On the same day, Liu Zhao and Prince Ning were ambushed separately.
They are all on the road they must pass.
Fortunately, there was no danger and no one was injured.
Gu Jiu had a gloomy face and stared at Liu Zhao drinking the health-preserving soup.
Liu Zhao felt inexplicably guilty.
Gu Jiu’s expression when he wasn’t smiling was quite intimidating.
He said again, "I'm not hurt."
Gu Jiu snorted, "Just because you didn't get hurt this time doesn't mean you won't get hurt next time. Tell me, what are you and father planning?"
Liu Zhao said, "No plans. Our father has already given up on this matter and has not continued to investigate. All the materials have been handed over to the Jinwu Guard, and the Jinwu Guard and the Minister of the Imperial Household are investigating this matter."
"fart!"
This may be enough to fool others, but Gu Jiu didn't believe a word of it.
"You and your father were ambushed on the same day, but in different locations. It sounds like a planned incident. Could it be that the people who ambushed you were paid by you and your father?"
Liu Zhao rolled his eyes at her and said, "Nonsense. Do I have so much free time that I would pay someone to ambush me. It's not like I'm tired of living."
"You are not tired of living, but you think other people live too long."
Gu Jiu was very unhappy. Liu Zhao was taking a risk.
Liu Zhao laughed and hugged her. "You really think too much. It's not what you think. Those people are desperate and want to take my father's and my heads. But don't worry, nothing will happen."
Gu Jiu pushed him away and stared at him suspiciously, "Are you and Father really not playing a double game?"
Liu Zhao said confidently: "I swear to God, I would never lie to anyone else but you."
Liu Zhao's eyes were extremely sincere, almost as if he was swearing.
Gu Jiu frowned and asked, "Did you do something to irritate the other party?"
Liu Zhao said casually, "A few days ago, my father went for a stroll around the palace. I guess that incident provoked those people. The ambush my father and I encountered has been reported to the Jinwu Guards, who will report it to my grandfather."
Gu Jiu's face was gloomy. "We can't let this stalemate continue. This case has too many repercussions, and it's no longer limited to the palace. From the capital to the provinces, and from the provinces back to the court. There are already voices of opposition in the court. If we can't eradicate it completely, then we can only choose to quit while we're ahead."
Seeing that Liu Zhao was unmoved, Gu Jiu continued, "We can't offend everyone for the sake of those shady people. The emperor has gone mad, driven mad by fear. But we can't go mad. Unless you are sure you can uproot them and eliminate them completely."
Liu Zhao frowned.
Gu Jiu grabbed his hand and said, "You are only the grandson of the emperor now. You have limited power and authority. You can't do whatever you want. His Majesty will not support you in investigating the case.
You don't have the authority to investigate the case, and relying solely on your own strength to investigate the case privately is useless. If you want to completely eliminate this gang, you must integrate all your forces to ensure a successful strike.
We have to wait, patiently wait. The lid has been lifted, and those people are like rats crossing the street. They can no longer act with the same impunity as before.
And you've already caught them by the tail. Wait a few years, and when the time is right, it won't be too late to uproot them."
Liu Zhao stared at her, "Do you really think so?"
Gu Jiu looked at him, "I also want to hit the snake at its most vulnerable part and solve the problem once and for all. But reason tells me that I can't. At least not this time.
We should quit while we're ahead. The Li family is finished, and Concubine Li De is half finished too. You know, I'm worried about you.
I don't want to live in fear. I don't want to have to think before I eat or drink whether I've been poisoned. I don't want to worry about being ambushed when I go out. Promise me, take care of yourself.
Liu Zhao's face was stern. "It's okay to stop while we're ahead. But before we stop, we have to hurt those people and scare them so they don't dare to act rashly."
Gu Jiu looked at him nervously, "What do you want to do?"
"Of course it's murder!"
Liu Zhao's words were concise but full of murderous intent.
Gu Jiu only said one sentence, "Don't put yourself in danger."
…
Heads rolled and blood flowed like a river.
For half a month, people were killed every day in Caishikou, leaving a sea of blood and corpses.
Actors, prostitutes, eunuchs, palace maids, officials, regardless of their status, were taken to the vegetable market every day to be beheaded in public.
At first, the people of Beijing were quite interested in going to the vegetable market to join in the fun.
But when the killing lasted for five or ten days, everyone became numb.
Even the ordinary people who were not involved in the incident felt fear.
Later on, no one went to the vegetable market to join in the fun and see the novelty.
Only the corpse collector came silently and left silently.
An atmosphere of fear spread over the capital.
This can't go on any longer.
How many people can withstand such high pressure?
If the high pressure continues, people will be forced to rebel.
A heated discussion and bargaining began in the court.
Use various methods to persuade the emperor.
If you really can't persuade them, then put pressure on them.
What are you putting pressure on?
Of course, it depends on natural disasters, man-made disasters, and military pressure.
Only when these major issues concerning the Zhou Dynasty are placed before the emperor can he break free from his fear and stop his butcher knife.
When the emperor's attention shifted from the kidnapping case to natural and man-made disasters, all the court officials, both civil and military, breathed a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, the emperor is still sane and not completely crazy.
With government affairs at hand, the emperor had to calm down.
The bloody smell from the vegetable market gradually dissipated, and the sky above the capital gradually brightened and cleared up again.
From high-ranking officials to ordinary people, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, I don’t have to live a suffocating life.
In Xingqing Palace, there were many new faces serving the emperor.
Chen Dachang is like a stabilizing force, still serving the emperor and still one of the emperor's most trusted people.
Chen Dachang successfully passed the investigation and many tests. Although he suffered a lot of losses during this period, fortunately the result was good.
A dozen or so adult princes stood in a row in the main hall, listening to the Hadith.
The emperor was rarely in a good mood, and he talked to his many sons about big principles and small family matters.
After this incident, the emperor seemed to have figured out many things.
Looking at the eyes of the many princes, there was no longer as much disgust as before.
King Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The old man had at least regained some consciousness, which was cause for celebration.
However, King Ning's happiness did not last long.
The emperor is still the same emperor, and he always holds grudges.
Kindness can be forgotten, but hatred can never be forgotten.
The emperor did not forget that Prince Ning had lifted the lid.
The emperor casually found an excuse and said, "Drag Prince Ning away and give him twenty lashes, severely."
Prince Ning opened his mouth to protest his injustice, but as soon as he opened his mouth, several nimble eunuchs blocked his mouth with a towel.
The eunuchs hurriedly carried Prince Ning away.
Soon the sound of frying bamboo shoots and meat could be heard outside the hall.
All the princes shuddered at the same time. Prince Ning was so miserable.
The emperor's gaze swept across the faces of each of his sons.
His eyes were full of inquiry, curiosity, and evaluation.
The princes were worried and their hearts were beating fast.
Only after Prince Ning was beaten with a stick and carried into the hall half-dead did the emperor announce his decision.
The emperor required every adult prince to leave the capital and inspect the local areas.
When these words were spoken, the princes were shocked.
This is unprecedented.
The Zhou Dynasty never allowed the princes to leave the capital.
The emperor changed the ancestral rules and actually wanted to send the princes to local areas. Is this appropriate?
King Ning held his breath and shouted in his heart: Fuck!
It was said before that the old man had regained some consciousness, but he was slapped in the face in the blink of an eye.
You have to know that the emperor is old and accidents can happen at any time.
At this time, the adult prince was arranged to leave the capital to inspect the local areas. This trip would take at least half a year or a year.
If during this period, the emperor dies and the adult princes are not in the capital, I am afraid that the world will change.
Who will take the throne then?
Could it be that the emperor is still thinking about the little prince?
No way!
Prince Ning lay on the bed, his eyes wide open, staring at the emperor anxiously.
What is the emperor up to?
Why did they drive all the brothers out of the capital?
Yes!
King Ning used the word "drive away".
In name, they were asked to inspect the local areas, but in reality, they were driven out of the capital.
And at the critical moment.
"My son disagrees."
Prince Ning was the first to stand up and oppose.
He is like a dead pig that is not afraid of boiling water. He has already been beaten with a stick and is not afraid of being beaten again.
"My son is used to the food and weather in the capital and doesn't want to leave the capital to inspect the local areas. Besides, it's cold now. If he leaves the capital at this time, he might die on the way. Also, my son doesn't understand local government affairs. If he goes there, he will only add burden to the local government. It's better for my son to stay in the palace and not cause trouble to anyone."
The emperor snorted twice, "Did I ever say you could leave the capital with a formal guard? Dream on! Unless it's a life-or-death situation, you are not allowed to reveal your identities."
"Father, after hearing what you said, I am even more determined to oppose it." Prince Ning continued.
The emperor shouted angrily, "You have no right to object. My decision is made. Go back and pack your bags. We will set out in three days. Someone will accompany you out of the capital then."
Prince Ning wants to cheat and make unreasonable demands.
But my butt hurts and the hardware doesn't cooperate.
He could only let the eunuch carry him out of the palace.
Prince Zhao followed Prince Ning and watched the joke.
"Brother Wang, you got a beating for nothing. Can you still bear it?"
Prince Ning rolled his eyes and said, "Sorry for worrying you. I'm fine."
"Brother Wang, your words are still full of energy, and I feel relieved. Brother Wang, please be careful with your words next time, or you might get another beating."
After saying this, King Zhao laughed heartily.
After laughing, King Zhao walked ahead and soon disappeared from King Ning's sight.
Prince Ning snorted twice and cursed secretly.
When Prince Ning was carried back to the palace, Mrs. Pei was terrified and almost thought that Prince Ning had been stripped of his title.
When she learned that Prince Ning had only been beaten with a stick, Madam Pei's expression changed. She said nonchalantly, "A mere twenty strokes of the cane won't kill the prince. Has the imperial physician arrived? Let him treat the prince quickly."
The executioners in the palace were very sensible.
Prince Ning was a prince, so they automatically let him off the hook when they beat him with the stick. The wounds were just skin and flesh, and no bones or muscles were injured.
If it were someone else, twenty strokes of the board would kill the person on the spot.
Prince Ning groaned and shouted to Pei, "I was beaten with twenty boards."
Pei raised an eyebrow and said nonchalantly, "Don't scream, Your Majesty. I know Your Majesty was beaten with twenty boards. It didn't hurt any bones. With some medicine, he will be healed in three to five days."
Prince Ning was very dissatisfied and shouted again: "I was beaten with twenty boards."
Pei secretly rolled her eyes. Then, as if by magic, her face changed to one of fear and trepidation, and she even took out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.
I squeezed hard and finally squeezed out two tears.
Then, in a panicked tone, Pei called out, "Prince, are you alright? You scared me to death. Oh my god, how could he be so badly injured? Where's the imperial physician? Is he dead? Send for him immediately. If anything happens to the prince, I, the princess, will not forgive you."
Prince Ning snorted twice, pretending to be disgusted, but said in a gentle tone: "Alright, stop shouting. My injury is not as serious as you think."
"Really?"
Pei Shi tried hard to squeeze back her tears. "Seeing Your Highness covered in blood, I was almost scared to death. I'm finally relieved that you're okay. Your Highness, please take care of yourself in the future and never contradict His Majesty again."
"The old man is confused and doesn't allow me to say a few words."
Pei wiped her tears and said, "If your Highness doesn't consider himself, he should at least consider the children."
"Alright, alright, you're the only one nagging me. I'll be more careful next time."
Pei turned her head away and rolled her eyes, showing great disgust.
At such an old age, he still acts like a child and needs to be coaxed. How shameless.
After hearing Pei's caring words, Prince Ning felt relieved.
The imperial physician came and examined him. "It's nothing serious. Just apply some external medicine and you'll be able to get out of bed and move around tomorrow."
"So fast?" Pei was surprised.
The imperial physician said casually, "It's just a minor skin injury, nothing serious."
He didn't even prescribe any oral medicine, only external application medicine, and then the imperial physician left with his medicine box.
Pei thought that even if Prince Ning received twenty strokes of the cane, no one would suffer a serious fall.
The people in the palace let the water out too much this time.
This is not releasing water, this is clearly a dam breaking.
Seeing that Prince Ning's injuries were so minor and he would be able to get out of bed and move around tomorrow, Pei immediately lost her patience and was too lazy to coax him.
"Your Highness, take good care of yourself. I have a lot of things to do, so I'll take my leave now. I'll come visit you later."
Prince Ning was furious, "I'm injured, and you won't serve me?"
Pei smiled and said, "Your Highness, your injury is so minor that you don't need any care. You can just lie down. I'll take my leave."
Pei left in a clean and decisive manner.
Prince Ning was furious.
He asked Chang En, "Am I really that annoying? We're an old couple, and you have this attitude? You're so impatient just talking to me."
Chang En wanted to laugh, but he didn't dare to. He could only suppress it.
"Your Majesty, calm down. The princess may really be busy."
"What are you busy with! What is more important than my injury?"
Chang En really wanted to say that Ning Wang’s injury was not really an injury.
At most it's just a little skin abrasion.
He even suspected that the people from the Ministry of Punishment in the palace were playing with cotton.
Little did he know that all this was thanks to Gu Jiu.
Why do you say that?
The Yuhuaxiang Wharf run by Gu Jiu has an increasing volume of cargo every day, and the income is accumulating, making many shareholders happy.
Among them was the head of the Ministry of Punishment.
However, the head of the Ministry of Punishment did not invest in his own name, but through the Shaofu.
I originally just wanted to earn some pocket money, but the result was an unexpected surprise.
The seemingly insignificant small business has become a money-making tool under Gu Jiu's operation.
As long as the current operating model is maintained, there will be a considerable dividend every year. By the way, I can also arrange for my family to work at the dock.
This action is neither illegal nor against regulations, does not violate palace rules, and can earn money, so the result is that everyone is happy.
Prince Ning was beaten with a stick.
Considering that Prince Ning is Gu Jiugong's father, the head of the Ministry of Punishment personally let him go, who would dare to disobey?
After twenty strokes, it's only slightly better than beating cotton.
It’s no wonder that imperial physicians are reluctant to prescribe medicine and waste medicinal materials.
…
The Shaofu household official sent an invitation to Gu Jiu, asking him to come over for tea when he was free.
Gu Jiu was very happy when he received the post.
She took the opportunity to ridicule Liu Zhao, "Has the Lord of the Household ever invited you for tea in all these years?"
Liu Zhao's face turned cold, and he breathed out through his nose, "This young master doesn't want it."
Such a tsundere!
It's clearly envy, jealousy and hatred.
Gu Jiu waved the invitation, "Look, this is my character. The Shaofu family commander personally sent me an invitation to invite me for tea."
Show off!
Naked show-off.
Liu Zhao took the card and opened it to take a look. He recognized it at a glance as an invitation written by the Shaofu Household Officer himself.
He secretly glanced at Gu Jiu, who seemed quite proud.
As the most senior member of the imperial clan, one generation older than the emperor, the Shaofu's household director controlled the money flow. He could simply send a message to someone he wanted to see. There was no need to send a special invitation.
After searching around the capital, apart from the emperor and the concubines in the harem, no one should be qualified to have the Shaofu Household Director personally send an invitation.
But Gu Jiu actually received an invitation from the Shaofu's Household Order, and it was an invitation written by the Shaofu's Household Order himself.
This is very unusual.
Gu Jiu said proudly, "Are you envious?"
Liu Zhao turned his head and said, "Even if I am envious, I won't say a word."
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