Liying
The matter in Qing County is not complicated.
In the early years of the reign of Emperor Deshun, the court allocated funds to build dikes, which was originally a good thing for the country and the people. It was also a good policy for governing the country issued by the current emperor when he first ascended the throne. However, in just a few years, heavy rain washed away the dikes, causing countless people to be displaced.
The emperor was furious and immediately ordered a thorough investigation, which implicated dozens of local officials, who were imprisoned and beheaded before the matter was dropped.
Now this old case has been reopened.
Xie Lingxi gasped, "Floods again? Dikes again? How much money was embezzled in all of this?"
The embezzlers have already committed their crimes and been executed. Now, who has the audacity to bring them up again? As Liu Xu said, what exactly is being investigated and punished?
The Jingzhou incident was secretly orchestrated by the Prince of Pingnan. In that case, could the shoddy construction of the Qingxian dike also be attributed to him?
Once someone dies and their protective umbrella collapses, a force will instantly retaliate, seeking to vindicate itself.
Liu Xu said coldly, "I only regret that I cannot kill all the corrupt officials!"
He pointed to the numbers written in charcoal ash on the bamboo slips, "Here, here, and here... What precious things were bought? Who settled the accounts? Such carelessness has managed to keep it a secret for twenty years."
Meanwhile, Lord Liu was filled with patriotism and indignation, while Xie Lingxi smoothed the stray hairs that had been blown by the wind from her temples, and another idea came to mind.
After some thought, she asked Liu Xu, "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Are you going to speak frankly and honestly?"
Although it was the Emperor's decree, it just so happened to fall into his hands. But these days, he's had far too many matters on his plate, both relevant and unrelated…
Xie Lingxi frowned: "You've done so much, fulfilling your duties and responsibilities. Are all the others just freeloaders? Could it be that someone in the officialdom is deliberately making things difficult for you?"
Even if the Emperor intended to promote her and thus gave her husband this training, how could he just drive the cattle and horses along the road without feeding them? Isn't such behavior excessive?
Liu Xu stared at his wife for a long time before saying softly, "Does Lingxi think I'm the kind of person who would be bullied by others?"
Xie Lingxi raised an eyebrow: "So you're really pregnant?"
Who was so blind as to dare to mistreat her? She was about to ask when Liu Xu leaned down and unexpectedly kissed her hair. "No rush."
...
Fifteen minutes later, Chu Liying's door was knocked on again.
He opened the door with a grim expression, only to see a tall, handsome young man standing there, holding an umbrella that partially obscured his face, yet still exuding an air of refinement. He was dressed in a blue robe, as graceful as a willow or bamboo.
"And you are...?"
Liu Xu introduced himself: "My name is Liu Xu, courtesy name Chengzhi, and I am currently an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."
Chu Liying: "Ah..."
He was taken aback, then his hostility vanished, his eyes brightened, and he seemed to come alive. After thinking for a while, he asked, "Lord Liu, what brings you here?"
Liu Xu simply shook his head: "Just call me Chengzhi."
"Brother Chu, among the group of people who were convicted twenty years ago due to the collapse of the river dam, was Chu Lian, the magistrate of Qing County at the time, your father?"
Chu Lian was wronged.
He was clearly a good magistrate who loved the people like his own children, but in one incident, he was falsely accused of corruption, imprisoned, and his body was never found. His wife and children were torn apart.
The light rain pattered relentlessly on the red-tiled roof. Chu Liying tensed up, her jaw clenched hard. He ushered her in, umbrella and all, saying, "Chengzhi, please come in and talk."
Liu Xu was pleased.
He closed his umbrella, stepped onto the moss-covered steps, and observed that the house was spotless. A pile of knives, spears, and clubs was neatly stacked under the awning, and several chickens were locked in a coop, silent and still.
Seeing that the young man was staring at something, Chu Liying's face darkened. She gestured for him to sit down in the hall and poured two cups of tea. "Please sit down."
Liu Xu flicked his sleeves, took a sip of his drink, and cut to the chase: "The memorial submitted by Brother Chu eventually ended up here. Brother Chu, what do you think? Should I investigate it or not?"
This statement is not well-intentioned.
Chu Liying had originally thought this man was as upright and honest as the moon and the breeze, and would be here to discuss matters in a serious manner. But now, his words carried an evil aura of "treacherous officials in power." His throat was dry. "What does Lord Liu mean by this?"
Liu Xu chuckled and continued, "Brother Chu, you've been immersed in officialdom for many years, why are you still so naive? Just because a prince died, does that mean the truth can really be revealed to the public?"
"Why was this matter entrusted to a mere Assistant Minister of Revenue like me? Why is the court keeping silent about it? His Majesty has only given me five days to handle this matter. Should I let it go leniently or punish him severely?"
Even a centipede, though dead, does not stiffen.
The high-ranking officials and nobles involved were not limited to the Prince of Pingnan.
"..."
Chu Liying remained silent for a long time, her face showing deep concern.
He had heard of Liu Chengzhi's great reputation before.
The young man before me looked smug and pleased with himself. His outer robe was embroidered with dark bamboo and honeysuckle, and was made of the finest silk. Even on such a gloomy, rainy day, it seemed to shimmer with a faint light.
He achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination at the age of 18, and within just two or three years he gained fame and political achievements. He also married a woman from the Xie family of Chenjun, making him an unparalleled figure of his time.
Looking at myself... could it be that after ten years of planning, I have gained nothing at all?
His eyes suddenly blazed with fury, like a wolf lurking in the shadows, and he said, enunciating each word clearly: "Reveal the truth to the public—Lord Liu must have other ways."
Although he is not a civil official, he is certainly not stupid to have reached his current position.
Since Liu Xu had already come to him and explained the reasons in detail, it must have meant more than just taking the opportunity to attack him.
This young man's father-in-law is Xie Yuan, whose power and connections are like a burst dam, unstoppable.
If this matter is truly as difficult as he claims, after considering all this, perhaps there is still room for maneuver.
I only hope that Liu Chengzhi can lend a helping hand.
Regardless of his purpose or what terrible price Chu Liying would have to pay, he would gladly accept it.
Liu Xu then asked, "Brother Chu, do you know the names of the others?"
Chu Liying shook her head: "The governor is dead, and the vice minister of the Ministry of Works retired to his hometown last year... I only know that the former governor of Jiangnan and Beidao Circuit is now the Privy Councilor and a favorite of the Emperor—"
“Lu, Wen, Dao”.
The Lu family...
Liu Xu smiled and said, "I already have a plan in mind. I only need to inform one person. I would like to ask Brother Chu to come to my house tomorrow to discuss it in detail."
Although Chu Liying was apprehensive, she still nodded and replied, "Okay."
...
It turned out that the people involved in the corruption during the construction of the dam were from the Lu family.
Does Your Majesty truly not know?
He first stripped Lu Wei of his power as the Grand General of the Golden Guard, and then brought Lu Sanlang Wendao to his side, making him the Privy Councilor.
A slap followed by a sweet treat—the unparalleled tactics of an emperor.
Moreover, although the Privy Councilor holds a high rank, he is dependent on the emperor and has no real power... Xie Lingxi sighed and praised, "With such a scheme, your third uncle is still grateful."
It was noon, and the rain had finally stopped. Yan Ying, surrounded by her attendants, watched the cranes and burned incense before driving her carriage out. She sat comfortably amidst the flowers and splendor of the Liu residence.
Xie Lingxi's words were clearly a joke, but after thinking for a long time, she tapped the table with a light tap, "...He's inexperienced."
“Lu Wei, Lu Ping, Lu Wendao… they are all incredibly stupid. No wonder the Lu family is declining.”
Xie Lingxi: "Then what should we do? I think that General of the Imperial Guard is very fierce. How can we kill Yan Sheng under his nose?"
She was tending to the flowers and plants, waiting for the princess's reply, when suddenly the courtyard fell silent, with only the lamplight extinguished. Confused, she looked up and was met with a fierce and menacing face.
Chu Liying, who arrived late: "..."
He glanced at Liu Xu, then at Xie Lingxi, and after a long pause, he squeezed out a few words: "Yes, it's you!"
"ah."
Xie Lingxi covered her mouth sheepishly, then forced a smile, completely disregarding the outrageous things she had just said, and said nonchalantly, "It was me."
Chu Liying felt his blood rush to his head, and his face flushed red. He wiped his face, his hands covered in cold sweat.
His gaze darted back and forth between the two of them, and he asked suspiciously, "Are you a couple?"
Actually, there's nothing to doubt. The young man and woman in front of him knocked on his door one after the other yesterday. They were both refined and beautiful, yet they kept threatening him. They were indeed insidious in the same vein.
He had come with some expectations, but now he was a bit apprehensive. Liu Chengzhi was relatively easy to talk to, but his wife was quite unreasonable.
Although it was indeed his fault for making too much noise so early in the morning, how could he act like that?
The lady of the Xie family in Chenjun is said to be a fairy from the Lin Yuan Garden who washes away the mist and flowers, but seeing her today, she seems to be different from what is said in the rumors.
Xie Lingxi raised an eyebrow: "Is there a problem?"
She picked up a pot of tea, poured a cup of tea slowly, filling it to the brim, leaving only a very shallow rim of the agate cup visible. "We've been neighbors for months, and today we finally meet. Come, Lord Chu, this cup is for you."
Chu Liying's mind was a little confused, but she tilted her head back and drank it down. Then she saw a graceful and beautiful woman sitting at the end of the table and asked, "And this is...?"
"Princess Yan Ying of the current dynasty," Xie Lingxi said with a radiant smile, "Your family's past affairs will now depend on this princess."
Chu Liying immediately straightened her eyes and cupped her hands in greeting: "Your Highness, may you live a thousand years."
He dared not scrutinize the princess as he had when he had examined the couple earlier. He caught a glimpse of the peony silk flower in the princess's hair out of the corner of his eye, immediately lowered his gaze, stepped aside, and picked up his cup to drink, but was reminded by Xie Lingxi: "Lord Chu, this teacup is empty."
"..."
Seeing his restraint, Yan Ying spoke up, her voice like a golden bell: "Killing Lu Wendao is easy, but what Lord Chu wants is to clear his name and exonerate him."
The few numbers on the bamboo slips alone are far from enough. Twenty years have passed, and those criminals are now all in high positions of power. Even if we follow the clues, what can we find out?
"good."
When this matter was mentioned, he sat up straight, the blush on his face faded, and he became more resolute, "But Lu Wendao is the Emperor's man..."
However, revealing this matter would bring the Emperor no benefit whatsoever.
Otherwise, Liu Xu wouldn't have been allowed to end things so hastily.
He murmured to himself, but the princess said lightly, "That's easy. The emperor is heartless. Just replace him, won't that solve the problem?"
The true intentions are revealed when the truth is finally revealed!
Xie Liu and his companion exchanged a glance, noticing Chu Liying's cold, seemingly unmoved expression. Suddenly, Xie Liu crushed a cup in his hand, concealing his shock. He abruptly looked up, staring intently at the princess, "Whose turn will it be?"
"Why do you want to kill the King of Qin?"
Sure enough, he overheard everything he said.
Yan Ying's eyes shimmered, as if one could glimpse countless bright spring days and a world of integrity within them. She patiently guided him, saying, "To clear your father's name, you need more than just these bamboo slips; you also need the benevolence of an emperor and the willingness to admit and correct his mistakes. This case has been closed for over twenty years. On what basis can His Majesty reopen an old case? If he does find any flaws, wouldn't that prove that everything he did back then was wrong?"
Chu Liying's breath hitched.
Before her, the princess's red lips parted and opened: "My brothers, no matter who becomes emperor, are all the same; that's just the nature of men. But I have a touch of 'womanly compassion'."
He repeated in a low voice, "...Womanly compassion?"
Yan Ying was not stingy at all, her eyebrows arched and she chuckled, "I admire Lord Chu, and I'm willing to overturn the case for Lord Chu because of this 'admiration'."
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