.... "Look at these two children, they don't want us old people anymore as soon as they meet each other!" Seeing how close her granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law were, Old Lady Gu smiled and joked with her daughter-in-law!
Ji Shuyu smiled gently and echoed Old Lady Gu, "Mother is right! The two sisters have a good relationship!"
While speaking, Ji Shuyu's smiling and gentle eyes were looking at Yun Qianmeng and Qu Feiqing in front of him, but he sighed in his heart. If it weren't for the child Meng'er, Feiqing would probably be crying all day long!
"Why are you all standing there in a daze? Hurry up and bring a stool for the princess!" The servants in the room were so happy that their master's family was reunited that they had forgotten about this matter. Seeing that these little rascals could only giggle, Old Lady Gu scolded them with a smile!
Several little girls immediately rushed to carry a throne chair to Yun Qianmeng's back. The chair was carefully padded with soft pillows!
After Yun Qianmeng sat down, Old Lady Gu couldn't wait to ask, "Child, what happened these days? Every time your uncle and Changqing told you that you were in danger, your aunt and I were always worried! Poor child, what on earth have you encountered?"
Yun Qianmeng looked up at the worry in Old Lady Gu's eyes and the uneasiness in Ji Shuyu's eyes, and immediately smiled, giving them a look of reassurance. Then she began to briefly recount what had happened in the past few months, but she omitted Qi Jingyuan's matter and only briefly mentioned Chu Pei's matter without further explanation!
"Don't worry, everyone. Although we encountered dangers along the way, we were always able to overcome them! Now we have returned to Beijing, and I believe that such a thing will not happen again!" In order not to scare Old Lady Gu, Yun Qianmeng spoke with a faint smile!
But at this moment, the inner room of Ruilin Courtyard fell into silence due to Yun Qianmeng's retelling. The maids and servants in the room all had tears in their eyes, and expressions of fear and worry appeared on their faces. Old Lady Gu had already stood up and hugged Yun Qianmeng in her arms, stroking her hair lovingly and saying with heartache, "My poor child, you have suffered! That hateful thief actually dared to hurt you. Why didn't Chu Feiyang catch him?"
Yun Qianmeng gently embraced Old Lady Gu, her pretty face nestled against her chest. She smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, Grandma. My husband didn't really put me in danger! Besides, that was Jiangzhou's territory, under the jurisdiction of Governor Zhu. It's natural that matters should be handed over to Governor Zhu! We were on our way at the time, and since there was no danger, we couldn't delay too much!"
"Oh! You are such a good kid at comforting people! I think you must have omitted other more serious things just now! Look at what Chu Feiyang has done to my precious granddaughter. Her little face has become much thinner! Shuyu, go to the warehouse later and take out all the best blood swallow ginseng and bring it back to Meng'er!" As she said that, Old Lady Gu instructed Ji Shuyu!
Ji Shuyu was also shocked by Yun Qianmeng's retelling, and felt even more distressed about Yun Qianmeng's experience. Before Old Lady Gu finished speaking, she whispered instructions to the nanny beside her!
Upon hearing this, Yun Qianmeng's expression changed immediately. She hurriedly stopped the two elders and begged for mercy, "Meng'er thanks Grandmother and Aunt for your concern, but Meng'er has returned to the capital now. Both Prince Chu's Mansion and Prime Minister Chu's Mansion are very safe. Meng'er will not be frightened again! Grandmother, please keep those blood swallow ginseng for yourself!"
"Puff!" At this moment, Qu Feiqing, who had been silent for a long time, covered her mouth and laughed. She hurriedly pulled Yun Qianmeng from her grandmother's arms and said to Old Lady Gu with a smile, "Grandmother, please spare Meng'er! If she returns with a carriage full of supplements, the King of Chu will lose face!"
"Hmph! If it wasn't Chu Pei's business, why would my Meng'er have to suffer?" The old lady snorted coldly, and a solemn look appeared on her gloomy face, which made people feel intimidated!
Yun Qianmeng helped Old Lady Gu sit down again, placed the teacup on the table in her hands, and said soothingly, "Grandma, Father was seriously injured at the time, and this was unavoidable! Please don't be angry. If you get angry and hurt yourself, Meng'er will be heartbroken!"
Seeing Yun Qianmeng being so considerate, Old Lady Gu could only breathe a sigh of relief. She also knew that her granddaughter would only come to the Marquis' Mansion once in a while, so she naturally wouldn't use this limited time together to get angry. She hid the anger on her face and looked Yun Qianmeng up and down with her wise eyes. Then she said, "My child, now that you're back in the capital, you must take good care of yourself. Only when you're well can you get pregnant as soon as possible!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Yun Qianmeng's cheeks couldn't help but blush. Even though she was a modern person, she still felt a little awkward when someone mentioned the issue of offspring in her ear!
She could only pull on Old Lady Gu's sleeve and shake her body. Her beautiful eyes, full of clear laughter, turned to Qu Feiqing beside her and jokingly said, "That will have to wait until my cousin gets married!"
As soon as this topic was mentioned, not to mention Old Lady Gu, even Ji Shuyu frowned in embarrassment!
After the last incident with Prince Rui, although it was later clarified that it had nothing to do with Qu Feiqing, Qu Feiqing was still involved after all, and now no one comes to propose marriage!
This worried Old Lady Gu and Ji Shuyu to death, and the pressure from the Queen Mother made them even more annoyed!
"Meng'er, please stop making fun of me!" In fact, no one came to propose marriage, which made Qu Feiqing feel relieved! She was worried that her parents and grandmother would hastily agree to a marriage because of her age. Now that no one came to propose marriage, she felt a lot more relieved!
But every time Qu Feiqing saw her parents and others worrying about her, she felt uncomfortable, but she didn't know how to change the current situation!
"Don't worry, grandma and aunt. I believe that my cousin's good marriage is not yet coming! If it comes, it cannot be stopped!" Yun Qianmeng looked at Qu Feiqing, who had become more beautiful, and spoke meaningfully!
After hearing what Yun Qianmeng said, Old Lady Gu looked at Ji Shuyu, and a look of approval appeared in both of their eyes!
After all, they had such an example right before their eyes! The Queen Mother had arranged a marriage for Yun Qianmeng to Prince Chen, but Prince Chen had demanded an annulment in front of Emperor Yugan. This caused Yun Qianmeng to lose all her reputation and be ridiculed and abused by everyone in the capital. Her situation was even more serious than that of Concubine Qu today!
But in Xi Chu, there is Chu Feiyang, who has a keen eye for talent. He is not afraid of the unfair evaluation of Yun Qianmeng by the world. He sees Yun Qianmeng's intelligence and uniqueness at a glance, and then asks Yun Qianmeng to be assured, and the two of them get married!
The one who regretted it now was Prince Chen, and everyone in the capital's opinion of Yun Qianmeng had gradually changed from negative to positive!
Yes, after marrying Qu Ruoli by mistake, Old Lady Gu has gradually become indifferent to her status as a woman from a noble family. As long as the other party can make Qu Feiqing happy, why should she care too much?
"Meng'er, do you think there are any satisfactory candidates among the civil and military officials in the court?" Even if they are minor officials, as long as they have good character and are sincere to the concubine, Old Lady Gu will take them into consideration! Besides, the concubine has a relatively pure and kind nature, and those wealthy families may not be suitable for her!
Yun Qianmeng heard Old Lady Gu asking about this. She first glanced at Qu Feiqing, who looked a little nervous and anxious, and gave her a soothing smile. Then she looked back at Old Lady Gu and asked instead of answering, "Grandmother, do you have a favorite candidate in mind? In fact, there are many talented people among the civil and military officials in the court! However, choosing a son-in-law is not just about choosing a pillar of the court. It's not enough for the other party to satisfy my cousin! It also requires my cousin's approval. Otherwise, wouldn't it be like adding another pair of resentful couples?"
Amid Qu Feiqing's nervous expression, Yun Qianmeng spoke slowly, not only expressing Qu Feiqing's inner thoughts, but also clarifying Old Madam Gu's worries!
"Grandma, I don't want to get married! I just want to stay in the Marquis' Mansion and serve you forever!" Seeing Yun Qianmeng give her a look, Qu Feiqing stood up and said coquettishly, "Grandma, I have embroidered many patterns for Meng'er these days. I will take her over to see them now!"
"You! You just know how to fool us! Well, now that the dream has finally come to you, grandma won't nag you anymore. You two sisters can go to Ting Yuxuan and talk to her!" Old Lady Gu saw that her granddaughter didn't like to hear these words, and that Qu Feiqing was an unmarried girl after all, and some things were indeed not convenient to mention in front of her, so she let her go happily!
Hearing this, Yun Qianmeng stood up with a faint smile, bowed to the two elders, and walked out of Ruilin Courtyard with Qu Feiqing!
"Huh!" The sun was shining brightly outside, and the warmth shining on her body made Qu Feiqing breathe a sigh of relief!
Yun Qianmeng looked at her, who had survived a disaster and been reborn, and laughed softly. Then she said mischievously, "Cousin, look how scared you are!"
Qu Feiqing gave a wry smile, took Yun Qianmeng's arm, and walked side by side with her under the eaves, whispering, "I'm really afraid of Grandma mentioning this!"
Hearing Qu Feiqing's voice, which was tinged with emotion and helplessness, Yun Qianmeng paused slightly. She looked sideways at the slightly frowning Qu Feiqing and said tentatively, "What I just said to my grandmother is the truth! There are indeed many talented people in the court, both civil and military, and some of them are loyal! Since cousin has given up on that man, why can't she take a look at someone else besides him? Maybe you can find someone more suitable! If you miss that person forever, you will only waste your years!"
While listening to Yun Qianmeng's advice, Qu Feiqing stared at her suspiciously after listening, and asked uncertainly, "Meng'er, did you discover something?"
Seeing that Qu Feiqing had guessed something, Yun Qianmeng pursed her lips and smiled, patted her hand lightly, and said elegantly, "I just don't want my cousin to live in memories forever! In fact, this world is vast and vast, not as small as the small courtyard we live in! There are also all kinds of people in this world. Resisting others without any contact is the worst attitude! Cousin, open your eyes, you will find another sky!"
From beginning to end, Yun Qianmeng never mentioned Han Che's name! She just hoped that Qu Feiqing could look at the person next to her and discover a heart that truly defended her!
Qu Feiqing quietly savored Yun Qianmeng's words, and suddenly a smile spread across her face, as endearing as a blooming lotus. She hugged Yun Qianmeng's arm tightly, tapped Yun Qianmeng's forehead with one hand, and said calmly, "You always manage to convince me so easily!"
Seeing that Qu Feiqing had listened to her words, Yun Qianmeng also curled her lips and smiled, "What kind of patterns did cousin embroider for Meng'er? I really want to appreciate them!"
"Then let's go back to Tingyuxuan!" Seeing Yun Qianmeng become naughty again, Qu Feiqing chuckled softly, and the two figures slowly disappeared into the sunlight...
But at this moment, the hall fell into dead silence!
After reading Chu Feiyang's memorial, Emperor Yugan did not speak for a long time. There was no expression on his cold face, making it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking at the moment!
Even Eunuch Yu, who had served him for many years, became nervous after seeing Emperor Yugan's unfathomable expression. He couldn't help but wonder what the King of Chu had reported in the memorial!
Chu Feiyang seemed to have anticipated such a situation. There was no trace of fear on his smiling face. He just stood in the center of the hall as steady as a rock. He did not show any worry about the subtle pressure from Emperor Yugan and the speculative eyes around him!
Half a cup of tea passed, and Emperor Yugan still kept his hands on the dragon table. The ministers were already very scared!
A cup of tea passed, and the King of Chu stood in the hall with a smile on his face and a calm expression. The steadiness and composure contained in his black eyes emitting a light of wisdom never wavered. However, some of the ministers standing on both sides had secretly begun to wipe the cold sweat from their heads!
A stick of incense passed, and the beads on the crown on Emperor Yugan's head did not move at all during this period of time, but the smile on Chu Feiyang's mouth never diminished!
"Your Majesty!" Seeing that the ministers below could not stand such an aura, Eunuch Yu could only muster up the courage to remind Emperor Yu Gan in a low voice, hoping to end this long silence!
A sharp gaze suddenly shot towards Eunuch Yu, frightening him so much that he immediately shut his mouth and dared not speak again!
Until this moment, the crisp sound of beads colliding finally rang out in the silent hall!
"King Chu, are the things reported in this memorial true? Are they all supported by evidence? This matter involves human lives, and we cannot act rashly!" Emperor Yugan frowned slightly, and then spoke slowly, but his words were confusing, making the ministers confused as to what the emperor was talking about and what was mentioned in the King Chu's memorial!
"Your Majesty, everything I reported in this memorial is true! If Your Majesty has any doubts, you can ask the Minister of War!" Chu Feiyang replied loudly, and the righteousness he displayed without being humble or arrogant was impressive!
After hearing what Chu Feiyang said, Emperor Yugan fell silent again. He looked through the bead curtain at Han Shaomian who was standing in the team. His right hand was habitually placed on the dragon table, and his fingers tapped the table rhythmically, as if he was considering the authenticity of the whole thing!
Han Shaomian stood in the hall like everyone else, but unlike the others who lowered their heads in fear, Han Shaomian stood with his back straight among the crowd, accepting Emperor Yugan's inspection with a serious face!
Prince Duan, who was standing in front, turned his head slightly and glanced at Han Shaomian behind him. Then he turned his head and looked at Emperor Yugan carefully before he resumed his standing posture!
"Where is the Left Prime Minister?" After a while, Emperor Yugan turned his eyes to Han Shaomian and spoke lightly!
"Your humble servant is here!" After being called by Emperor Yugan, Han Che stepped out of the queue and replied in a clear voice!
"The memorial submitted by the King of Chu just now involves several major cases. I was shocked when I read it, so I order you to thoroughly investigate these matters and give me an answer!" Handing the memorial in his hand to Eunuch Yu, Emperor Yu Gan issued an order!
Upon hearing this, all the officials in the court looked at each other in surprise. Although they knew that Emperor Yugan favored this new number one scholar, he not only appointed him as a scholar-official, but also promoted him to the position of left prime minister within less than three years of Han Che's training!
But now, in order to establish the authority of the new left prime minister, the emperor took the initiative to attack the King of Chu!
Moreover, everyone knew that the King of Chu had always been decisive and clear in his actions, and his judgments had always been fair. Now, asking Han Che to review the King of Chu's memorials didn't this show a lack of trust in the King of Chu and a questioning of his ability? Or had the relationship between the Emperor and the King of Chu deteriorated so much that the Emperor no longer cared about the King's reputation?
Han Che, who had been given the task, was also shaken by a wave of emotion. He finally understood why Emperor Yugan had summoned him and the King of Chu to the palace last night! With these overt and covert visits, coupled with his actions in the court today, even if he knew what he should do, in the eyes of outsiders, he was probably already on Emperor Yugan's side!
Everyone in their hearts couldn't help but grit their teeth at Emperor Yugan's scheme, but Han Che's face remained as indifferent as ever. Amidst the slightly hostile gazes of the crowd, he replied in an extremely calm voice, "Your humble servant obeys your command!"
Seeing Han Che accept his imperial edict, Emperor Yugan's expression improved slightly, no longer as solemn and murderous as before. However, his cold eyes turned to the unmoved Chu Feiyang again, and then he said, "The memorial just now from the King of Chu involves several important matters! First, the matter of Nanxun! The King of Chu has successfully made Nanxun a vassal state in accordance with his previous promise to me and the court. Every year, according to the edict drafted by the King of Chu and Nanxun Regent Nan Yijun, they pay taxes and tribute to the court! This is a happy event. The King of Chu has been able to complete it, and it has temporarily eliminated a hidden danger in the south of Western Chu! I should have rewarded the King of Chu, but what is coming next makes me a little embarrassed! My dear ministers, please think about what I should do!"
Emperor Yu Gan first brought up the only thing in the memorial that could be considered a happy event, and then he kept it a secret and asked all the officials about it, which made everyone except Chu Feiyang stunned. Then they couldn't help but secretly guess what the King of Chu had done to make the emperor so difficult to make a decision!
Even the gazes of King Chen, King Hai and others could not help but turn quickly around Emperor Yugan and Chu Feiyang!
However, these people had different ideas from the officials. They had different positions from Chu Feiyang and Emperor Yugan, and they also belonged to different factions! Emperor Yugan sent Chu Feiyang to Nanxun to handle the matter. On the one hand, he did have the intention of guarding against Chu Feiyang, but at this moment, Emperor Yugan still had to rely on Chu Feiyang. Otherwise, he would not have sent Chu Feiyang, whom he trusted more, to Nanxun to deal with the trouble caused by Lu Xin!
But at this moment, after Chu Feiyang returned to Beijing, Emperor Yugan's attitude changed drastically. He seemed to be tougher and even had a head-on conflict with Chu Feiyang in the court!
This is what Jiang Muchen and Hai Quan care about the most! There is no guarantee that the king and his ministers are not working together to put on a show for them, letting them relax their vigilance so that they can take the opportunity to get rid of them!
Thinking of this, the gentle smile on Hai Quan's lips gradually faded a little, and Jiang Muchen's already cold eyes became even colder. However, the two did not speak up to participate in this matter, but quietly observed the current trend in the court and the changes that would happen next!
Han Che's grip on the memorial tightened slightly at Emperor Yugan's words, and a cold glint flashed in his half-closed eyes! Emperor Yugan had already handed the matter over to him, but now he brought up the matter in the memorial again. It seemed that he not only wanted to force Han Che to side with him, but also to make him understand that if he could give him everything he had now, he could just as easily take it away!
What an emperor! His intention behind these twists and turns is truly well-intentioned!
"I wonder what else is going on that makes the emperor so embarrassed!" Qu Lingao asked in a deep voice when he saw that all the civil and military officials in the court were in a state of anxiety!
However, his question did not mention Chu Feiyang. He only asked what the matter was. However, this made Emperor Yugan pause his tapping fingers on the table. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, "The Nanxun incident is inextricably linked to Lu Xin. Why did the King of Chu only bring Chu Pei back to the capital and not Lu Xin? The King of Chu did not report to the court about him being stationed in Nanxun. Does the King of Chu think he can mobilize all the generals and troops in the court?"
As soon as Emperor Yugan said this, everyone understood the whole story! They were even more shocked. They had never expected that the King of Chu would be so cunning as to keep the always arrogant General Huwei in Nanxun. This was undoubtedly the same as chopping off one of Emperor Yugan's arms. No wonder the Emperor was already furious!
Seeing that Emperor Yugan could not wait for Han Che to investigate the matter and started to attack him, Chu Feiyang could not help but curl his lips and smile, and his aura during the conversation was still unmatched. "Your Majesty, please calm down! I have no choice but to do this! As you all know, the number of garrison troops and city defense troops in the counties of Xichu is strictly controlled! First, it can protect the people and resist the resistance of those who have ulterior motives! Second, everyone is in their place, and will not cause a burden to the people and the court because of too many troops! Third, it is also to prevent the parents of the counties from having second thoughts! In this case, the garrison troops and city defense troops in Youzhou and its surrounding cities cannot "It's impossible to move! Especially at the border between Youzhou and Nanxun, it can't be tugged or deployed at will! The 3,000 guards led by Deputy Commander Xia Ji had already lost more than 2,000 when they went to Youzhou. Moreover, even if all 3,000 guards were there, how could they garrison Nanxun with only 3,000 men? In addition, we in Western Chu just asked Nanxun to sign the imperial edict. If we don't send people to garrison immediately, I'm afraid it will give Nanxun a chance to catch its breath! By then, the price we have to pay will be tens of thousands of times more tragic than now! After much deliberation, I made the difficult decision to let General Hu Wei stay and garrison Nanxun! I hope Your Majesty can understand my sincere heart for the court and Your Majesty!"
The words were clear and logical, and even Emperor Yugan couldn't find any words to refute them at the moment. However, after listening to Chu Feiyang's analysis, his five fingers, which were originally slightly open, slowly clenched into fists!
At this time, all the civil and military officials began to discuss in low voices, and all nodded in agreement with the King of Chu's action!
"Since the situation is so urgent, why didn't the King of Chu include the matter of General Hu Wei in the memorial when he submitted the proposal to make Nanxun a vassal state? Now Northern Qi is still eyeing us covetously, and Dongyu's national strength is becoming stronger and stronger. If the King of Chu lets the battle-hardened General Hu Wei stay in Nanxun, isn't it a waste of talent? We will lose a great general of Western Chu." At this time, King Chen spoke coldly, and his cold eyes shot towards Chu Feiyang, as if he wanted to use the icy wind in his eyes to find out the tricks in Chu Feiyang's heart!
Chu Feiyang leaned slightly to the side, his smiling black eyes glaring into Jiang Muchen's icy eyes. His thin lips moved slightly as he spoke his reasons. "How could Prince Chen know that I hadn't considered this? However, deploying troops is not as simple as Prince Chen saying it. Do you know how much food will be consumed along the way if 10,000 troops are deployed? How much burden will this place on the people along the way? What's more, Nanxun Kingdom has a regent sitting in charge. A mere 10,000 troops might not be enough to deter him, who is adept at using troops! Then, the Emperor must dispatch at least 50,000 troops to Nanxun, which will undoubtedly increase the burden on the national treasury! Moreover, Nanxun is located in the southernmost part of Western Chu, and our troops are still gathered in the north because of the battle with Northern Qi last year. Even if we run, it will take at least half a month to travel from south to north! If other changes occur during this half month, who will bear the responsibility? Of course, Prince Chen does not have much combat experience, so he naturally does not understand how important time is to military intelligence. This is understandable!"
This sentence not only blocked Jiang Muchen's tricky questions, but also ridiculed King Chen, making Jiang Muchen's face darken and people dared not look directly at him!
"Prince Chen has never dealt with Nan Yijun, so I'm afraid he won't understand how powerful he is! He is proficient in both civil and military tactics. If he were in our Western Chu, he would definitely be a useful talent! If Your Majesty thinks that Nanxun can rest easy just because he signed the edict, then he is completely wrong! Nan Yijun did this only for the sake of the people of Nanxun, but that doesn't mean we should deny his ability! For such a capable person, I don't think it's a waste of talent to keep Lu Xin. Instead, I think it can further train him. Refining General Hu Wei's mind!" Chu Feiyang was not afraid of King Chen's ugly expression at this time, and continued the topic just now. After finishing everything, he turned around to face Emperor Yugan and said in a tone of apology, "Your Majesty, I failed to report this matter to the court in advance. I hope Your Majesty will punish me! However, the emperor's red-ink comment at that time also stated that I was fully responsible for the Nanxun matter. I thought that I could leave General Hu Wei in Nanxun! But I didn't expect that I misunderstood the emperor's intention. I hope Your Majesty will punish me!"
As he spoke, Chu Feiyang lifted up the hem of his clothes and prepared to kneel down!
"Lord Chu, why do you have to do this!" Before Chu Feiyang could bend his knees, the clear voice of Emperor Yugan echoed in the hall, "Everything the King of Chu thinks about is based on the court and the people. How could I punish you for this? Get up!"
"Your humble servant thanks the emperor!" However, Chu Feiyang had no intention of actually kneeling down. He had just analyzed the pros and cons clearly. If Emperor Yugan still watched him kneel down and admit his mistake, he would probably become a tyrant who could not distinguish right from wrong in the hearts of all the officials. By then, the officials would lose their support, and there would be no need for Emperor Yugan to be emperor anymore!
"But how do we explain the matter of the Xie family in Youzhou?" This time, there was no anxiety or anger on Emperor Yugan's face. The calculations in his heart were getting higher and higher. There were too many doubts and loopholes in the things mentioned in Chu Feiyang's memorial. He wanted to see how Chu Feiyang could justify himself one by one without contradicting himself!
Upon hearing this, Chu Feiyang put away the faint smile on his face and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I have thoroughly investigated the Xie family case! The head of the Xie family, Xie Yingping, and several of the Xie Mansion's stewards were beheaded. All the adult men and women of the Xie family were sentenced to military service, and the underage children were exiled! I have written down the details of the incident in the memorial!"
"So, the Xie family case was just committed by a group of merchants? The officials in Youzhou didn't do anything wrong at all? I am a little curious. The Xie family is just a family of merchants. How can they have such great ability to monopolize all the jade mines in Youzhou! This is simply embezzling the money of Western Chu. For such a hateful person, the King of Chu was so merciful that he only killed the head of the Xie family and several stewards. I am so disappointed! If I remember correctly, Chu Pei's second wife is from the Xie family. It is said that she is still in the King of Chu's Mansion. I wonder how the King of Chu plans to deal with her?" Then, Emperor Yugan began to raise the second matter that embarrassed him!
These days, the matter of the Youzhou jade mine has been a hot topic. Everyone in Western Chu knows that the jade mine is about to be auctioned. As a result, they also know that the Xie family in Youzhou was once the largest jade merchant in Youzhou. However, they did not expect that the reason why the Xie family was able to become the largest jade merchant was because the Xie family controlled all the jade mines in Youzhou!
All the officials immediately turned their attention to Chu Feiyang standing in the hall. They saw that purple figure standing tall and straight. Even though it was just a figure, the spirit of determination was deeply engraved in people's minds and could not be erased!
"Reporting to the emperor, I also feel that this matter is very difficult, so I brought Chu Pei back to the capital to be tried by the emperor in person! After all, firstly, Chu Pei has managed Youzhou for so many years without any major omissions or mistakes, and when I went to Youzhou, I saw that the people there were well-fed and lived in peace and contentment! Secondly, Chu Pei is still my biological father, so I naturally have to avoid suspicion in this matter! As for the case of the Xie family, I have described it very clearly in the memorial, and the confession also has the signatures of Xie Yingping and others. I tried the case together with Minister Han and saw them sign it in person!" Chu Feiyang half-closed his eyes and spoke lightly about the Xie family!
"Minister Han, is what the King of Chu said true?" When Chu Feiyang mentioned Han Shaomian, Emperor Yugan turned his sharp eyes to Han Shaomian and asked seriously!
"Your Majesty, what the King of Chu said is true! It was you who tried the Xie family case together with the King of Chu, and Xie Yingping did nod in confession! Your Majesty, please wait for a few days while I sort out all the confessions for your review!" Seeing that Emperor Yugan called his name, Han Shaomian strode out of the line and answered Emperor Yugan's questions loudly. His voice was clear and his attitude was serious, and it was impossible to tell who his political views were biased towards!
Upon hearing Han Shaomian's words, Emperor Yugan turned his gaze to the silent Prince Duan. Seeing him standing calmly in the queue, he nodded, thought for a moment, and spoke again, "In that case, you and Prime Minister Han will be in charge now. You two are both the top scorers in both civil and military examinations. I admire your knowledge and abilities, and I believe you will handle this matter well. Don't let me down!"
"Your humble servant obeys your command!" Han Che and Han Shaomian bowed and replied at the same time!
"Minister of Justice!" Emperor Yugan's gaze had already turned to another target, staring at Qu Changqing!
"Your humble servant is here!" Qu Changqing stood up calmly and waited for Emperor Yugan to speak!
Seeing Qu Changqing step out, Emperor Yugan didn't speak immediately. His fingers tapped the table unconsciously. Behind the bead curtain, his sharp eyes looked back and forth between Chu Feiyang and Qu Changqing for a few rounds before he retracted his gaze and slowly spoke, "During the time when Chu Pei, a high-ranking official from the frontier, was in charge of Youzhou, he allowed his relatives, the Xie family, to privately mine jade. Effective immediately, he will be removed from his position as a high-ranking official and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. Their trial will be decided on a later date! As for their relatives, I, mindful of the great contributions the old King of Chu has made to Western Chu, will grant them special mercy and allow them to remain in the Prince of Chu's mansion. However, they are not allowed to leave the mansion at will, in case they are summoned!"
Qu Changqing listened attentively to the Emperor Yugan's instructions. His half-closed eyes were as calm as water, yet they concealed other thoughts. He only heard him speak clearly, "Your humble servant obeys your order!"
"Your Excellency Qu and the King of Chu's family are relatives by marriage. I shouldn't have handed this matter over to you, but you are now the Minister of Justice, and your attitude in handling cases these days has been fair and strict, without favoritism or bending the law. I hope that Your Excellency Qu will not let me down in the matter of Chu Pei!" However, Emperor Yu Gan added this sentence, as if reminding Qu Changqing not to treat Chu Pei differently because of his identity as Chu Feiyang's father, but at the same time telling all the civil and military officials in the court that the Chu family has such deep roots that it has involved every government office!
How could Chu Feiyang not see what Emperor Yugan was thinking? Hidden beneath the emperor's overwhelming grace was an immeasurable murderous intent!
"Your humble servant obeys your order!" Qu Changqing's answer was always the same, "Your humble servant obeys your order!" This made Emperor Yugan frown slightly, but he didn't say anything else to Qu Changqing!
"Minister of Revenue!" He spoke again, and this time the person he named was Qu Yan!
"Your humble servant is here!" After looking for a long time, Qu Yan did not expect that Emperor Yugan would suddenly call his name. He stood out from the queue with some trepidation, glanced at King Chen who was in the front row, and then lowered his head and waited for Emperor Yugan's instructions!
"Since the Youzhou Jade Mine is being auctioned publicly, has the Ministry of Revenue received any tax silver from the auction of the jade mining rights?" He asked Qu Yan in a calm voice. Emperor Yugan's eyes were on Chu Feiyang's face, but the other party still had an indifferent look on his face, and no one could get a glimpse of his inner thoughts!
Qu Yan had not expected Emperor Yugan to ask him about this matter. His heart was suddenly in turmoil. After thinking it over again and again, he carefully replied, "Your Majesty, no silver from Youzhou has been delivered to the Ministry of Revenue yet!"
"Is that so?" The voice was very calm, but it was filled with boundless coldness. Emperor Yugan withdrew his hands from the dragon table and sat upright on the dragon throne. His eyes were stern and he asked in a cold voice, "As the Minister of Revenue, how could you ask me personally about such a matter?"
Qu Yan felt aggrieved. He never expected that the emperor would take his anger out on him after being rejected by the King of Chu. Moreover, he was the King of Chen's man, so he was afraid that the emperor would not forgive him this time!
With a look of frustration on his face, Qu Yan could only kneel down with a thud, shouting, "Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down! There are so many jade mines in Youzhou, and I'm sure the Youzhou government won't be able to sort them out for a while. As soon as they report it to you, I will immediately go to the palace to report it to Your Majesty!"
As he spoke, Qu Yan lay flat on the ground, not daring to offend the emperor again!
"Your Majesty, I think the Minister of Revenue is not to blame for this matter!" But Prince Chen spoke up for Qu Yan for the first time!
Seeing that the usually cold and ruthless Prince Chen actually interceded for a small-time Minister of Revenue, Emperor Yugan looked at him with interest and sneered, "He is in a position, but he does not do his job. He doesn't even know the most basic things. Should I not punish him, but praise him?"
These words seemed to be blaming Qu Yan, but in fact he was using Qu Yan to accuse Jiang Muchen of being disloyal!
Jiang Muchen naturally understood Emperor Yugan's intention of using this as an excuse to stir up trouble. He looked at Qu Yan with a cold expression, then turned to look directly at Emperor Yugan and said slowly, "Your Majesty has forgotten that this matter was originally handed over to the King of Chu, and it is the King of Chu who should be consulted! The Minister of Revenue has always stayed in the capital. How could he know the financial situation of Youzhou in such a short time?"
With these words, all the criticisms were directed at Chu Feiyang. Before Emperor Yugan could question him, Chu Feiyang said righteously, "Prince Chen's statement is wrong! I am only responsible for the Nanxun matter! As for the Youzhou matter, I am only assisting Minister Han! And Minister Han is only in charge of Youzhou's public security. Naturally, the Ministry of Revenue's affairs are still under the jurisdiction of Minister Qu!"
With just a few words, he threw the responsibility on Qu Yan, and cleverly cleared the relationship between himself and Han Shaomian!
But it gave Emperor Yugan a headache. This Chu Feiyang was indeed a cunning man. He knew that he had the tendency to win over Han Shaomian, but he muddied the water and dragged Han Shaomian into the water! If he blamed him at this time, Han Shaomian would also be punished. By then, Prince Duan's position would be very uncertain.
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