Zhao Ji slowly stood up and paced around the room with his hands behind his back. After a while, he said, "The court's dispatch of Zhang Shixun to lead the army to suppress the bandits was quite unexpected. The intention to exclude him was too obvious. It's inevitable that he would feel resentful."
Liang Shicheng and Wang Fu looked at each other, then looked at the emperor at the same time.
Zhao Ji continued, "Since I ascended the throne, I have met countless Taoists, but none of them are highly accomplished. They can do nothing but flatter and curry favor."
"Although Zhang Shixun isn't a Taoist priest, his Taoism is unfathomable. He can communicate with the heavens and summon the five thunderbolts. Calling him a Celestial Master is no exaggeration. Unfortunately, he doesn't practice Taoism properly, but instead is keen on training the army. How can this not be feared?"
Wang Fu took the opportunity to interject, "Your Majesty is right. Zhang Shixun's words and actions make one suspect he has ulterior motives."
Liang Shicheng also said: "Sir, when it comes to military power, it is never too much to be on guard."
Zhao Ji ignored their words and asked, "Where is Liang Fangping now?"
Wang Fu said, "Liang Fangping was originally in Shandong suppressing bandits. After receiving the secret order from the emperor, he has already set off for Weishi. He will probably arrive in two or three days."
"Tell Liang Fangping to closely monitor Zhang Shixun's movements. It's best not to let him notice anything."
"yes!"
At this point, Zhao Ji suddenly said, "Jiang Ming, I heard that Zhang Shixun's cousin was almost killed. Do you know who did it?"
"Well... I've heard a little about this. His cousin behaved badly, often going to a soup noodle shop to seduce a widow. That day, he ran into some hooligans, and a fight ensued after a disagreement. During the fight, he was hit on the back of the head by one of the hooligans."
"And then? Go on."
"I heard that Zhang Shixun found a miracle doctor outside the city who saved his cousin." Wang Fu said while secretly observing the emperor's expression.
"What I heard is different from what you said." Zhao Ji stopped pacing and sat down on the stool. "Zhang Shixun took his cousin to the Yellow River embankment, summoned a silver earth dragon from the ground, and then crawled into the dragon's belly."
"Seriously?" Wang Fu's forehead began to sweat.
He really didn't know much about this matter.
"Gao Chengzong and He Ji witnessed this incident firsthand. Zhang Shixun invited them to the earth dragon's belly and treated them to a magical tea called 'coffee.' After drinking it, they felt refreshed and relaxed."
When Wang Fu and Liang Shicheng heard this, their faces turned pale.
If the emperor hadn't said this, they would never believe it even if they were beaten to death.
Zhang Shixun was actually able to summon an earth dragon.
This is terrifying when you think about it.
"Jiang Ming, you were the one who recruited those ruffians, right?" Zhao Ji looked at Wang Fu and asked.
"Your humble servant...your humble servant..." Wang Fu's sweat dripped down his cheeks.
"Don't be nervous. I don't mean to blame you." Zhao Ji said calmly, "You and Zhang Shixun have always been at odds. It's not surprising that you're looking for an opportunity to take revenge..."
Wang Fu felt relieved when he saw that the emperor had no intention of blaming him.
Then, the emperor's next words made him nervous again.
"You knew Zhang Shixun was powerful, so you didn't dare to go after him directly. So you targeted his cousin. That's fine, but why did you choose someone else? Why did you choose a few ruffians to do this... Jiang Ming, this is truly unbecoming and beneath the pale. You're the Grand Chancellor, and you're usually quite resourceful. How could you be so clueless when it comes to this?"
"Your Majesty, although Zhang Shixun has humiliated me many times, I do not bear grudges. I have no intention of killing him. I only sent someone to beat up his cousin to scare him and teach him a lesson."
"Who helped you find those ruffians?"
"It's my servant!"
"This man deserves to be killed!" Zhao Ji was very angry, and his tone became stern. "The people he found are not ordinary scoundrels, but Yang Tianwang and his men."
"Ah!" Wang Fu's legs went limp and he collapsed to the ground.
Seeing this, Liang Shicheng rushed to his rescue: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Wang Fu has always been cautious and prudent. This is all his fault for trusting that servant too much."
"You don't have to cover up for him." Zhao Ji grew angrier as he spoke. "Although Yang Tianwang acted secretly, Zhang Shixun still found out. If Yang Tianwang hadn't seen the situation and escaped, he might have been captured by Zhang Shixun. However, one of his minions fell into Zhang Shixun's hands."
Wang Fu and the other two were stunned when they heard this.
The emperor actually knew this matter in such detail.
Seeing their dumbfounded expressions, Zhao Ji couldn't help but feel proud. "Don't think that I'm in the palace and don't know anything about what's happening outside. To tell you the truth, I know everything about any movement in the capital."
Liang Shicheng lost no time in flattering: "The emperor is very perceptive."
Wang Fu, not to be outdone, added, "The government sees it clearly as if it were watching fire."
Zhao Ji's vanity was satisfied, so he said: "I will not interfere with your dispute with Zhang Shixun, but I hope you will use your brains when doing things and not do such stupid things again."
The two of them bowed and nodded repeatedly.
Zhao Ji waved his hand, "Okay! You can go now."
The two of them backed out of the hall.
On the way out of the palace, Wang Fu felt his back soaked with sweat. He took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said to Liang Shicheng, "Mr. Enfu, I didn't expect the emperor knew more than us. I was almost scared to death just now."
"Hmph!" Liang Shicheng snorted coldly, "I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you're so careless in your actions. You actually entrusted such a secret matter to a servant. It would be strange if nothing bad happened. Kill him when you get back. If Zhang Shixun finds him, the evidence will be overwhelming, and even the government won't be able to protect you."
Wang Fu gritted his teeth and said, "I will kill him when I get back."
When he was about to walk out of Yanfu Palace, Liang Shicheng suddenly stopped.
"Did you understand the official's last words?"
Wang Fu was startled and asked in confusion, "I don't know what Mr. Enfu is referring to?"
"The emperor said, 'I will not interfere with your dispute with Zhang Shixun.'"
"Mr. Enfu, you're saying..." Wang Fu's eyes lit up, and he suddenly became alert. "You're saying that no matter what means we use to deal with him, the government won't pursue it, right?"
"Idiot, I didn't say anything." Liang Shicheng looked at him with contempt and turned away.
Wang Fu looked at his receding figure and gnashed his teeth, "You damn eunuch, sooner or later I will make you kneel before me."
…
Zhang Shixun led his team out of Nanxun Gate. He Ji and Gao Yanei were already waiting for him five miles outside the city.
They left the city from Xincaomen first.
Although they were a baggage train, they had mules, horses and carts, and they were traveling outside the city, so their speed was still quite fast.
Zhang Shixun said to Han Shizhong, "You will lead the team. We don't need to march so fast. We will only march thirty miles today and then set up camp."
"Thirty miles?" Han Shizhong looked at him strangely.
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