27 Chapter 027
◎Meeting in the Ruined Temple (Part 1)◎
Leaving the capital was not only to investigate the rebellion of Prince Liang, but also to gain a deeper understanding of Daqi.
The four members of the Xie family understood Xie Mingzhuo's choice, and the words of persuasion were on the tip of their tongues, but they couldn't utter them.
Since we can't persuade them, we should ensure their safety as much as possible.
The five of them held a family meeting for this purpose.
"We must have Yang Yunkai with us," Xie Changfeng said solemnly. "There are Jinyiwei garrisons all over the country. With him around, we can find help if we need it."
Meng Qi: "I agree, Old Yang is also good at martial arts."
"Old Yang is the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and must be on duty at the court. If he leaves the capital suddenly, it may arouse suspicion." Xie Mingzhuo did not want to alert the enemy because of the details.
"Isn't this simple?" Xie Changfeng had already thought of a plan. "At tomorrow's court meeting, I'll find a pretext to accuse him of misbehaving in front of the emperor. I'll pretend to give him a beating and send him home to recuperate and reflect on his mistakes."
Xie Mingzhuo was helpless: "Even if the board is fake, the emperor's scolding is real. As a dignified commander of the Jinyiwei, don't you have any dignity?"
"He agreed to everything." Xie Changfeng glanced at her and said guiltily.
Xie Mingzhuo: “…”
The emperor has spoken, who dares to disobey?
A boss cannot change his orders every day. Since he has already said so, she will not interfere. Besides, Lao Yang's ability is still worthy of recognition.
"My mother and I have made a few new flintlock rifles. Let's take them all with us." Xie Mingxuan took the opportunity to say.
Xie Mingshuo joined in the fun: "Why don't I go too?"
"You don't want your newspaper anymore?" Xie Mingzhuo poked at his soft spot.
"You can still cover news in Huguang," Xie Mingshuo sighed. "I'm really worried."
Xie Mingzhuo laughed. "Alright, if anything really happens, I'll still be there to protect you. Don't worry, everything has been arranged."
"Oh, I'm so confused." Meng Qi held her hand tightly. "Can we not go? Why not send the Royal Guards to investigate and collect evidence before convicting him?"
Xie Mingzhuo: "If he gets desperate and starts a war directly, the situation will only become more chaotic."
She hoped to prevent the King of Liang's rebellion plan from happening without any casualties.
Even if this is not possible, we must try our best to minimize casualties.
"Your Majesty, Commander Yang requests to see you." Wu Shanqing reported outside the palace.
The meeting stopped, the five people adjusted their sitting positions, and Xie Changfeng responded.
Yang Yunkai bowed as he entered the hall, half-knelt on the ground, and presented a sealed memorial with both hands.
"Your Majesty, Henan has made a secret report."
The secret memorial was written by the Censor Lu Lian himself. It first objectively described how Zong Zhen disobeyed the orders of the Ministry of War and refused to cut back on troops.
The order from the Ministry of War is true, and Zong Zhen’s resistance to the order is also true.
However, Zong Zhen had repeatedly petitioned the Ministry of War to delay the reduction of troops due to the rampant banditry in Henan, but the Ministry of War refused, and Zong Zhen continued to do as he pleased.
Lu Lian verified on the spot that there were indeed many bandit problems in various prefectures and cities in Henan, especially in Runing Prefecture in the south. Zong Zhen was not exaggerating, but it was a fact that he violated the orders of the Ministry of War.
In addition, during the investigation, he discovered that Zuo Canzheng had a close relationship with Ma Yongfei, the head of Datong Coach and Horse Trading Company.
The five people had already known about this matter through the Jinyiwei, but when they turned to the next page, they all looked surprised.
One secret report, but the author is two people.
The first one was Lu Lian’s work report, and the second one was Zong Zhen’s letter of apology.
The letter of apology was concise and to the point, and listed three things in total.
At the beginning, he directly apologized for his crime, saying that he had disobeyed the orders of the Ministry of War and was indeed guilty, and asked His Majesty the Emperor to punish him;
Then he said that he had submitted five memorials before, but His Majesty was busy with many affairs and had not had time to review them. He asked His Majesty to take care of his health and not to overwork himself.
Finally, he wrote that he had seized six muskets during the bandit suppression process. After interrogating the bandits, he learned that they were obtained from looting a merchant caravan. Since muskets were involved, he did not dare to be negligent and hoped to eliminate the bandits and recover the lost firearms.
Be positive in admitting mistakes.
If the test paper has been submitted five times but has not been approved, there must be something fishy.
The bandits looted the caravan and obtained muskets, which meant that someone was privately manufacturing weapons. The situation was serious and had to be investigated.
That's why he hid the memorial in the secret memorial of the Censor-in-Chief this time.
He really dares to do such an unruly act!
Xie Mingshuo was amused: "Isn't he afraid that the emperor will suspect that he is in cahoots with Censor Lu?"
"Zong Zhen and Lu Lian must have already become suspicious of the Datong Horse and Coach Company," Xie Mingzhuo analyzed. "They want to use the bandits to follow the clues and find out the details of the Datong Horse and Coach Company."
Meng Qi nodded: "I hope it goes well."
However, the very next day, the impeachment memorial from the Governor of Henan was presented to the emperor.
Governor Guo Duan sternly impeached Zong Zhen, saying that he was disrespectful to the censor and the emperor, and even openly provoked the censor when he was giving him a warning.
The most important thing is that Censor Lu disappeared shortly after meeting Zong Zhen!
He didn't explicitly say that Zong Zhen was behind this, but his suspicion was evident between the lines.
The disappearance of Censor Lu must be related to Zong Zhen.
Xie Changfeng was puzzled: "Did he think Zong Zhen was a little too stupid?"
"He did it on purpose," said Xie Mingzhuo.
"What's the meaning?"
"He was worried that Zong Zhen and Lu Lian were colluding. Lu Lian disappeared, but he was actually disguising his identity and secretly investigating and collecting evidence. He impeached Zong Zhen for assassinating Lu Lian in order to force Lu Lian to reveal himself."
Xie Changfeng: "...Guo is not a good person either?"
"Until evidence emerges, everything is just speculation." Xie Mingzhuo didn't say anything definitive, "Just like we can't be sure whether Zong Zhen and Lu Lian's secret reports can be fully trusted."
"This is too hard." Xie Changfeng's words showed some distress.
Xie Mingzhuo looked out the window and saw a sparrow perched on a treetop, tilting its head to preen its feathers.
Although sparrows fly freely and have enough food and shelter, hunters can kill them with a single arrow. Those with poor archery skills can use rice to lure the sparrows into a net.
If it is not careful, it will fall into a desperate situation.
The deadlock hovering over his head has not been completely resolved yet, so Xie Mingzhuo has to think too much and be cautious.
But she will not let her emotions control herself and affect the people around her.
"I've handed over the construction of the glass factory to my great-aunt," Xie Mingzhuo said, changing the subject. "She's very experienced, so she's the most suitable person to take charge."
Xie Changfeng naturally had no objection.
"Just reply to Guo Duan's memorial with 'find the person', and ignore the rest for now. If he submits another memorial to investigate Zong Zhen, you should still let him find the person and evidence first, and then we can just argue with each other."
"Okay." Xie Changfeng agreed immediately and asked, "What about Marquis Weining?"
The "missing" Censor Lu is his son after all. Xie Changfeng puts himself in his son's shoes. If he hears the news that Xie Mingzhuo is missing, who knows how worried he will be.
Xie Mingzhuo rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment before saying, "He's a military commander, and he's long been prepared to sacrifice his life for his country. With such a strong family tradition, he should be able to keep his composure. But we can send him something to comfort him. His second child loves apples, so we can find an excuse to send him a basket of apples."
"Ping" and "ping" are homophones, which can also be considered a hint.
Xie Changfeng nodded: "Okay."
The two of them continued to discuss some state affairs. As it grew darker, Xie Mingzhuo returned to the prince's residence.
I'm leaving Beijing tomorrow, and for the next few days I'll have to sleep in the open air, which is nothing like being at home.
She took a deep shower, changed into soft and clean pajamas, and walked towards the bedroom.
Through the bathroom door, I could hear Feng Caiyu and Jiang Qing squatting on the threshold, practicing local slang in low voices.
One teaches patiently, the other studies seriously, both are preparing to go out.
Xie Mingzhuo slowly opened the door, and the moonlight slanted down on her, and her silk clothes reflected a subtle glow.
She glanced down and said, "Ayu, when you're out and about, your clothes should be simple and convenient. Don't show any expensive clothes, jewelry, or utensils."
"I understand." Feng Caiyu habitually blurted out a slang with an accent from the Huguang area.
Xie Mingzhuo was stunned, then couldn't help laughing.
Feng Caiyu and Jiang Qing couldn't help but laugh.
After the birthday banquet, Xie Mingzhuo no longer participated in court meetings and deliberately reduced his presence. In the past three days, he did not go to Wenhua Hall.
Chang Wei asked out of concern, and when he learned that the student was ill and needed to rest, and could not continue his studies, he stopped asking.
On April 25, two inconspicuous blue cloth carriages quietly left the capital city, blending in with the throng of merchants.
*
Yao Sanniang and her companions were delayed for five days due to snow, and then delayed for a few more days while waiting for the snow to melt and the road to be cleared. They hurried to Huguang at the fastest pace.
The cargo was so heavy that even if they drove as fast as possible, they could only reach Xinyang Prefecture, Runing Prefecture after seven days.
Going further south and passing Pingjing Pass, you will reach the border of Huguang.
"It's too gloomy today, is it going to rain?" An escort raised his head and took a sip of water. "Third Lady, it looks like we won't be able to make it to the city."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a muffled thunder in the sky and heavy rain poured down.
"There is a dilapidated temple ahead. Let's go in and take shelter first." Yao Sanniang said loudly.
They had walked this road many times, and even the stones on the roadside looked familiar.
The rain grew heavier and the strong wind made the tung oil cloth whistle.
The thirty escorts gathered their strength, used ropes to re-secure the tung oil cloth, and urged the horses to move forward quickly.
Finally, we arrived at the entrance of the dilapidated temple before the road became muddy.
They were not the first to arrive. There were already three carriages parked outside the dilapidated temple. Two of them were covered with green cloth and were nothing special, while the other one looked a little more luxurious.
As Yao Sanniang stepped onto the stairs, she heard an angry shout from inside: "Get out!"
Another voice sounded immediately afterwards, with a hint of teasing and joking.
"You and I met together in the dilapidated temple amidst the wind and rain, which shows that we are destined to be together. Why would this lady reject me so much?"
Yao Sanniang raised an eyebrow, wiped the rain from her temples with a handkerchief, and then led the thirty bodyguards into the ruined temple.
With the dilapidated Buddhist shrine as the dividing line, there were six people on the left, four women and two men, led by an elderly woman. She looked over when she heard the sound, the anger on her face still not dissipated.
Two men dressed as coachmen stood in front of her, staring vigilantly at the three people on her right.
There are three men on the right, one is the master and two are servants.
"Hey, another young girl is coming——" The voice stopped abruptly after thirty strong men walked in.
Yao Sanniang flicked the whip in her hand, a smile on her lips: "Meeting is destiny. One of my greatest hobbies in life is whipping people. My destined friend, can you please fulfill this small wish of mine?"
That person: “…”
I can’t afford to offend thirty martial artists. I really can’t afford to offend them.
He laughed dryly and said shamelessly, "I'm just joking. Don't blame me, young lady. It's easy to catch a cold after getting wet in the rain. Why don't you come over and warm yourself by the fire?"
"Keep it for yourself." Yao Sanniang sat down directly in front of the Buddhist shrine and signaled her men to light a fire.
Thirty big men came in and instantly filled the dilapidated temple.
The large open space in front of the Buddhist shrine became their territory, and the two groups that came in earlier shrank into a corner.
There was a storm outside, and the fire inside the temple was crackling.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Seeing that they could only stay in the dilapidated temple tonight, Yao Sanniang ordered her men to fetch the hanging pot to cook the meat soup.
After working as a bodyguard for a long time, it is common to sleep in the open air, and there is no shortage of daily necessities.
Soon, the aroma of the broth filled the entire dilapidated temple.
"Gurgle, gurgle." A complaining sound of the stomach came from the corner.
The man who had flirted with her earlier couldn't hold back anymore and said, "Madam, could you share a few bowls of broth with us? Don't worry, it won't be for free!"
"There are not enough bowls and chopsticks." Yao Sanniang stirred the soup with a spoon and said lightly with her eyelashes drooping.
The man didn't dare to confront her head-on, so he retreated.
"Cough cough." Someone in the left corner coughed.
"Master, you've been caught in the rain, please sit closer to the fire." A young girl quickly made way.
The boss said: "I'm fine, you can grill yours, but be careful of catching a cold."
"I'm in good health," the young girl whispered. "But you, you have a cough, so please don't let it get any worse."
"Okay, okay, you are still young and ignorant. If you freeze yourself, you will regret it in the future." She coughed a few more times.
Yao Sanniang scooped up a bowl of steaming hot broth, gulped it down twice, and took a sip.
The soup only contained salt and ginger to remove the fishy smell, so it tasted average, but it was already a delicacy in this dilapidated temple.
Ginger can also dispel coldness to prevent the body from catching a cold and becoming ill.
She took a few more sips before putting down the bowl. She looked at the six people in the corner and said with a smile, "Judging from your accents, are you from Northern Zhili?"
The older host nodded and then shook his head.
"I'm originally from Anlu County, De'an Prefecture, but later I married into Zhending Prefecture, so I can only be considered half a Zhending Prefecture person."
"From Anlu?" Yao Sanniang looked a little surprised. "I'm from Anlu too. Since we're from the same hometown, why don't you come sit over and have some meat soup with me?"
The boss was surprised: "Is the girl from Anlu too? I didn't hear her accent."
"Hahaha," Yao Sanniang laughed heartily, "We've been traveling around for years, so we've all learned to speak Mandarin. We're used to it. Come over here quickly."
The owner seemed to be interested, but he was hesitant.
"Oh, it's my fault." Yao Sanniang's beautiful face was reflected in the firelight. "My last name is Yao, and everyone calls me 'Sanniang'. I'm a bodyguard. I wonder what your name is, and what you do for a living?"
The boss also laughed: "My last name is Li, and people call me 'Jiu Niang'. I just run a grocery store and do some small business."
After exchanging names, the relationship between the two sides became much closer.
Yao Sanniang invited again: "Nine-Niang has come all the way from Zhending Prefecture. You must have some things in your car. Why don't you go get some bowls and sit over here to drink some hot soup to warm yourself up."
"Thank you, Sanniang. I won't be shy then."
Li Jiuniang ordered a coachman to go outside to get bowls and led the other four people to the Buddhist shrine.
The thirty escorts held their bowls and dispersed silently, leaving a spacious space for Sanniang to entertain the guests.
Yao Sanniang looked at the group with a smile, and then she was surprised to find, "This lady is really tall and very pretty. Could she be Jiuniang's..."
"No, no." Li Jiuniang waved her hand. "She is my husband's distant niece, and she works for me."
The driver brought six sets of bowls and chopsticks.
Yao Sanniang greeted them warmly: "Hurry up and sit down. There's ginger in the soup, which is just right to drive away the cold."
Seeing that the driver had already scooped a bowl and handed it to Li Jiuniang, she took a bowl, filled it with hot soup, stood up, bent down, and handed it to her young and tall distant niece.
The distant niece murmured a thank you and cupped it with both hands, but encountered resistance.
Yao Sanniang looked at her with a smile: "What's your name?"
The woman raised her eyes, and the firelight leaped onto her eyelids, reflected in her calm pupils.
"Meng Zhuo, I'm the second child in my family. People call me 'Second Mother'."
【Author’s words】
Turn back, there is another chapter~
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