65 Chapter 065
◎Passing by◎
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Xie Mingzhuo still felt a pang of sadness when he saw the food in the camp.
A coarse flour steamed bun and a bowl of vegetable stew with only a few drops of oil in it.
Perhaps it was because she was on patrol today that the kitchen added extra meals.
"I haven't tasted the food in the barracks yet. Marquis Weining, General Pan, are you coming together?"
Lu Ping hurriedly said, "Princess, I have already prepared lunch. Please go to the kitchen."
"I appreciate Lord Lu's kindness," Xie Mingzhuo said sincerely, "but if my Daqi elite soldiers can eat it, then I can eat it too. As for the prepared food, give it to the wounded in the camp."
Even though Lu Ping had experienced many ups and downs, he couldn't help but feel tears welling up in his eyes. Regardless of whether these words came from the princess's heart, her actions today were worthy of admiration and emulation.
Pan Yuancheng and the soldiers following him also felt a pang of sadness.
The group arrived at the kitchen, where the exquisite lunch prepared for the princess had been removed and the guards brought in several plates of steamed buns and vegetable stew.
Xie Mingzhuo did not follow the royal etiquette in the military camp. He simply reached out and took a steamed bun and took a bite.
To be honest, it’s not very tasty.
The coarse noodles were a bit hard and irritating to the throat, not to mention the vegetable stew. Her bowl obviously had more oil in it, but the taste was really hard to describe.
Lu Ping and Pan Yuancheng had lived a hard life and adapted well, but the treatment of the guards in the palace was better than that in the Beijing camp, so they could only force themselves to swallow it.
The princess has eaten it, how dare they not eat it?
Xie Mingzhuo finished his meal slowly and sighed, "If the soldiers in the Beijing camp have such terrible food, what about the soldiers on the border? They eat the worst food, yet they have to defend our country with their precious lives. I feel ashamed."
Everyone knelt down.
"Princess, I am sorry for making us suffer," Lu Ping was moved to tears by her words. "Protecting our country is our duty. Princess, please do not worry too much, it will harm your health."
Pan Yuancheng was already in tears, kneeling down and saying, "Princess, you have mercy on us, and we can only repay you by defending our country!"
"Everyone, stand up," Xie Mingzhuo said gently. "When I return, I will ask my father to allocate a special fund to the Beijing camp to strengthen the soldiers' physiques. That way, they can present their best appearance on the day of the military parade."
Judging by the date, the money seized from the Liang Palace should be arriving in the capital soon. The silver mine controlled by Wang Xin is also a considerable fortune.
This special fund can still be obtained.
Lu Ping stood up happily and said, "On behalf of all the soldiers, I, your Highness, would like to thank you, Princess."
"What military parade?" Pan Yuancheng still had no idea.
Xie Mingzhuo: "Lord Lu, you come and explain."
After hearing what Lu Ping said, Pan Yuancheng's blood boiled, and he immediately promised excitedly: "I will work hard to train and live up to the expectations of His Majesty and the Princess!"
"Father and I naturally trust General Pan."
"Princess, I have something to ask you about the cavalry." Lu Ping asked at the right time.
Xie Mingzhuo: "Oh?"
"Horses are not as obedient as men. If we are not careful, the formation may be misaligned. I, the old minister, would like to recommend an expert horse trainer."
"Lord Lu's vision is naturally not bad," Xie Mingzhuo said with a smile, "Who is it?"
"My wife is Liu Ying."
Everyone was shocked, not because he promoted people regardless of their relationship, but because he was willing to let his wife take on this important task.
Xie Mingzhuo knew that he would not show favoritism, but he did not expect that Liu Ying was actually an expert horse trainer.
I think Lu Er is good at raising pigs because he inherited his mother's "animal husbandry" gene.
"As long as they are talented, they can be used by me."
"This old minister thanks Your Highness for your grace."
Xie Mingzhuo continued to discuss the military review with General Lu Ping and other officers until noon when he got in the car and drove away from the parade ground.
In front of a house in Mingshifang, Lin Fan knocked on the door.
The doorman opened the door and saw a young man he didn't recognize. He looked him up and down and asked, "What's the matter?"
"My name is Lin Fan. Official Shen of the De'an Prefecture in Huguang is my good friend. I've been ordered to escort a prisoner to the capital, and I've come to pay my respects to Chief Cen."
Cen Kui was the sixth-rank official in the Sichuan Qingli Division of the Ministry of Justice at the time, and was a classmate and good friend of Chen Shi.
The concierge smiled immediately and said, "So you're a friend of Tui Guan Shen. Please come in."
The Ministry of Justice is not closed today, but Cen Kui is at home on sick leave, cultivating his character in the study.
When he heard from the servant that Chenshi's friend was visiting, he immediately put down the "Daqi Law" and walked quickly to the living room.
A young man dressed in a blue cloth shirt, with a tall and straight figure, bowed and said, "I am Lin Fan, and I am honored to meet you, Chief Cen."
He is fresh and handsome, with outstanding appearance and character. Judging from his broad shoulders and strong waist, his skills must be extraordinary. He is a good candidate to catch thieves.
He said that the young man that Old Shen has his eyes on cannot be an ordinary person.
Cen Kui enthusiastically helped Lin Fan up and pinched his arm subtly. As expected, his muscles were strong and sturdy. He felt more and more satisfied and thought about how to successfully poach this guy.
He ordered the servants to serve tea, and then took Lin Fan to sit down. He tried to speak in a gentle tone and asked, "How is Tuiguan Shen these days?"
"Brother Shen is in good health. Let me send his regards to you." Lin Fan was anxious and did not exchange pleasantries. He directly took out a letter and said, "This is a letter from Brother Shen to Chief Cen. After Chief Cen has read it, I have another favor to ask of you."
It's better to ask him for help if you have something to ask for. He will be more confident if you ask him for help.
Cen Kui smiled secretly and unfolded the letter. He quickly finished reading the short three pages and already had an idea in his mind.
"You're looking for someone, a young woman named Meng Zhuo, a high-ranking official in the Imperial Guard?"
Lin Fan nodded. "Please help me find out, Chief Cen. I'll be very grateful."
Cen Kui glanced at him a few times, then frowned and dusted the envelope, saying in surprise, "One of you is a magistrate in the prefecture government, and the other was once the head of the county government. Have you never considered that you have been scammed?"
“…”
Since the matter involved a case of treason, Chen Shi did not elaborate in the letter, so it was reasonable for Cen Kui to have such suspicion.
Lin Fan had no choice but to explain: "She has a Jinyiwei badge."
"Badges can be forged. Although not many people dare to forge the Jinyiwei badges, there are some." Cen Kui argued rationally.
Lin Fan had already realized something, his heart sinking as he asked, "Master Cen, is there no one with the surname Meng in the Jinyiwei office in the capital?"
"There are so many people in the Jinyiwei, I don't know if there's anyone with the surname Meng." Cen Kui shook his head. "But according to what you said, this Miss Meng must be very powerful, if not a deputy magistrate, then at least a captain. As far as I know, there's no captain, deputy magistrate, or deputy magistrate named Meng in the Jinyiwei, nor are there any female officials."
Seeing Lin Fan's distraught state, Cen Kui felt sorry for him and said, "Perhaps the Jinyiwei have been promoted or transferred recently. I haven't heard about it yet. Brother Lin, why don't you stay for a few days? I can help you find out."
Lin Fan bowed and said, "Thank you, Master Cen."
"Hahaha, why are you being so polite? Old Shen's friends are my friends. Don't call me 'boss' anymore. It's too distant. We hit it off right away. How about we call each other brothers from now on?"
Lin Fan readily agreed: "Thank you, Brother Cen."
"Don't thank me anymore. Come, go drink with your brother." Cen Kui pulled him to the dining hall.
The servant behind him seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.
Lin Fan said with concern, "From what I see from Brother Cen's complexion, he must still be ill and shouldn't be drinking."
"Master Lin is right," the servant said hurriedly, "The doctor specifically instructed you not to drink alcohol until you recover."
Cen Kui: “…”
Forget it, for Brother Lin’s sake, I won’t drink today.
"Then let's go to the garden and have some tea and snacks. Brother Lin and I will eat and chat."
The servants withdrew respectfully.
"I see that Brother Cen is in good health and won't get sick easily. If he's too tired from paperwork, he needs to take more care of his health." Lin Fan followed him into the garden pavilion, sat down and said.
Cen Kui was startled for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's not because I stayed up late to read the files, but there were some accidents a few days ago. That's all. Let's not talk about that for now. Brother Lin, do you have a place to stay when you come to Beijing? If not, you can stay at my house."
"Thank you for your kindness, Brother Cen. I have already booked an inn." Lin Fan declined.
The two chatted until the end of the afternoon. Cen Kui invited him to have dinner, but Lin Fan declined again. After leaving Cen's house, he didn't want to go back to the inn for a while, so he wandered aimlessly in the market.
Do you want to go to the Jinyiwei Yamen and ask in person?
He was so disheartened that he forgot to ask Brother Cen if there was any high-ranking official with the surname Yang in the Jinyiwei.
But the government offices usually close at the beginning of the evening hour, so it is too late now.
Before he knew it, he was walking to a street market where he had been in the morning and was run into by Song Qianqi.
They arrived at a bad time, as soldiers from the military were clearing the area. The people all retreated to the sides of the street, lowered their heads and dared not look any further.
Another princess carriage?
Lin Fan stood in the crowded crowd, also with his brows lowered, quietly waiting for the car to pass by.
Hundreds of palace guards surrounded the carriage tightly in front, behind, and on both sides. The only sounds on the entire street were the metallic sounds of the wheels and the collision of armor.
The evening drum sounded, the sound was distant and solemn, and under the gaze of the vast sky, it spread to every corner of the city.
The sunset glow is like a gorgeous brocade, embellishing a corner of the dark blue sky. The orange-red light illuminates the gorgeous carriage, and the silk tassels hanging from the roof are colorful and shining.
It was not until all the palace guards disappeared around the corner that everyone woke up from their dream and started whispering to each other.
Lin Fan heard a series of conversations about Princess Rong'an.
He had already heard about "Three Discussions on the Princess", "The Princess Enters the Court", and "A Few Things Between the Princess and the Scholar-Princess" in the morning, and he didn't take them seriously even after hearing them again.
When Xie Mingzhuo returned to the palace, her parents and brothers were waiting for her to have dinner.
After sending away the palace maids, she took off her formal attire, leaned lazily on a wide chair, and took sips of the soup bowl.
"Tired?" Meng Qi scooped some fish chunks that had been deboned into her bowl. "If you're tired, finish eating early and go back to rest."
Xie Mingzhuo smiled: "Not bad."
Just being with my family and being able to relax.
"How was your visit to the Beijing Camp today?" Xie Mingshuo winked. "Did you slaughter the soldiers in front of them, exuding your dominance and gaining countless followers?"
“…”
Xie Mingxuan's sharp comment: "It's a shame you don't write novels."
"Who said I don't write?" Xie Mingshuo rolled his eyes at him. "Didn't I write the outline for the first serialized story in the newspaper myself?"
Speaking of newspapers, Xie Mingzhuo sat up straight and asked, "Have you sorted out all the letters the newspaper office has received?"
"You still don't trust me to do things?" He pulled out a wide box from the seat beside his hips. "All the insightful writings are in there. Let's read them together after dinner."
Because of the robe blocking it, the four people really didn't see it.
"Those officials will have their 'defense' in court tomorrow morning. I have to watch carefully to avoid being led astray by them." Xie Changfeng was quite looking forward to the thought of some officials being humiliated.
"All the criminals involved in the Prince Liang case have been escorted to Beijing. What are your plans?" Meng Qi asked.
Several people looked at Xie Mingzhuo.
"Just make the judgment according to the law." Xie Mingzhuo didn't take it to heart. She was more concerned about how to balance the vacant official position.
Lu Lian has found out that Henan Governor Guo Duan, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Fan Cheng, Left Councillor Han Jingyi and a number of other officials colluded with Ma Yongfei, the head of Datong Coach and Horse Trading Company, deceiving their superiors and subordinates and enriching themselves.
His crime should be punishable by death, confiscation of his property, and exile of his family members.
Fortunately, they were only tempted by money and, at the instigation of Ma Yongfei, deliberately violated the court's decree in order to stockpile food in advance and make a fortune from the disaster.
They didn't know that Ma Yongfei was involved in the Liang Wang rebellion case, which was why he avoided being implicated in the entire clan.
Ma Yongfei, Wang Xin and other people who were directly involved in the rebellion were all executed along with their nine clans and their property was confiscated.
Tang Song, the prefect of De'an Prefecture, covered up the crimes of Prince Liang's Mansion many times in order to cling to power. He was sentenced to death, his family was exiled, and his property was confiscated.
The other officials who helped cover up will be punished with the same crime.
Fan Biqing, the magistrate of Anlu County, condoned his son's bullying of men and women and his collusion with gangs. He was dismissed from his post and exiled with his son.
County Magistrate He had close ties with the Datong Horse Company and was dismissed and investigated.
As a result, there are no less than a dozen vacant positions.
Many people got the first-hand information and were already smoothing out their relationships, looking forward to the court's appointment. The officialdom, which was usually stagnant, began to surge.
Xie Mingzhuo already has candidates in mind for some positions.
As for the rest, it depends on how they fight for it.
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