them: "Your Majesty and Princess, one of you is sick and the other is pregnant, you should rest well."
Gu Youan was about to call Zhang Shinan uncle, but when she saw Zhang Shinan's dark face, she quickly smiled and said, "Don't be angry, we'll go to bed after dinner."
Zhang Shinan nodded, but stood outside the door. Gu Youan coughed lightly and said, "Xu Zhi, come and carry your prince back to the main courtyard."
Then Gu Youan asked Xiaoyue, "Is the dinner I asked you to prepare ready?"
Regardless of whether the princess had mentioned it or not, Xiaoyue was quick-witted and immediately said, "I've prepared it as the princess instructed. I was just about to report back."
Couldn't Zhang Shinan see the slight exchange between the master and servant? He ignored her tricks and just watched the couple leave the study to rest.
After lying in the carriage for so long, and then arranging things and talking for so long when they came back, the couple felt really tired now that they had relaxed.
The couple had dinner. Gu Youan watched Zhou Qi drink the medicine, then washed up and went back to the room to rest.
Liu Zhong came to report: "General Gu just came to our house, left a message and went back."
"What did you say?"
"Master Gu said that he was relieved to know that the masters had returned. Master Gu asked the master to take good care of himself. After the master has rested well, he will come to visit the master tomorrow evening after his shift."
Gu Youan nodded to show that he understood. "Everyone who accompanied me on this long journey has made a contribution. Whether it's the people in our courtyard or the guards, there will be rewards. Whether it's monthly money or something else, you go and draw up a list and show it to me tomorrow."
"I understand."
Gu Youan covered his mouth and yawned, and asked Xiaoyue to close the door, as she wanted to rest.
The summer solstice had just passed, and the days were long. It was rare that the main courtyard gate was closed tightly before dark.
The masters rested, and the servants could also relax a little. In the gatehouse outside the main courtyard, Xu Zhi sat with Liu Zhong, Xiaoyue, Xiaoju, Wei's wife, Zheng Erjia, Guo Su and others.
There was a table of food in the lobby. No one spoke a word and just focused on eating. Even Xiaoyue, who had the smallest appetite, ate two bowls of rice today.
After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Xu Zhi patted his belly and sighed, "The food in our house is still delicious."
Guo Su agreed. Although she had not been working at the palace for a long time, the food there was really delicious. Roasted lamb and stewed lamb on the grassland were okay for one or two meals, but eating them every day was unbearable.
Xiaoju touched her chin and said, "Ouch! It hurts!" There were several red and bright boils on her chin, all from eating beef and mutton these days.
Xu Zhi was the master's long-time attendant. He didn't have to stand guard at night, so after eating, he wanted to leave. Before leaving, he had to ask Liu Zhong: "Second Steward Liu, does your godfather have any instructions for you? Tell us so we can all hear it."
Liu Zhong took a sip of tea, put down the teacup and said, "There's nothing much to tell you. Just follow your master's instructions."
"Okay, since you're alright, I can leave now."
"Let's go. You've been worrying about too many things lately. You should take a good rest."
Xu Zhi showed an expression that said, "You understand me," and said with a smile, "Our Liu Er, the Second Chief Steward, is the one who cares about others."
Xiaoyue told him to leave quickly: "You won't be able to talk if you don't talk nonsense, right?"
Xu Zhi smiled, waved his hand, and went out.
After Xu Zhi left, the room was filled with the princess's confidants. Liu Zhong looked around at everyone and said, "Doctor Zhang said the princess's pulse is fine. After all, she's been worried and tired these past few days. From now on, we should persuade the master to rest a little."
Xiaoyue, Xiaoju and the others nodded seriously. Although the princess was not sick, she had lost weight visibly in the past few days. She was tired.
Liu Zhong looked at Guo Su and said, "The princess trusts you. You have seen her predicament. Now that you have become a court lady, you must live up to her support. If one day..."
Guo Su said: "I will protect the princess even if it costs my life."
Liu Zhong smiled and said, "Your life is very important to the princess. If your martial arts skills are so strong that no one can defeat you, wouldn't it be even better?"
Guo Suzhen listened to Liu Zhong's words and said that she would go back and practice hard. Not only her, but all the female guards must practice. The female guards she led should at least not be worse than Li Xian's men.
After saying what needed to be said and scolding what needed to be scolded, Liu Zhong left.
After leaving the main courtyard, Liu Zhong turned left and right and came to an inconspicuous courtyard in the backyard. He pushed the door open and saw Liu Ling waiting for him.
There was only a candle in the dim room. Liu Ling looked at Liu Zhong who came in with his back to the candlelight.
"Here I come."
Liu Zhong stepped forward and supported his godfather: "My son is back."
"Now that you're back, help me copy a few pages of articles."
"My son listens to his godfather."
Liu Zhong helped Liu Ling walk to the west corner. Liu Ling twisted the candlestick a few times, and a secret passage was revealed under the west corner. The father and son went in slowly.
After a while, the secret passage slowly closed behind the two of them.
When Prince Qi's Mansion was first established, several crisscrossing secret passages were secretly dug, some of which were guarded by life-threatening traps. If one did not know the route, entering would result in death.
The father and son walked to the bottom of a secret passage as if they were familiar with the route. A secret room that was two meters wide and one meter high was right in front of them. The walls of the room were filled with cabinets.
In front of the cabinet was a large table four feet long and two feet wide, which was filled with opened and unopened secret letters.
Without Liu Ling saying anything, Liu Zhong went over to grind ink and pick up the pen.
"What did Xu Zhi ask you to do?" Liu Ling suddenly asked.
"Ask your son if his godfather has any other instructions."
Liu Ling snorted softly, "That boy is a clever fellow, and he has the Master's favor. Zhou Chen is far from his match. If that day ever comes, he will definitely be the Master's trusted confidant."
Liu Zhong naturally knew that if that day really came, Xu Zhi would definitely become a high-ranking official.
"You don't need to compare yourself to him. He will be an external official, the master's face to the outside world, and you are an internal official, the inner one. The master values you both equally."
Liu Ling whispered, "In the past, we could only see a little bit of clues, but this time when we really encountered trouble, we knew that our princess is truly capable of standing firm. You are lucky."
Liu Zhong smiled. He served the princess daily, and if it came to understanding her master, he was definitely better than his godfather. To be frank, while on the grasslands, he had really thought that if something really happened, with the princess's offspring, she might be able to control Songjiang City and the city defense army.
The godfather’s feelings towards the prince were different, so Liu Zhong didn’t dare to say such words in front of his godfather. He just lowered his head and did his work.
Liu Ling ordered, "Organize our staff in the palace. When Baldy comes back, discuss this matter with him. This time, I'll leave it to you. Do it well and make sure the master is satisfied."
"My son knows."
Liu Zhong knew what the princess wanted to do, and he also knew that from today on, his godfather would teach him every secret matter in the palace.
Liu Ling dozed off to the side with sleepy eyes. Half asleep and half awake, he suddenly remembered that when he was the same age as Liu Zhong, his godfather taught him that he had to be a good servant to his master and not get involved in secrets. If he didn't have the ability to do the things his master asked him to do quietly, then he could forget about taking power with his crippled body.
The master in the palace used to love to scold these old servants, but he never expected that one day he would be the same as them.
That person, even if he has an extra descendant, will be a useless thing in the future. It will bring shame to his ancestors when he dies.
Feeling happy, Liu Ling suddenly smiled, just like a dried orange peel that suddenly moved.
Liu Ling lay down on the low couch. He had to take care of his old body. He not only wanted to see the birth of the young master, but there would be more exciting things to see in the future.
Liu Zhong glanced at his sleeping godfather, went to get a thin quilt to cover the old man, then went back and sat down to continue reading the secret letter.
In this world, either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind. It all depends on who has the better move.
Playing chess may seem like an elegant thing, but a life-and-death fight is far easier than playing chess. If you can strike the right spot with one blow, there's no need for so many tricks.
Shanhaiguan.
The bald man brought his men to the secret room in Zhang Minghui's mansion, and all the people he wanted were imprisoned there.
Zhang Minghui said frankly, "They opened an inn inside the Shanghai Customs and did some small business. They usually kept quiet and no one was watching them. But this time they took advantage of the situation."
"Is everyone here?"
"They are all here. Not one of them has escaped."
Now that Prince Qi has the evidence against him, Zhang Minghui cannot afford to offend Prince Qi, but he also dares not openly side with Prince Qi and anger the emperor. This time he has made up his mind to shirk his own responsibility and of course arrest everyone.
If he lets one of them out and the palace finds out, Zhang Ming will also die a miserable death.
There are wolves in front and tigers behind, and Zhang Minghui is exhausted at his age.
"Sir, Prince Qi..."
The bald man gave him a cold look and said, "Our prince is very good."
"That palace..."
"It's none of your business."
Zhang Minghui felt a chill running through his bones from the look of the head of the secret guards at Prince Qi's mansion, and he had no idea how the two sides would fight this time.
It's a pity for them who are neither here nor there.
For a moment, thinking of the old man Meng Chuan whom he had ridiculed before, Zhang Minghui also began to think of backing out.
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