103 Chapter 103
◎Late-night meeting◎
The sun sets in the west.
Thousands of soldiers set up camp outside the silver market. The cooks set up stoves and were busy inside and outside the tents.
Lu Song returned at this time.
He was still wearing his crimson official robe and black gauze hat, but the robe was filthy and wrinkled like pine bark, and the black gauze hat was askew, unable to cover his messy hair at all.
If Feng Xianguan were here, he would definitely report him for his disheveled appearance.
He walked all the way to the lobby of the Silver Market Bureau, knelt down before Xie Mingzhuo, and cried, "Princess, this old minister has fulfilled his mission. The bandit leader has agreed to negotiate, but he needs some paper and pen. I'll send someone to deliver it."
Xie Mingzhuo said bluntly: "Then I'll trouble you to make another trip."
"That bandit leader is brutal and cruel. I, an old minister, narrowly escaped death, but my old illness has recurred. Even though I want to help the princess, I am powerless..." Before he could finish his words, he fainted.
Everyone: “…”
"Come here, take Lu Fantai down to rest," Xie Mingzhuo said without blinking, "Qin Dutai, you go and take him down."
Qin Dutai: "..."
Damn, this guy Lu Song is definitely pretending to be unconscious!
"Princess, it's getting dark. Why don't we go tomorrow?" he asked carefully.
Xie Mingzhuo glared coldly: "Isn't the sky here always dark? When has it ever been bright?"
A sharp knife stabbed straight into Qin Dutai's heart. The princess showed no mercy at all.
"I obey your order."
Qin Dutai sent the four treasures of the study overnight. He was a military general and was much stronger. Although he looked a little haggard when he came back, he was not as miserable as Lu Song.
"Princess, the bandit leader wrote a letter." When he received the letter, he was surprised that a servant could write.
But he didn't dare to open the letter privately, so he could only suppress his curiosity.
The letter was in a straw envelope, and the sides of the envelope were decorated with blue and purple wild flowers. However, after being kept in the arms for so long, the petals were damaged and wilted, and no longer bright.
Jiang Qing couldn't help but roll her eyes at Qin Dutai. What a rude man!
When the others saw this, they suddenly thought that someone was delivering a love letter. They thought that the bandit leader was trying to make a fool of himself.
Feng Caiyu took the "envelope" and handed it to the princess's desk.
It seems that Master Lin already knew that the princess was coming, and he was taking special pains to please her.
There was only a thin piece of paper in the "envelope", folded into four layers. Xie Mingzhuo unfolded it and found only four words in the letter.
Can we just play it as a joke?
There was a stamp at the end of the letter, which was the pocket seal she had given him. The pinyin of his surname was written at the bottom of the seal. No one else could use this seal except Lin Fan, and its anti-counterfeiting function was unique.
When she saw the four words in the letter, she understood everything.
Lin Fan's real intention was not to call on the laborers to revolt. He just wanted to use this to draw the court's attention to the illegal mining of silver mines in Guizhou, so as to dig out the interest groups hidden behind the silver mines.
More than half a year has passed, and I wonder how many clues he has found.
How much do Lu Song and others know about the case back then?
It is indeed time to stage a play to scare these cunning and greedy people. If we can force them to tell us the secret of the past, that would be great. If not, we will also ask them to tell the truth about the illegal mining of the silver mine and give justice to the servants.
"Pass the order down. Negotiations will be held in Jinyang Valley tomorrow."
Jinyang Valley is located between the Silver Field Bureau and the bandit’s lair. The valley is relatively open and the scenery is pleasant.
She wrote a letter and asked Qin Dutai to deliver it again.
Qin Dutai dared not disobey and felt extremely regretful when he left.
If they had chosen to negotiate in the first place, how could they have attracted the princess? At this moment, he truly understood the mental journey of the Sichuan officials.
The letter was delivered to the bandit's lair, and they brought back a floral envelope. The weaving technique was more mature than the previous one, and the colors were richer.
There were only two words in the letter: Yes, sir.
Qin Dutai made four trips back and forth overnight. Even if he rode a horse, he was exhausted and felt listless.
The next morning, the sky was bright and beautiful.
Xie Mingzhuo was in charge of the Silver Market Bureau and ordered Gao Quan to lead hundreds of soldiers and several department-level officials such as Lu Song and Qin Dutai to go to Jinyang Valley for negotiations and appeasement.
The two sides drew a line and stood.
Lu Song looked at the people confronting him, and based on their voices, he discovered that the bandit leader who had tortured him in the cave yesterday was not among them. He couldn't help but curse in his heart.
Being sneaky is definitely not a good thing!
Lin Fan indeed didn't come.
It is not appropriate for him to show up in public now. He should stay with the princess in the future, at least to avoid being criticized by others.
Those sent to negotiate were all bad-tempered and difficult to talk to. If Lu Song and others said anything that touched their chest, these servants would never swallow their anger.
It’s already been done, so what’s wrong with doing more?
Just like Meng Tou'er said, we must strive for more benefits, otherwise this protest will be in vain.
Lu Song and his ilk were so high and mighty, how could they care about the demands of a bunch of peasants? Both sides were furious, their words becoming increasingly hasty, even peppered with insults.
Civil servants always pay attention to the yin and yang when scolding others. Their colleagues may understand, but a group of servants cannot understand at all. It is like playing the lute to a cow. They scold others, but they are the ones who are angry.
But the servants' curses were very simple and easy to understand, and everyone could hear them clearly. They scolded Lu Song and others so badly that they couldn't even talk back.
What to do if you can’t win by scolding? Beat!
The two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle. Lu Song and Qin Dutai were exhausted yesterday, and the other civil servants were all too lazy. How could they defeat this group of laborers?
Before Gao Quan could react, the group of servants kidnapped Lu Song and others, ran back to the bandit's lair, and threatened that if they were not satisfied in the next negotiation, they would kill one person a day!
A negotiation ended with "several officials trapped in a bandit's den."
Gao Quan "blamed himself deeply" and led his troops back to the Yinchang Bureau. After seeing Xie Mingzhuo, he knelt down and begged for forgiveness.
"Ah? Do you want to take my guards with you to rescue them?" King Xie Peng of Shu couldn't help but ask, "Solve it as soon as possible and go to the capital as soon as possible."
He had just been discussing agronomy with Xie Mingzhuo and was shocked again. He was even more eager to go to the Tiangong Academy in the capital and couldn't wait.
"No need." Xie Mingzhuo turned to Gao Quan, "This isn't your fault. It's Lu Song and the others' fault for being incompetent. Lead another 500 soldiers, surround the bandit's lair, and wait for an opportunity to rescue them."
Gao Quan understood what she meant and thought that waiting for an opportunity to rescue people was just a pretense, and the princess must have other plans.
Those people brought it upon themselves. They were closely linked to the illegal silver mining. It was only natural that the princess was angry and wanted to use this as an opportunity to discipline them.
This went on for three days. Gao Quan and his men shouted outside the bandit's lair, but there was no movement at all.
Until the fourth day, another unique envelope was handed to him.
He immediately returned to the silver market bureau and presented it to Xie Mingzhuo.
"Gao Quan, select another thousand soldiers and attack the mountain to rescue people." Xie Mingzhuo gave the order decisively.
“…”
Not knowing the inside story, I feel quite confused.
He attacked the mountain inexplicably, took the top of the mountain inexplicably, rescued Lu Song and others inexplicably, and finally "pacified" the group of laborers with ease.
Something seems off? But whatever.
"Princess, the servants have all been properly settled, but the bandit leader Meng Fan is nowhere to be found."
Xie Mingzhuo: "Find out the reasons for the unrest among the laborers and thoroughly investigate the culprit who stole the silver. Don't worry about the rest."
"yes."
The bright moon is like a mirror. The higher you stand, the more you can feel the height and breadth of the sky. Its silver light is like water, covering the towering mountains and forests like a cover.
Xie Mingzhuo changed into dark casual clothes and quietly left the Silver Field Bureau with Jiang Qing.
There is a low hillside next to Jinyang Valley, which is like a dwarf compared to the other mountains.
Before I even got close, I could smell the overwhelming aroma. The crispy smell of the skin being roasted by the flames made me salivate.
Jiang Qing sniffed, "Although I ate a lot at night, I feel hungry again."
Master Lin's craftsmanship seems to have improved.
I don’t know what is being roasted.
Xie Mingzhuo couldn't help but quicken his pace. The conditions were limited these days, and the food tasted just edible. It was a rare opportunity to have a feast, so what was he waiting for?
Before he could get around the low slope, a figure came into view. In his right hand, he held a wooden stick with two pheasants skewered on it.
The chicken skin was roasted with oil and juice, and I don’t know what seasoning was added, but it smelled so good that it would make your nose pop.
"Princess!" Lin Fan lowered his voice, his eyes fixed on Xie Mingzhuo, unwilling to look away.
Jiang Qing blinked and said, "I'll go get some fresh air."
"Wait," Lin Fan stopped her, "Captain Jiang, this is for you."
Jiang Qing took it without hesitation and turned away. As a personal guard, she couldn't be too far away. As long as the princess and Master Lin were whispering, she wouldn't be able to hear.
The pheasant was roasted till crispy and delicious.
On the back of the hillside, the fire was still burning. On the makeshift grill, there were still two wooden sticks left, one skewered with a pheasant and the other with a hare. The meat had been roasted to perfection.
Lin Fan raised the chicken and rabbit slightly to avoid the flames from licking them, tore off two chicken legs and four rabbit legs, and then produced a clean bamboo tube and chopsticks from somewhere. He carefully peeled off the leg meat and handed it to Xie Mingzhuo.
The temperature is just right at this point, not too hot nor too cold.
"Try it?"
Xie Mingzhuo raised his eyes and looked at him. After not seeing each other for several months, the young man looked a little more haggard, with a blue stubble on his chin that he had not had time to trim. Only his pair of starry eyes were still gentle and clear, as if there were stars dancing in them.
The frosty moonlight sprinkled down, giving the side of the face a soft color, with distinct light and shadow, making the facial features more prominent.
"A little tired," she said.
Lin Fan was stunned. After a few breaths, he stammered, "Then, then I'll feed you?"
"OK."
Why do you look for a boyfriend? Of course, it's to have food and clothes provided for you.
The light was dim, and Lin Fan's expression could not be seen clearly, but his eyelashes drooped and fluttered, and the hand holding the chopsticks picked up the strip of meat and then dropped it.
The more panicked you become, the more anxious you become, and the more anxious you become, the more panicked you become.
Xie Mingzhuo waited patiently until the third time, when the hare leg meat was finally successfully brought to her lips.
She took a light bite and it was warm and a little crispy, and tasted very good.
"Did you eat tonight?"
Lin Fan didn't dare lie to her, "I just ate a piece of bread to fill my stomach."
When he thought of the meeting, he wished time would fly by. He didn't even have time to eat dinner. He went straight into the woods to hunt and successfully caught three chickens and a rabbit.
Xie Mingzhuo took the bamboo tube and put some meat into another bamboo tube.
"You eat too."
She couldn't finish all of it.
Lin Fan seemed to have obtained some treasure. He carefully picked up the bamboo tube and slowly ate it with his head down.
He didn't want to eat at all, he just wanted to watch the princess eat. It would be even more perfect if she could talk to him the whole time.
But this was given to him by the princess herself, how could he resist eating it?
After a few legs, my stomach was completely full.
Xie Mingzhuo leaned his elbows back on the ground, leaned lazily on the grass slope, and looked up at the starry sky.
"Scare them for a few days, what did you find out?"
Lin Fan turned around and sat upright, his back to the moonlight. As if the dim light had made him bolder, he looked at her without hesitation.
"There's a saying about avoiding judgment. Princess, aren't you afraid that I'll fabricate charges and frame loyal and honest people in order to avenge my family?"
Xie Mingzhuo chuckled, "If I don't even have this level of discernment, how can I win the support of my subjects and take that position?"
This was the first time she revealed her ambition in front of him.
Although he had guessed it, Lin Fan still felt his blood boiling when he heard her say it herself, and he was deeply fascinated by her confidence.
"If such a day really comes, will you follow the example of the emperors of all dynasties and have three palaces and six courtyards, surrounded by beauties?" He couldn't help but murmured.
Xie Mingzhuo was amused by him and waved, "Come closer."
Her smile was so dazzling that the bright moonlight and the shining stars could not even compare to her beauty.
Lin Fan seemed to be bewitched and bent down to approach.
The slender hand touched the side of his face, stroking it gently for a while, as if the stubble on his jaw was prickly, and then covered the back of his neck, lightly resting it without any force.
"Lin Fan, my life is destined not to stop at love. What I pursue is a prosperous country with a safe people and a peaceful sea and a clean river. Even if you are not here, there will be no one else. Understand?"
People have limited energy, and she prefers to devote her energy to her career. It is enough for her to have experienced love.
With the current climate in Qiguo, it's hard to find someone as pleasing as Lin Fan.
The surprise in Lin Fan's eyes turned into tiny sparks of starlight. He took the hand at the back of his neck, pressed it against his cheek again, and rubbed it a few times with his head tilted.
"Princess, I'm so happy."
Xie Mingzhuo couldn't help but pinch his cheeks. They were smooth and soft, and his skin was really nice.
"Now, can you tell me what clues you have obtained?"
"good."
Maybe it was an accident, but when he let go of her hand, the corner of Lin Fan's lips brushed against her fingertips.
Xie Mingzhuo withdrew his hand without changing his expression. This was all the courage he had.
"Princess, the Tusi rebellion ten years ago was fake. The story of the then Left Councillor, who is now the Governor of Jiangxi, escaping death was also fake."
Ten years later, Lin Fan still felt a dull pain in his heart when he thought of his relatives who died unjustly.
"It all started when my father secretly discovered that the Left Councillor of the Provincial Governor had colluded with the leader of the Yang family in Bozhou back then, secretly seizing several silver mines in Guizhou and intending to submit a petition to the court. However, the news accidentally leaked out, and that's how..."
He didn't want to show his vulnerability, so he turned his back.
Xie Mingzhuo gave him space to adjust his mind, and the network of relationships between court officials automatically unfolded in his mind.
The current governor of Jiangxi seems to be from the same hometown as Lu Song.
Then it makes sense that Lu Song "inherited" his connections in Guizhou and started to conspire with the chieftains for financial gain again.
The rebellion that year was just an attempt to cover up the crime and to unite to throw mud at Lin Yingjie.
Of course, the truth of the matter still needs to be thoroughly investigated.
Xie Mingzhuo sat up and solemnly promised, "If the facts are as you say, I will definitely clear your father's name and restore your Lin family's innocence."
"I believe the princess." Lin Fan turned around again, his eyes slightly red, and said intently, "It's late, I'll take you home."
The moon sets and the sky is dark, and the wilderness is silent.
"Okay." Xie Mingzhuo nodded and stood up.
She lifted up her skirt, shook off the grass debris, turned back in the direction she came from, and was about to take a step when her wrist suddenly fell into someone's palm.
Warm, slightly calloused.
"What? Aren't you going to—"
The body was suddenly enveloped in air. The young man must have taken a shower and changed into clean clothes before coming. The fresh scent of grass and trees lingered in the air.
One hand pressed the back of her head, and the other hand held her shoulders. The force was light, but it revealed a hint of strength and was not offensive.
She buried her face in the other's neck and could feel the beating of his pulse, fast and rapid, as if she could hear the sound of "dong dong dong" in her ears.
"Just a hug, okay?"
The breath was right beside my ear, but I didn't dare to let it go.
Xie Mingzhuo raised his arms slightly and wrapped them around his thin waist.
This is just a small request, please fulfill it.
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