83 Chapter 83
◎Letter from Guizhou◎
There were too many people involved in the Sun Moon Sect case, and even though the three departments were trying the case together, it was delayed until almost the end of the year.
Princess Rong'an's body "recovered" in time.
Wei Zheng was imprisoned, but there were still two candidates left for the title of prince consort. It was impossible to recruit someone and then let the matter go.
Xie Mingzhuo explained that he was willing to give them compensation, and they could make their own requests for what kind of compensation it would be.
Both candidates were straightforward: one wanted a place in the Imperial College, while the other asked the princess to forgive his father's "fault."
Xie Mingzhuo asked someone to investigate this matter.
His father's "fault" was nothing more than not being tactful enough and being too straightforward at work, which embarrassed his superiors, but his work ability was still good.
This person asked Xie Mingzhuo to pardon his father in order to provide a protective shield for his father so that if he offended someone in the future, others would at least not dare to go too far in public.
Xie Mingzhuo naturally agreed.
The princess resumed her participation in government affairs, and the emperor became a hands-off boss again, asking officials to go to Wenhua Palace if they had any business.
The officials were deeply resentful, but they dared not disobey.
Fan Wenxin, the Minister of Rites, once taught Prince Jin to read. Originally, he was slightly inclined towards Prince Jin, but after the "Taoist Immortal Warning", the emperor's family seemed to have changed.
He and his colleagues are well aware of this.
Many people privately approached Chu Jun, wondering when this Imperial Observatory Director had ever been surrounded by so many important officials. While secretly delighted, they also remembered the emperor's secret instructions.
He kept his mouth shut and said vaguely, "Let's read the heavenly book."
What heavenly book?
Isn’t the heavenly book that we are familiar with today just that piece of story in the newspaper that has no literary flavor at all?
Could it be that everything written in the heavenly book came from the enlightenment of the "Taoist Immortal"?
Fan Wenxin had previously speculated that the owner behind the newspaper should be Prince Jin.
However, the Prince of Jin was so absorbed in the newspaper business that he had no interest in state affairs. The Prince of Qi was even worse, too lazy to even talk to anyone.
Judging from the attitudes of the emperor, empress and the two princes, the princess seemed to be their chosen candidate for the crown prince.
Fan Wenxin was in charge of the Ministry of Rites. Logically, he should have been the first to jump out and oppose it, but objectively speaking, apart from her identity as a woman, the princess was indeed more suitable than the two princes.
This "selection of a son-in-law" was a confrontation between court officials and the princess, and the result was already obvious.
The princess not only took the moral high ground, but also used thundering means to destroy the branch of the Sun and Moon Sect in the capital, clearing the capital inside and out. Even he, an old minister, was impressed by her skill.
Anyway, he was too embarrassed to say it again.
Braving the wind and snow as he stepped into the Wenhua Hall, Fan Wenxin cleared his mind of all the random thoughts and bowed respectfully to Xie Mingzhuo when he saw him.
"Princess, the letter from the King of Goryeo was delivered to the Ministry of Rites yesterday."
It was Her Royal Highness the Princess who discovered in time that Prince Li Si of Goryeo was stealing firearms and caught him in the act.
You can’t win by open schemes, nor by secret schemes.
As long as the princess maintains her momentum, the position of crown prince is a sure thing.
Goryeo?
Xie Mingzhuo almost forgot about this matter. Prince Li Si is still in prison now, right?
It’s freezing cold, and I don’t know how he is doing now.
"What did you say?"
Fan Wenxin: "The King of Goryeo also presented ten rare birds and requested that Prince Li Si be released and allowed to return to his country."
"What do you need so many rare birds for?" Xie Mingzhuo leaned back in his chair and casually wrote "read" on the memorial. "Tell him that his son has committed a capital crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the clan. I only care about sincerity."
Confiscating property and exterminating the clan...
Could it be that the princess was so unhappy that she wanted to lead her army to Goryeo to "confiscate the property and destroy the clan"?
Fan Wenxin wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and withdrew as ordered.
The Xunxianlou case has come to an end. The imperial court has shown no leniency towards the Sun and Moon Sect and has imposed extremely severe sentences, most of which are death sentences.
Rich and powerful families implicated, such as the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion, were basically sentenced to exile and military service if they had not personally participated.
But Tong Qinniang and Wei Zheng, mother and son, were not among them.
The most innocent person was the eldest son of the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion. He had always been neglected by his father, and all the resources of the Marquis's Mansion were piled on Wei Zheng. Although he rented out the teahouse, he was drunk at the time and was purely deceived.
Now that he was implicated by Wei Zheng, he almost wanted to kill him with his own hands.
He was indeed wronged, but severe punishment should be used to deal with evil cults. If he is let off easily, the Sun and Moon Cult will take advantage of this loophole to avoid punishment next time.
Of course, Xie Mingzhuo is not absolutely ruthless.
For criminals like Wei Shizi, they were given a little more consideration in the choice of exile place and were secretly given more favorable treatment. For example, they could be promoted normally after exile without having to consider their criminal record.
The Wei family is descended from military generals. I hope that Prince Wei can achieve something after being exiled and live up to the style of his ancestors.
Wei Zheng and Mr. Gu kept saying in prison that they wanted to see her and would not confess if she didn't.
Xie Mingzhuo didn't bother to pay attention and ordered that if they didn't confess, they would be sentenced to death by slicing. Only then did the two men shut up.
At the end of the day, officials from various government offices came and went in Wenhua Hall to make a final summary of the work of the year.
When Xie Mingzhuo was handling government affairs, Meng Fan was serving him with writing materials. The more he listened, the more he admired the princess and he regarded her as his guiding light.
"Cousin, you have been in Wenhua Hall for some time. Are you getting used to it?" Xie Mingzhuo put down his pen and asked while rubbing the bloody spot at the corner of his eye.
Meng Fan stood up and walked behind her, massaging her shoulders and neck with just the right amount of strength, neither too light nor too heavy.
"Fan Niang is shallow, she only understood 70% of what she heard, and only 23% of the rest. But even so, it is more fascinating than embroidering in the boudoir."
"After more than a decade of guarding this little corner of the courtyard, you possess such knowledge and courage. How could you be so shallow? The teacher also praised your extraordinary intelligence. With time, you will surely achieve something."
"But Your Highness," Meng Fan leaned over and whispered, "Men can enter the court through the imperial examination, so what should I do?"
What should I do to stand by your side with integrity?
Xie Mingzhuo smiled and said, "The imperial examination is not that simple, Fanniang. You are indeed intelligent and have thoroughly understood everything the teacher teaches you. However, you still lack the most important thing: you haven't carefully observed the world."
If one is ignorant of the ways of the world, even his policy essays will be empty and will not be accepted by the examiners at all.
"I've learned my lesson, Fanniang."
Meng Fan was also very clear in her mind that due to her limited vision, no matter how knowledgeable she was, she could not really share the worries of His Highness.
"But don't worry," Xie Mingzhuo comforted her, "Opportunities come to those who are prepared. You are still young."
"I see."
The heavy snow fell and then stopped, and on New Year's Eve, the sky suddenly cleared up, and warm golden sunlight poured down. The sky turned blue, and the colored glaze shone golden, like a painting of clear mountains and rivers, showing the magnificence and splendor of a peaceful and prosperous age.
The palace was decorated with lights and lanterns, the eunuchs and palace maids changed into new clothes, and everyone was filled with joy.
Today was a day off, and Xie Mingzhuo rarely missed going to Wenhua Palace.
She first went to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to admire her father writing Spring Festival couplets, and then went to the Armory to watch her mother experiment with chemical reactions using a glass measuring cup.
As for the eldest and second brothers, one went to the Military Equipment Bureau to research new firearms, and the other held a summary meeting at the end of the year to distribute bonuses to outstanding employees.
Only she was holding Lixia and leisurely feeding the fish in the imperial garden.
"Your Highness, there's a letter from Huang Huafang." Jiang Qing walked over quickly and presented the envelope.
The envelope was unsigned, but the letter from Huang Huafang was addressed to Lin Fan alone.
She and Lin Fan agreed that the letters would be delivered directly to Meng's house in Huanghuafang. She arranged a servant to clean the house and if there was a letter, it would be delivered to the palace immediately.
Today is New Year's Eve, and this letter comes at a great time.
She put Lixia on her knees, but Lixia couldn't stand the loneliness, so he left her and slipped out of the pavilion without a trace.
Xie Mingzhuo smiled, let it go, and slowly unfolded the letter.
The letter was only a short page. It started with a few words of greeting, then got straight to the point. She explained that she had arrived in Guizhou, ready to set off in search of gold, and asked not to worry. With the New Year approaching, she wished Miss Meng good luck, a long life, and good health.
There was a risk of the letter being lost, so he did not mention much in the letter. The so-called "looking for a way to pan for gold" meant secretly searching for the secrets hidden behind the case of that year.
The danger involved is self-evident.
I also wish you all the best and that Bufan is safe and sound.
As dusk approached, the family finally gathered at the Palace of Heavenly Purity and began to enjoy the New Year's Eve dinner.
Xie Changfeng was filled with emotion. "This year has been truly terrifying. If it weren't for my wife, Shao Shao, and you two, I might have already... It's New Year's Day, so let's not say unlucky words. In short, from now on, we must be healthy and safe every year."
Raise the glass and drink it all.
Meng Qi was equally moved, her eyes welling up at what he said. She raised her glass and said, "I won't waste any more words. Getting through this year smoothly is entirely thanks to everyone's concerted efforts. Of course, Shao Shao worked the hardest, so you all have to drink this, except Shao Shao."
"That's right," Xie Mingshuo was the first to respond, "Tiezhu is still a minor, so don't drink the wine, drink some hot soup instead."
Xie Mingzhuo was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, but he did not drink the wine. He poured a bowl of sweet soup instead and used it instead of wine, hoping that his family could be reunited on this day every year in the future to welcome the new beginning together.
"Shao Shao, toast to you." Xie Mingxuan's words were concise and to the point, and all his friendship was expressed in the wine he drank in one gulp.
Xie Changfeng lowered his voice: "I'm wondering if this emperor can abdicate?"
All four of them looked at Xie Mingzhuo.
"It's not time yet," Xie Mingzhuo laughed, "Dad, you'll have to hold on for a while."
"How long is a while?"
"Maybe one year, maybe several years." Xie Mingzhuo was unable to accurately predict future developments.
Meng Qi asked, "How about appointing a crown prince and having you serve as regent?"
"My foundation is not stable yet. Forcing me to a high position will only backfire."
"I admire Tiezhu for this. He's clear-headed enough." Xie Mingshuo said simply, "I won't say anything else. I'll toast you another glass."
Xie Changfeng instantly wilted: "How long do I have to endure this?"
"Have you done any work?" Meng Qi rolled her eyes at him. "Those political affairs are still handled by Shao Shao."
"It's tiring to get up early every day."
Xie Mingzhuo: "The time and frequency of court meetings can be changed. Few ministers are young enough to attend court. No one can stand getting up early in the morning to attend court meetings for a long time. It will affect sleep and affect the efficiency of the government office."
"I wholeheartedly agree," Xie Changfeng said happily. "Should I issue an imperial decree tomorrow? New Year, new beginnings."
Xie Mingzhuo: "Let them take a break these few days and relax. We will convene the cabinet to discuss it after the third day of the Lunar New Year."
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
The family of five had the New Year's Eve dinner and did not forget to give a banquet to important officials.
A number of important officials in the court, including Chang Mansion, Weining Marquis Mansion, Jiashan Grand Princess Mansion, etc., received rewards from the emperor.
Even though these dishes had gone cold after being sent all the way from the imperial kitchen, their hearts were warm.
When night falls in Beijing, the sky in Guizhou is still bright.
Lin Fan sat in the corridor, watching the servants of the Song family rushing around to hang up fiery red lanterns for their master.
The Song chieftains originated from the Central Plains and retained many Central Plains traditions. The Central Plains culture left by their ancestors has never been interrupted.
"Ah Fan," Song Qianqi came over holding a spring couplet and said with a bit of complacency, "see how I wrote it?"
Lin Fan took a look and said with a smile, "Strong and powerful, it can penetrate deep into the wood."
"So perfunctory." Song Qianqi snorted, put away the Spring Festival couplets, and sat down next to him. "Are you worried about something?"
Lin Fan: "No."
"You used to talk to me about everything... Never mind. Walls have ears. We should have just met now, there's nothing like before. Do you not trust me?"
Lin Fan looked over and asked, "Why do you say that?"
His eyebrows and eyes were somewhat deep, and ten years of growth had made him more mature and calm than his peers. Although his eyes were calm, they made his former partners feel guilty for no reason.
Song Qianqi knew that he must have suffered a lot. Unlike him, he had his father to protect him when he was a child, and his older brother to support him when he grew up. He had no worries about food and drink, and he didn't even have many troubles.
It's normal to be on guard, especially since he has a mission to accomplish, so he should be cautious.
"Ah Fan," Song Qianqi leaned close to his ear, "When you get used to this place, I'll secretly take you to meet your parents and brother, okay?"
Song Qianmu helped to bury the Lin family members, and the Song brothers knew very well where the graves were.
They go there to worship every year.
Lin Fan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "It's been ten years, so a little while longer won't make a difference. If I reveal my identity and ruin the overall situation, it will be more harm than good."
Song Qianqi glanced at the back of his hand with bulging veins and sighed again. The lively and innocent little friend of those days is really gone forever.
I hope God will be kind to him, and at least he can get what he wants in terms of love.
On the third day of the first lunar month, the emperor summoned the cabinet ministers to the Qianqing Palace to agree that court sessions would be held on the fifth and tenth days of each lunar month in the future. The court sessions would be held at 3:00 p.m., and after the meetings, the ministers could go home for dinner.
If matters were complicated and the court meeting had to be postponed, the emperor would also provide food.
In fact, throughout history, there are many emperors who often did not attend court meetings, and there were even emperors who did not hold court meetings for decades.
Not holding a court meeting does not mean not discussing matters. The emperor can summon ministers privately for a small meeting. The strict rules of the morning court meeting sometimes waste time.
Court officials had to wait outside the Meridian Gate at yin hour and could not enter the palace until dawn hour. What could they not do in the intervening hour?
Xie Mingzhuo was impatient to attend the morning court, but it could not be completely cancelled for the time being. Some national policies did require collective wisdom.
She could also use the morning court session to gain a clearer view of the factional struggles within the court.
When the imperial edict to reform the court meeting system was issued, all the ministers accepted it in silence. There was no need to offend the emperor with such a matter.
Before, the emperor was obsessed with alchemy and only attended court meetings once in a long time. Didn’t they just endure it silently?
After being enlightened by the Taoist, the emperor stopped refining elixirs and fell in love with painting and chess. He left all the government affairs to Her Royal Highness the Princess. Didn't they tolerate it?
It's just a change of court meeting, no big deal.
If Xie Mingzhuo knew what they were thinking, he would definitely think of a saying - bottom lines are meant to be broken.
In the first month of the lunar year, apart from the Spring Festival, the most lively festival is the Lantern Festival.
Xie Mingshuo is a person who loves excitement, and he suggested going out of the palace to experience the ancient Lantern Festival.
Everyone agreed.
As the "chief steward", Wu Shanqing conscientiously made the most meticulous arrangements for the five people's incognito trip.
The day before the Lantern Festival, Cen Kui, who was recuperating at home, received a strange message.
The messenger was a newsboy, and he spoke very eloquently: "Master Cen, a young master Lin asked me to inform you that he will meet you at Linglong Winery in Zhengdongfang, Zhengyangmen Street, at 10:00 pm tomorrow, the Lantern Festival."
Master Lin? Could it be Lin Fan? But hadn't Lin Fan already left Beijing?
Cen Kui was full of doubts and was hesitant for a while. In the past two months, he had encountered more and more accidents, which were becoming more and more dangerous. Although he was lucky enough to avoid vital points every time, if he continued like this, he would go crazy sooner or later.
Could this be a trap?
But not many people know that he knows Lin Fan. Maybe Lin Fan has already returned to Beijing?
After much deliberation, Cen Kui decided to go and take a look.
The person who sent the letter was Xie Mingzhuo.
She intuitively felt that Cen Kui's several accidents were not coincidences, and that someone must have been behind it on purpose, but it was done so secretly that Cen Kui, a head of the Ministry of Justice, was unable to find any clues.
A sixth-rank official is incompetent in the capital, so who would target him?
The Jinyiwei followed secretly and witnessed several accidents with their own eyes, but they did not find any definite clues, because either the wind blew down a flowerpot and hit someone, or the shop sign accidentally broke and fell to the ground, and there was no sign of anyone.
But based on Yang Yunkai's experience, if it wasn't an accident, then the person who did it must be very familiar with the streets and markets, and had plenty of time and excuses to set up the scene.
There is no other possibility except the people from the Bingmasi.
The soldiers of the Bingmasi often patrol at night. It is very easy to do something in the dead of night.
When mentioning the soldiers in the Bingmasi, Xie Mingzhuo thought of the head of the Du family who sold golden eggs. He worked in the Dongcheng Bingmasi.
The person who bought his golden eggs was a businessman from Huizhou. His future daughter-in-law was the niece of the director of the Sichuan Qingli Division of the Ministry of Revenue. Zhang Tiju was the Tiju who was transferred from Huizhou Prefecture to Sichuan.
Cen Kui, who had encountered several accidents, was the head of the Sichuan Qingli Division of the Ministry of Justice. He was responsible for reviewing criminal cases sent to the Ministry by Sichuan, and was also responsible for hearing appeals and major cases in Sichuan.
What a coincidence!
She had previously wondered who Zhang Tijiu relied on to get such a lucrative job.
On the surface, his background was not strong, and his achievements in Huizhou Prefecture were mediocre. It was not until she connected these trivial matters together that she looked up Zhang Tiju's life again.
Zhang Tiju and the Sichuan Director of the Ministry of Revenue were classmates. The chief examiner of the imperial examination that year was Fang Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. After passing the exam, the two went to Fang's house to pay a visit to Fang Ji.
The niece of the wife of this official in the Ministry of Revenue was the concubine of the brother-in-law of Fang Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
Although Chang Wei was in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, he was the chief official of a ministry and the chief minister of the cabinet, and was in charge of major policies. He rarely asked about the trivial matters of official transfers and left them to the left and right vice ministers.
Fang Ji was fully capable of this, so he transferred Zhang Tiju to Sichuan.
If her guess was correct, the grocer selling golden eggs was the one arranged by Zhang Tiju to deliver the gift.
There are etiquettes for sending filial tributes. A small businessman cannot go to the Minister's Mansion to give gifts openly, so the head of the Du family becomes this bridge.
They were very careful and the purpose of mobilizing so many people was to attract people to investigate further.
If someone finds out that he deliberately engaged in "small" power-for-money transactions with small businessmen in order to buy a betrothal gift for his son, they will basically believe it and will not investigate further.
——Because this fact is commonplace, which small soldier or clerk in the capital would not accept some “small gifts” from merchants?
Xie Mingzhuo had reason to believe that the "filial piety" would definitely not be just the two hundred taels in exchange for the golden egg.
These are just her speculations and there is no empirical evidence yet.
Cen Kui should be a breakthrough point.
At the hour of You, we arrived at Linglong Winery.
Cen Kui hesitated for a moment before finally making up his mind. He entered the lobby and said to the waiter, "A young master named Lin has booked a private room on the second floor. I'm his friend."
The waiter immediately led him up: "Dear guest, please follow me upstairs."
On the second floor, Xie Mingzhuo booked a private room at the very edge, with the outer wall on one side and a storage room on the other, and there was no wall between them.
She left the palace before her family and agreed to meet at Zhengyang Gate at the beginning of the Xu hour.
At this time, night has enveloped the capital city, and the streets and alleys are hung with lanterns. Looking from a high place, the lanterns of various colors have woven into a gorgeous galaxy.
Jiang Qing had already walked to the door and listened attentively.
In a moment, the waiter appeared outside the door: "Dear guest, your friend has arrived."
She received the princess's signal, opened the door a crack, glanced at Cen Kui, and moved aside: "Please come in."
Cen Kui: “…”
Why is she a girl?
He couldn't help but hesitate and didn't step in immediately.
Jiang Qing saw this and reminded him, "Mr. Lin once asked you to help find someone. She wants to see you."
Only he and Lin Fan knew about this. Later, Lin Fan informed others that he had found it. So the third person who knew about this was only Miss Meng.
Cen Kui secretly breathed a sigh of relief and clasped his fists, saying, "Excuse me."
He didn't know why the person inside used Lin Fan's name, but since the other party chose that, there was no need for him to mention it in public. The less said, the less mistakes.
"Come in."
Cen Kui followed suit and entered the private room. As soon as he walked around the screen, he saw a young woman sitting at the table. She had a pretty face, extraordinary demeanor, and an extremely intimidating presence.
He was stunned for a few breaths before coming back to his senses. He asked politely, "May I know your name, young lady, and what do you want from me?"
Xie Mingzhuo looked at Feng Caiyu who was standing beside him. The latter understood and immediately took out the princess's jade token.
"Master Cen, the princess has summoned you to question her. You must answer truthfully."
Cen Kui fell to his knees on the ground with a thud.
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