Chapter 3417: Stopping Children from Crying at Night
Nan Yan glanced at her, turned around, and continued walking forward. Ruo Shui followed her. After a long moment, she said softly, "The Emperor is certainly not wrong. But I think the Princess is also right."
Hearing these "nonsense", Nan Yan couldn't help laughing.
As she walked forward, she said, "They are both right, so who is wrong?"
“…”
Ruoshui couldn't help but frown when she heard this.
Nan Yan took two steps forward and looked back at her: "Hmm?"
Ruoshui shook her head awkwardly: "This, I don't know."
Nan Yan laughed and continued walking forward, saying, "If you don't know, think about it more. Some things require more thinking before you can figure them out."
Ruoshui followed her for a while, not quite understanding what she was thinking. Suddenly, as if she had come to her senses, she whispered, "Your Majesty, was the eldest princess imprisoned by the Emperor because—she didn't figure it out?"
Nan Yan just smiled and said nothing.
After a while they returned to Yiku Palace, but Nan Yan did not stop. She heard that Zhu Feng was still in the imperial study and it was almost time for lunch. She thought about it and asked the people below to prepare some tea and snacks, and she led Ruoshui to deliver them to the imperial study personally.
It was already noon when I walked outside the imperial study.
The sun was quite strong, and the guards and eunuchs standing outside all looked sunburned. Only Xiao Shunzi forced himself to be energetic and stood guard at the door very cautiously.
Seeing Nan Yan and Ruoshui coming from afar, he immediately went to meet them.
"My Lady."
Nan Yan nodded, took another look inside, and asked, "Is the Emperor still in there?"
"yes."
"It's time to eat now, why didn't you remind me?"
Xiao Shunzi smiled bitterly and said, "I have been trying to persuade you for a long time, and the emperor was about to serve the meal, but suddenly Master Chen came to report something urgent, and the emperor didn't even bother to eat anymore."
"Emergency?"
When Nan Yan heard this, her eyes lit up and she asked softly, "Is it about—the looted grain?"
Xiao Shunzi wasn't surprised that the Imperial Concubine knew about this. She lowered her voice and said, "I don't dare ask any more questions about this matter. The Emperor was furious about this matter. Two officers transporting the grain were killed. Lord Chen and his men were punished. They left the city overnight to search for the whereabouts of the grain."
"ah?"
This surprised Nan Yan a little.
Although the fact that the food was snatched by hungry people did damage the reputation of the imperial court, it was only a batch of food after all. No matter how urgent it was, we could just send people down to investigate and find it.
Why would Chen Xuan go out of the city to look for it himself?
Could it be that food is more valuable than tribute?
Nan Yan asked, "Then, Master Chen, did you find that batch of grain when you came back this time?"
Xiao Shunzi glanced back at the closed doors and windows of the imperial study and whispered, "This, I don't know either. I just hope to find it as soon as possible so that the emperor can rest assured."
Nan Yan also looked at the imperial study, which was so quiet that not a trace of wind blew through it.
That kind of dullness was not the dullness of people not speaking or doing anything. On the contrary, it was the solemn and oppressive dullness before a big war.
Logically speaking, although the imperial court lost face when the grain was robbed, it sent troops to retrieve the grain, punished those who should be punished, and killed those who should be killed, and the matter was settled.
But Zhu Feng is like this now——
This matter doesn't seem to be as simple as they imagined.
She didn't ask any more questions, but just asked Ruoshui to hand the tea and snacks to Xiao Shunzi and asked him to find a chance to bring them in. The most important thing was to remind His Majesty the Emperor to have his meal, and then she turned and left.
At this time, the imperial study was as hot and stuffy as a steamer.
Chen Xuan stood in front of the imperial desk, the sweat on his forehead falling one after another like beads from a broken string, but he couldn't even raise his hand to wipe it off.
Because Zhu Feng, who was sitting behind the imperial desk, had a frosty look on his face.
It was such hot weather and the imperial study was so stuffy, but he was like an ice sculpture, without even a drop of sweat. The strong murderous aura emanating from his body was bitingly cold. Although Chen Xuan was hot, he couldn't help but shiver when he met his gaze.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhu Feng suddenly spoke.
"You just said where those people started the attack?"
Chen Xuan immediately said, "In reply to the emperor, those hungry people followed the grain transport team in Jinling City. After leaving Jinling, they walked for another two days. They attacked in Longkou Valley and robbed the grain."
Zhu Feng said solemnly: "Where are they now?"
"yes."
"How many people are there?"
"The soldiers transporting grain reported that there were about a hundred people involved. I have also investigated their origins. This year, the Huai River flooded on the east bank of Hongze Lake, submerging dozens of villages. This group of people came from the same village."
Zhu Feng said with a serious face, "So, it was people from the same village who attacked together?"
Chen Xuan said: "Yes."
After saying this, he hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I heard that there are still some women and children in the valley. They must have fled with them."
“…”
In the dim light, Zhu Feng's expression became even gloomier.
After a long while, when Zhu Feng spoke again, even his voice was tainted with a bit of the coldness emanating from him, and he slowly said, "This matter is none of your business."
Chen Xuan looked up: "Your Majesty——"
Zhu Feng said, "Stand back."
Chen Xuan sighed softly, and finally bowed, turning around and leaving. Then, Xiao Shunzi carefully walked in with the snacks that Nan Yan had brought. He placed the tray on a small table beside him and said softly, "Your Majesty, these are the exquisite snacks that the Imperial Concubine just sent. Your Majesty hasn't had a meal since arriving in the Imperial Study this morning, so please use some of these to ease your appetite."
Zhu Feng just took a look but showed no intention of eating it.
He was silent for a moment, then said, "Call Fan Yingyi to me."
Xiao Shunzi was stunned for a moment.
Chen Xuan came to report that he had found the whereabouts of the batch of grain, and the problem should have been solved as well. But looking at Chen Xuan's expression when he left just now, it seemed that he had no intention of solving the problem, and now the emperor summoned Fan Yingyi over.
Among the four commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Li Bushang and Fang Buyuan both followed the emperor to carry out important tasks, while Liang Qiu and Fan Yingyi both handled some confidential matters.
Could it be that this time, the handling of the matter of starving people looting food is still a confidential matter?
Especially Fan Yingyi——
Mentioning him would have the effect of stopping children from crying at night. This man was decisive and even a little ruthless, much like the way the Prince of Yan acted when he first entered Nanjing.
To deal with the hungry people looting food, we can just send the officers and soldiers from Nanjing. Why let him go?
Xiao Shunzi was still a little confused, but Zhu Feng had already said, "Why aren't you moving?"
Xiao Shunzi immediately said, "I'll go right away."
After saying that, he ran out in a hurry.
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