66. Carriage
"Do you know why Queen Mother Cheng sent someone to assassinate the Su family mother and daughter?"
Yun Zhihe pondered for a moment.
"Murder in the downtown area, corruption in the Song family, Su Lin sent people to investigate."
"Having Su's mother's leg broken was just the beginning, but she never expected Su Lin to not stop, so she really started to attack."
Wen Yanhe nodded, agreeing with Yun Zhihe's statement, and continued, "Queen Mother Cheng first sent people to spread the word that there was a miracle doctor outside Mingcheng who could cure leg diseases, which lured Su Lin to come with a large sum of money. Then she robbed and killed him on the way, blaming the bandits."
"What Su Lin investigated——"
The two of them were on their way to Qing County, a remote area surrounded by mountains. It was a very poor region in Ling State, and all the officials in charge had been exiled. Otherwise, no one would come to this remote wilderness.
Yun Zhihe looked at the scenery outside the window and asked softly.
"So, is this the answer?"
Wen Yanhe nodded. As the carriage bumped along, Lou Zhiben, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes when he heard the two talking, and then spoke softly.
"I've been here."
Lou Zhi slowly raised his eyes to look out the window and spoke in a low voice.
"Before you went to Longcheng, I came here..."
Yun Zhihe was suddenly stunned.
Before, she went to Longcheng to control the plague and met Lou Zhi. He gave her a dagger and said it was on his way.
It turned out that exploring Qing County was his mission.
It is said that His Majesty knew about the matter a long time ago and sent people to investigate.
...He was in control of everything and had Queen Mother Cheng's movements under his fingertips.
Yun Zhihe paused, lowered his eyes and said no more.
She said she wanted to be his support, but her cleverness backfired and he had to move forward alone again.
Before he knew it, the carriage had stopped. Yun Zhihe got off first and helped the two men get off.
Wen Yanhe's fingers were as cold as jade, slender and smooth, covering Yun Zhihe's hand.
Lou Zhi usually dismounted directly, but now he was strangely silent. He then stretched out his hand, deliberately maintaining the strength in his hand so as not to put his weight on her.
He just glanced at Wen Yan and her beautiful jade-like fingers, curled up his palm, his expression became a little gloomy, and he said no more.
As they stood on this barren land, Wen Yanhe turned to Yun Zhihe and chuckled, "Qing County has always been poor and miserable, with barren land and many droughts."
“No one from outside the area came to Jijin, and the imperial court rarely sent people to investigate.”
“It’s a remote place and the people are suffering.”
"Can--"
Wen Yanhe stretched out his voice, his eyes curved with a teasing smile, and just as he was about to say the next sentence, Lou Zhi beside him suddenly interrupted him.
“…There’s a gold mine here.”
The voice was calm.
Wen Yanhe's expression froze for a moment, the smile on the corner of his lips stopped, his brows twitched a little, and he looked at Lou Zhi beside him, with a hint of accusation in his expression.
He originally wanted to pretend in front of Yun Zhihe.
Who would have thought that General Lou had always been strange, and even now he was extremely loyal.
Yun Zhihe suddenly realized, raised his head and looked at Wen Yanhe, and in just a moment he connected the clues, and the pulled broken thread was finally connected.
"So... that person was from Qing County, and he trafficked people from Qing County to the Song Mansion, but secretly traded them in gold, causing the Song Mansion to owe a huge amount of money."
"She went crazy—even if Queen Mother Cheng wanted to get rid of her, she never imagined she would escape, kill people in a busy city, and cause trouble that reached the court."
"In order to prevent him from revealing this mountain of gold, he planned to kill Su Lin who was investigating the case, plotted the Su family murder, framed the bandits, and then destroyed the bandits and destroyed the evidence."
…
Yun Zhihe frowned suddenly.
She suddenly remembered that a long time ago, Queen Mother Cheng and Xuanyuan Ying had quarreled over the right to mint coins.
I'm afraid he was planning to monopolize the gold mountain at that time, which was also in line with Xuanyuan Sui's lavish spending.
"Hmm..." Wen Yanhe chuckled and shook his head, "But, there is one thing that might be wrong."
“It’s not a mountain of gold.”
He looked down at Yun Zhihe's feet.
"Here, everything is gold."
His voice was full of laughter but was particularly shocking.
It is no wonder that Queen Mother Cheng, who already holds a high position and has no worries about food and clothing, still covets the gold in Qing County.
"However... Your Majesty has tolerated her for a long time. Since her comfortable life, Queen Mother Cheng and the Xuanyuan family have squandered the national treasury and encroached upon the court. From as far as the border to as close as the emperor's throne, they are all Xuanyuans."
"There's even a plan... to push Xuanyuan Sui forward."
Wen Yanhe's expression was a little cold. "Xuanyuan Sui is uneducated and unskilled, yet he happens to be the favorite of Queen Mother Cheng. Queen Mother Cheng thinks Your Majesty is incapable. He is a man, and the throne is supported by the Xuanyuan family. Even if a female emperor is replaced, the same can be said."
"I'm afraid they're waiting to take action once they've devoured the gold mines and become rich enough to rival a nation."
"However, there is no need to worry about your majesty losing the support of the Xuanyuan clan. Your majesty also has the surname Xuanyuan. If you imprison the Queen Mother, the Xuanyuan clan will eventually submit due to the imperial power and surname, and your majesty will personally control the Xuanyuan clan."
Yun Zhihe raised his eyes to look at the people and mountains in the distance, pursed his lips, and said, "However, the people here are suffering."
Wen Yanhe nodded, his expression looking somewhat apologetic and sad.
"Born into poverty, I was tricked and captured and sold as dog food. I worked day and night to mine gold, but I couldn't get any better."
"Queen Mother Cheng has strictly guarded this place, and the officials who routinely visit the court have been threatened or bribed. If Your Majesty were not extremely clever, you would not have sent General Lou to investigate, and you would not have been able to save the suffering people here."
His voice grew increasingly low. Thinking of the miserable conditions of the people as reported by the clerk, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled again.
"Fortunately—Your Majesty is the one who will bring peace to the world."
They came here to collect evidence and take the opportunity to prevent Queen Mother Cheng from turning over.
The imperial court also sent people to deliver food and doctors, so the situation here must be serious.
As soon as you step in here, you will feel a numb chill. Everyone is looking at Yun Zhihe and his group in silence, and almost no one is talking on the street.
Yun Zhihe frowned.
"I have sent people to rescue and treat them in the past few days. Maybe they have lost the support of the people here..." Wen Yanhe pursed his lips and said no more.
The more he understood the situation here, the angrier Yun Zhihe became. Although his face was still as beautiful as jade, his heart was filled with rage, as if it was ignited by a raging fire.
Even children as young as nine years old went to the mines, carrying ore in and out on their backs, and their backs were covered with erosion and sores.
The people already had limited farmland and food, but they were not allowed to sow seeds on the land or exchange food with the outside world. Food became even scarcer and eventually fell into the hands of Mother Cheng. They had to work day and night for food.
Mining in the dark, most people suffer from silicosis, stomach problems and arthritis... The hardship, fatigue, despair and hunger combine to make the people here live a life worse than death.
Yun Zhihe closed his eyes and breathed heavily.
"...If an official is unkind and loses the support of the people, that's just as it should be."
Hoarse voice.
Wen Yanhe pursed her lips, probably wanting to make Yun Zhihe feel less guilty, and said, "That was done by the corrupt officials and Queen Mother Cheng. There's no need to... feel too guilty."
Yun Zhihe shook his head. "Such a horrific thing, such a greedy and cunning official, as long as it exists, the sins weighing on the officials will only increase."
She scoffed, perhaps at herself, and looked out the window with a complicated expression. "Officials are supposed to serve the people. How can we allow corrupt officials to run rampant? They act recklessly because of our failure to supervise them... We have caused them so much suffering."
Lou Zhi, who was leaning on the side, paused, stepped forward and said seriously.
"You're fine."
“…Don’t blame yourself.”
Yun Zhihe smiled at him but didn't say anything.
Wen Yanhe's expression became strange, and his brows were slightly furrowed.
Men have always been very sensitive to emotional matters. Even the indifferent and cold General Lou had to step forward to offer some comfort, which was a bit unusual.
Wen Yanhe looked towards Lou Zhi, but happened to see the slight curve of Lou Zhi's lips and the clear joy in the corners of his eyes. It was like a blow to the head, and he was extremely surprised.
He took a deep breath, pursed his lips, and his fingertips curled and trembled.
This time, the widowed general, who was obviously older than him, also fell in love with his wife.
...Don't worry.
He is old, ugly, and has lost his virginity and reputation. Yun Zhihe should look down on him.
And I am a beauty with a stunning appearance, famous for my looks, and outstanding talent... only I can stand shoulder to shoulder with her.
There was a darkness in his gentle words and eyes.
Yun Zhihe has always been a person who reflects on herself. She took on the responsibility of being an unkind official and personally arranged to appease the people, comfort the sick, and distribute money.
Perhaps because she was too busy running around and never slept, she looked tired, but the attitude of the people in the county softened a little, and they no longer looked at her with indifference and hostility.
In just a few days, they had collected all the evidence and hurried back.
Yun Zhihe had been sleepless for the past few days. As soon as he stepped into the carriage, he lowered his eyes tiredly and fell asleep to the sound of the bumpy horses.
There were some purple spots under her eyes. Wen Yanhe, who was holding a book beside her, felt particularly distressed. He pursed his lips and covered her with his cloak.
“Hmm—”
With a sudden jolt, Yun Zhihe's sleeping body suddenly leaned against Wen Yanhe, with his shoulder resting on Wen Yanhe's shoulder. The sudden body temperature made Wen Yanhe stunned, and the tips of his white jade ears were also red like dripping blood.
His chest trembled as he tried to hide the loss of composure in his eyes, and he carefully pulled Yun Zhihe's cloak over his body, bringing warmth.
Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed even in her sleep. Wen Yanhe was dazed and wanted to touch her to smooth her brows, but he suddenly raised his eyes and saw Lou Zhi with a burning gaze.
Lou Zhi's face was cold and his demeanor was dignified as he stared at the two figures leaning on each other.
Wen Yanhe also came back to his senses at this time, chuckled and spoke softly.
"General Lou, are you feeling cold? I have a thin blanket here, but Jinniang has been tired these days and has lost her manners. Please forgive me, General."
He spoke softly and pleasantly, looking at Lou Zhi with a smile.
Wen Yanhe specifically called her "Jinniang", her courtesy name.
Lou Zhi pursed his lips, lowered his eyes, and stopped looking. The fingertips holding the sword trembled slightly, and after a long time he spoke in a hoarse voice.
“…No need.”
My throat is hoarse.
The author has something to say:
Young Master Wen has learned a few green tea tricks, and I am so happy that the foreshadowing has been resolved so quickly.
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