The use of power
In order to concentrate on dealing with the war in Tufan Kingdom, Emperor Li Lin of Qiankun Kingdom temporarily lives in Qianqing Palace, and has instructed Queen Chen Yin not to sleep with him.
Chen Yun was finally able to concentrate on dealing with his relatives' affairs.
Zhen Yin returned to Changle Gate and dined with the orphans and palace maids. In the dimly lit room, the meal, though delicious, was difficult to swallow. After all, not only had she failed to bring happiness to these children, she had also brought shame upon herself.
"Jiancheng, if I have the chance, I will avenge you."
As she was thinking, a familiar voice came from outside the door and interrupted Zhen Yin's thoughts, "Is Concubine Zhen here?"
Zhen Yin answered the door and opened it to find Yin Banluo. She was slightly stunned at first, then gestured for him to come in.
Yin Panluo said, "I won't go in today. Just a few words! I know you are favored by His Majesty, and I want to know your intentions."
"My Lady, I am not favored. I want to stay away from trouble."
Yin Panluo immediately put his hands together and said in surprise, "That's perfect. Whether you want to stay or leave, we can arrange it for you. But this deal requires your consent."
"What deal?"
"Our Yin family has long wanted to make peace with the Zhen family, but we've never had the chance. We'd like to offer you this as a favor. Ah, it shouldn't be called a deal, it should be called a contribution!"
Zhen Yin looked at Yin Banluo's cold face, which looked even more heroic, and thought to herself, "Is it so easy to achieve Li Lin's goal? What is his purpose? Well, I can find an opportunity to test him. But if I agree so easily, he will become suspicious."
Zhen Yin said pitifully, "Concubine Yin De. Now my father thinks I am not chaste and have dishonored my late husband. He is very annoyed with me. What should I do?"
Yin Banlu immediately grabbed Zhen Yin's hands and said, "Let me talk to Duke Ni in person. I won't return to the palace until I succeed!"
While Zhen Yin was still hesitating, Chen Yin arrived at the scene.
After the two men saluted Chen Yun, they frowned and became nervous.
Chen Ying smiled evilly, which made the two of them feel uncomfortable, but soon, Chen Ying patted their shoulders again.
"Princess Yin De, I have already had a brief conversation with representatives of the Chen and Huang families. Tomorrow, you will travel with them to Le'an Town as a female inspector. I think... the Yin family no longer intends to serve the court and live a simple life. But it is unlikely that you will serve as an aide to the county magistrate? A private school teacher? An embroidery workshop?"
Then Chen Yun leaned close to Concubine Yin De's ear and whispered, "Can you guess what these words mean?"
Concubine Yin De hesitated: "Does she want to help our Yin family or stop me?"
Chen Yun waved his hand, "Alright, Concubine Yin De, the curfew has long passed. Just pretend you didn't see it today. Go back as soon as possible!"
"yes."
After saying this, Concubine Yin De hurried away. As she left, she said to the maid beside her, "The Queen wants us Yin family members to leave the capital and quit our official careers. So later, you will go to my family, the Yin family, and relay the Queen's instructions. Then, you will depart with me tomorrow at noon."
Chen Yun asked coldly from behind: "Zhen Yin, are you still unwilling to stay?"
"I hope Your Majesty will keep her promise and advise His Majesty on my behalf. So that my late husband can rest in peace in the afterlife."
"If there are gods and demons in this world, why is everything so unfair? Zhen Yin, I know what your Zhen family believes in. But what about the children?"
Chen Yun turned and approached Zhen Yin: "If you obey His Majesty, you will have no worries about food and clothing. If you insist on doing so, the ministers will inevitably suspect you, Zhen Yin."
However, Zhen Yin's eyes, fresh from tears, stared at Chen Yun with wide eyes. A hint of resentment flickered in her red eyes, but she spoke calmly, "I have said that I will only be loyal to my husband, Li Jiancheng." Then Zhen Yin stepped forward and said, "If I had known this would happen that day, I would not have let him go out. If I had insisted on my own opinion and stopped Jiancheng from indulging in power, the position of Queen would not be you, but me. Now, except for the one in my belly, you have slaughtered everything in me!"
Under the autumn moon and in the lights, the wind blew the hair of the two people.
Chen Yun said, "Tao Yingliang and I are inseparable from you. Prince Yin is proud of you. I feel ashamed of you, and Your Majesty feels ashamed of you and your brother. I wanted to use my status to support you for half your life. But that's all. In fact, Your Majesty has already planned to clear your name after gaining the support of the Yin family. But I won't allow it now."
Zhen Yin frowned and asked, "Since the Queen is displeased, you can kill me instead of humiliating me."
"Insult? Not necessarily. First of all, do you want to live somewhere else?"
"Even if I want to leave, you won't let me go. Since I can't leave, I might as well find a place that suits me. Changle Villa is where I will become a wife for the first time. I am very satisfied."
"Okay, secondly, you will take this opportunity to work with Concubine Yin to find out who is trying to bribe me. As long as this mission is not completed, I will not allow His Majesty to clear your name."
"Queen, I don't understand..."
"How dare you, such a rude name all the time..."
Facing Nanny Ming's shouting, Chen Yun stopped her, "There's no need for me to be polite to her. Concubine Zhen, please continue."
Zhen Yin adjusted her thoughts and asked, "I don't understand. Why don't you accept others' solicitation? Why don't you become an emperor when you are clearly capable? Why do you become a woman or child who depends on others?"
Chen Yun smiled faintly, then said, "Your Majesty, despite my humble origins, has protected me. Without him, the Chen family would remain the same. Now, he is a dragon among men, a favored child of heaven, and deserves the scrutiny and support of an emperor. Your Majesty's talent is unparalleled. As long as he can govern the country well and take good care of his people, what does it matter if I become a laughingstock?"
Zhen Yin turned around and sighed deeply, "I understand. It turns out that the difference between two outstanding people lies in the woman behind them."
Then Zhen Yin walked into the house dejectedly and closed the door.
Then Chen Ying left with a group of people.
As a queen, her virtue is often demonstrated in her protection of her ministers, her admonitions to the emperor, her setting an example for the harem, and her control over the outside world.
Now, rectifying the administration, winning over the people, and consolidating the throne were the top priorities. She instructed her Anbu Seven Stars Group to maintain close contact with Yin Banluo.
Ten days later...
Yin Banluo and Chen Huang's families came to Le'an Town.
As soon as he got off the carriage, Yin Banluo was received by officials.
Yin Shushi said to Yin Banluo, "You must be careful about your current identity."
"My daughter would also like to remind you that the Queen doesn't like being flattered right now. It's best not to be too aggressive for now."
Master Yin disagreed and said, "You are not the queen, how can you have such profound ideas as hers?"
Yin Banluo caught Master Yin who was about to leave and said, "Dad! You have to trust me, your daughter."
"You are very well-known. You can control yourself but not others."
Yin Banluo wanted to say something, but Yin Shoushi and his family walked away.
When they arrived at the inn, Yin Banluo sat at the coffee table, his chin in his hand, lost in thought. A curious servant asked, "Master, why have you been so unhappy since arriving in Le'an?"
"The Yin family is still unwilling to believe in my abilities."
"Why does the Queen insist on refusing to be won over, and then you, my master, who was originally trying to win over the Queen, are trying to eliminate those who bribed her? This servant does not understand."
"Now I'm struggling to decide whether to support my family or the Empress. My family rebelled against the Emperor, and his political enemies might kill him. There are other concubines under the Empress, and I still don't have power. The Defei is just a figurehead. Oh, it's too difficult!"
Seeing Yin Banluo shaking his head, the servant said helplessly: "Master, this is to see who is the smart one. You should follow the smart one."
"The Queen only uses what she needs daily, and she won't light all the candlesticks in the palace. This is because she doesn't want to be criticized. If she has power, it would be like setting her own ambitions. This would arouse suspicion. Now, if we want to win over the Queen, we must do this thoroughly. On the contrary, if my father's people are too obvious, they will not be favored by the Queen."
"Then why are you still hesitating? We should cut off the escape routes of those people over there first. We can't hesitate any longer."
After hearing what her personal maid said, Yin Banluo made up her mind.
The next day, Yin Banluo walked out of the hotel. County Magistrate Chen, Prefect Li, and other noble families were all there.
After a brief exchange of greetings, Yin Banluo said, "County Magistrate, the Queen has ordered that the Huang and Chen families be dealt with according to the laws of the Qiankun Kingdom. You do not need to worry too much."
Li Taishou raised his thumb and said, "The Empress is wise, Your Highness is wise. Today, the Duke was unreasonable!"
"Alright, you guys, although Le'an Town may be poor, you can't cause trouble in the name of the Queen. The Queen was originally adopted by the Chen family, but she is actually the youngest daughter of General Changsun. The Queen intends to separate the relationship, so you should withdraw from any business related to the Queen. I hope you will keep this in mind."
"Your Highness, I will obey."
At this moment, Master Yin arrived at the scene and angrily shouted, "Luo'er! No!"
"Dad? What's wrong?"
"As an official, you can't just do whatever your superiors say. You also have to be more careful about yourself. You absolutely can't make a one-size-fits-all decision like this. You still have to keep the benefits given to the Queen."
Li Taishou said, "Your Majesty, your father is right. We should leave a little wiggle room so that the Queen won't find out. This wiggle room will also be a way to save ourselves in the future."
Yin Banluo frowned and shook his head helplessly. He was about to say something, but then he suppressed his anger. With no other options, Yin Banluo walked out of his seat and his chair was pushed over.
The county magistrate also stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, forgive my frankness. We will do as you say. But Your Majesty is a descendant of the Yuan Tian faction and has a virtuous and capable mandate. It is understandable that she is loved. This matter can be prevented once, but it is impossible to completely prevent the love of others."
Yin Banluo felt that everyone was simply trying to win over the Queen for their own benefit. She also believed that her personal visit must have had a purpose.
Perhaps, there are deeper issues within the interests that require her identity to intervene.
Then Yin Panluo said, "But there is no wealth without profit, and there is no storm without wind. If you really want to solve the problem, you should at least throw a brick to attract jade, right?"
Prefect Li nudged the county magistrate beside him, and the magistrate immediately took out a box of ginseng.
The next second after opening it, Yin Banluo instantly covered it back and said, "Don't. I don't want these words to get through to others."
Li Taishou approached her and said, "We are all family."
Yin Banluo also accepted it with a smile.
However, at night, he prepared the letter and sent it to the palace. In this way, he sent the intelligence he obtained back to the palace in the form of letters many times.
A few days later...
In the Kunning Palace of the Imperial Palace, Chen Yun received a secret letter from Yin Banluo, asking Chen Yun to summon Zhen Yin into the palace as Yang Ya.
Zhen Yin threw on her veil, revealing herself as Concubine Yang Shu. She used her own power to investigate officials related to Le'an Town.
Because of this, Zhen A'dan, the head of the Zhen family, found out and made a private appointment with Zhen Yin.
In the dim bedroom, Zhen A'dan had just finished paying his respects when he saw Zhen Yin, a woman with a veil, sitting on a low chair in front of him.
Zhen Yin dismissed the servants and left the two of them staring at each other.
"What's the matter?"
Facing Zhen Yin's question, Zhen Ah Dan frowned, then closed his eyes, as if he was beginning to let go of something heavy.
"Being secretive between father and daughter means there's something going on that's unknown to others, right?"
"Dad, just be frank!" Then Zhen Yin took off her veil. This action didn't matter to Zhen Yin, but it was like a bolt from the blue to Zhen Adan.
Zhen Ah Dan took a deep breath, trying to adjust his mentality, and then continued, "So you have already mobilized the power of our Zhen family for the person you like."
"Can't use it?"
"I will stop it."
"No, you can't. Dad, since everything is like thin ice that will break at the slightest touch, why not let it turn into a pool of water and then freeze into ice? I won't allow anyone to stop me here. Not even you."
The atmosphere of opposition had become extremely oppressive. Zhen Ah Dan raised his head, closed his eyes, and covered his chest with his hands. The pain on his face was beyond words. Zhen Yin walked over and tried to support Zhen Ah Dan, but he shook her off with one hand.
Zhen Ah Shan closed his eyes and said, "Dad has already discussed this with the clan members. We respect your choice. In three years, you will marry into His Majesty's harem!"
"Father! I have already said that His Majesty promised..."
Zhen Ah Dan raised his hand to stop him, then turned to leave, his back a warning: "Zhen Family Rules Article 10: Chastity and self-preservation. Those who are unfaithful, unkind, unfilial, and unrighteous are not allowed to be descendants of the Zhen family. Having said that, when you go out, don't cause trouble, keep a low profile. If you really can't, run away. Take care of yourself in the future."
Zhen Yin shed tears and said painfully, "Dad...I will prove my innocence to you...to the Zhen family."
Zhen Ah Dan suddenly turned around and said, "The Zhen family doesn't want to be exterminated!"
A moment of silence passed between the two sides, and Zhen Ah Dan took a deep breath. He certainly didn't want to trust his daughter. After all, Zhen Yin was the current emperor's eldest sister-in-law and the former crown prince's consort. At the time, the crown prince's faction and the Xuanwang Mansion, now the emperor's faction, had a deep grudge, so Zhen Yin's identity was extremely sensitive.
The Zhen family hadn't been liquidated, but that wasn't necessary. If it were, it would be a catastrophic disaster. Zhen Ahdan couldn't afford it.
At this time, the servants outside the door announced the arrival of the queen.
Zhen Ah Dan pulled out a letter from his clothes and placed it on the ground. "The information you want is all here."
As soon as Chen Yan came in, he crossed paths with Zhen Adan who was leaving after paying his respects.
Zhen Yin covered her face with her sleeves and went to pick up the paper on the ground, but she couldn't hide her tearful eyes.
Zhen Yin was about to bow when Chen Yin stopped her. Then he said, "No need to bow. Let me see what you wrote first."
Zhen Yin looked at the paper in her hand and handed it to Chen Yin. This paper was the result of the investigation she had sent people to investigate.
From the results, it can be concluded that the upper and lower lines of bribing the queen have been sorted out, which happens to be similar to a corruption line.
"This is both the Queen's wisdom and her courage. In one attempt, she uncovered corruption that Jian Cheng had been unable to solve for years." Thinking of this, Zhen Yin said, "Your Majesty, are you going to eliminate these corrupt officials?"
Chen Yun stopped him. "Let them go for now. After all, if the people up there aren't full, the people down there won't be either."
"Corruption will only increase! Isn't this just harming people?"
Chen Yun shook his head and said, "Take out the inkstone and ruler!"
After a while, the two of them sat down on a couch to one side. The tea table on the couch was level, and they placed the inkstone under the center of the ruler. Then they took out two teacups and placed them on both ends of the ruler, forming a lever. Chen Yun pressed down on the taller cup.
"I use force to move one side down and the other side up."
Then Chen Yin let go of his hand and returned to his original state.
Chen Yun poured tea into the left and right teacups, then reached into the water in one of the cups. However, without touching the cups, the cup that touched the water surface sank.
Zhen Yin asked in surprise: "It's so magical, why is it like this?"
"The two sides are initially balanced, but when one is simply pressed, the balance becomes unbalanced. Water is a fluid, and the force of your finger touching the water surface is transmitted to the bottom of the teacup through the water. This is equivalent to applying an indirect downward force on the teacup, increasing the pressure on the lever on that side. This is the conductivity of water used in the action of a lever."
After hearing Chen Yun's explanation, Zhen Yin suddenly understood: "What the Queen is saying is that seemingly unrelated things may affect other things. If we want to eliminate corrupt officials, we must prevent the negative effects that will come from their elimination."
"Yes, so, Concubine Yin De is very clever. She was able to appease others while conveying misinformation to me. Therefore, I have reason to make a show of reminding these officials who their master is."
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