Chapter 313: If you are sick, treat it early. Treat it early and you will be cured early.
It was unusual and strange to suddenly summon the royal heirs who had already established their own residences to live in the palace.
The reason of making it easier to prepare for the provincial examination and accompany the Second Princess Shufeng on her trip was a bit far-fetched.
And now, even Xiaoqi, Xiaoba and Xiaojiu were summoned to live in Qinghui Palace, and this strangeness grew like a snowball.
The reason why the third and fourth brothers were uneasy was that they couldn't understand the reason for doing this.
If we want the royal heirs to get closer to each other, there is no need to choose this critical juncture.
Looking at Qin Zhaoyue's heartless appearance, the two of them simultaneously recalled the instructions their eldest sister, Qin Zhaoqiong, had given them privately before leaving for the northern border:
If Feng Jing is undecided about something, she may ask Xiao Liu for his opinion.
The meaningful hint clearly indicates that this seemingly absurd sixth sister has hidden secrets and is not as simple as she appears.
Thinking back to her unexpected response in the Imperial Study before the disaster relief...
The two imperial sisters' gazes always involuntarily drifted towards the sixth sister, with a sense of inquiry and scrutiny.
Why……
Qin Zhaoyue sighed in his heart and swallowed the delicious soup in his mouth.
While eating this meal, he always stares at what he is doing.
Suddenly he raised his head and looked up at his third and fourth sisters.
His big eyes, distinct in black and white, rolled around, accurately catching their gaze before they could completely withdraw it.
A sly smile suddenly appeared on the corner of his lips, and his voice was crisp, with a lazy tone.
"Are you two sisters dissatisfied with the imperial feast on this table? Do you think you must stare at my stunning beauty before you can eat?"
"Or are you two just prejudiced? You have to look at me sideways to find the food on the table?"
"Listen to my sister's advice. If you have an illness, treat it early. The sooner you treat it, the sooner you will get better."
"Poof..." Xiaojiu, who was drinking soup, couldn't help but choke and started coughing.
Peerless beauty...Sixth sister is really confident...Shameless!
Xiaoqi and Xiaoba also stopped what they were doing, stared at their sixth sister with wide eyes, and then looked at their third and fourth sisters who were frozen.
Qin Zhaowan's silver chopsticks holding the goose breast in mid-air suddenly stopped.
Looking at Xiaoliu's face that was smiling innocently but looked like it deserved a beating, her gentle and dignified features remained calm, but the knuckles of her fingers holding the silver chopsticks turned slightly white due to the force.
Veins were faintly visible on the back of his hand, and his fist was clenched quietly under the wide sleeve on his left side.
Qin Zhaoshu's grip on the spoon suddenly tightened and he narrowed his eyes.
The two sisters had the same unprecedented thought in their minds at this moment: they were itching to beat someone up!
The two of them withdrew their gazes, and as their emotions were churning, they raised their hands to pick up some food, but the tips of their chopsticks trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
It seemed as if he had gripped the plate too hard, causing it to clang and mess up the delicious food in front of him.
"Hey! Don't waste it if you can't finish it. Every grain of rice is hard-earned!"
…
In the backyard of Qingjianzhai Bookstore, the shopkeeper Shen Yuanzhang was unconsciously picking at the pickled goose feet on the plate with the bamboo chopsticks in his hand.
He usually drinks two taels of liquor at noon, and today he also has the new Golden Wind and Jade Dew wine that was just released after the beginning of autumn.
But now it has lost its flavor, leaving only a spicy burning sensation in the throat.
I have no appetite and my heart is in turmoil.
Chengyuan was uprooted overnight, and the four heads of the Nine Gates disappeared.
News came in the early morning that a body was carried out from the back door, and it was most likely the head of the boss, the God of Wealth.
Dozens of shops were sealed off by the government. Without exception, they were all secret strongholds of the four major families in Fengjing.
The intelligence network that had been operating for many years had countless tentacles cut off by a sharp knife.
With no news and no one to know, action became more difficult than ever.
Fortunately, there was only a single line of communication between the upper and lower levels, and last night he had made a prompt decision to urgently send the only two secret lines that could directly contact him away from Fengjing.
In this dead silence and oppression, the light in the deepest shadow in the corner of the room was slightly distorted.
A figure whose aura almost blended into the darkness quietly emerged and knelt on one knee silently.
"Sir, 'Mr. Bamboo' and 'Coal Stinky' have been dealt with."
Shen Yuanzhang's fingers holding the wine glass paused slightly, almost imperceptibly, and then returned to normal, only squeezing out a very light "hmm" from his throat.
There should be no risk of exposure in the short term, but this also means that Shen Yuanzhang has almost become blind and deaf in the huge Fengjing.
Instead of feeling relieved, my heart was shrouded in an even heavier haze.
Thinking of the absolute order from above that must be completed...
"What's the situation over there, Wang Chong?"
"Your Excellency, Wang Chong was publicly punished with 100 strokes of the cane for lending money at high interest rates.
In addition to the sentence, the court also ordered the confiscation of property and compensation to the victims, so his life is still alive, but he is currently imprisoned in Jingzhao Prefecture.
"Is there... solitary confinement?"
“No, Jingzhao Prefecture concluded dozens of cases in one day, and the cells were overcrowded, with several people imprisoned in one cell.
Wang Chong mingled among them, without any special supervision or unusual behavior."
"Where is the female scholar mentioned in the intelligence he passed on?"
"He's still in the pharmacy and hasn't left yet."
Shen Yuanzhang was silent.
He picked up the wine glass, and the amber wine swayed gently, reflecting the deep undercurrent in his eyes.
He tilted his head back and drank the remaining wine in the cup. The spicy taste went straight to his lungs, but it couldn't dispel the chill in his heart.
The losses suffered by the aristocratic families in Fengjing this time were indeed heavy.
However, most of what was cut off were the peripheral "hands and feet", and the real "brain" was not damaged.
It is not difficult to rebuild a new intelligence network, but it takes time.
And what he lacks most now is... time!
The empress's thunder strike was timed cleverly, happening to be the day before the second Princess Shufeng arrived in Fengjing.
Now, there are countless elite Xuanji Guards scattered in every corner of Fengjing, watching covetously.
In the current panic, he didn't dare to act rashly. Any mistake would lead to his downfall.
What a good trick!
This forced the officials and nobles who were originally on the sidelines to stand against the aristocratic families in this women's imperial examination.
If it is successfully held and gains huge influence, what will the empress do next?
Shen Yuanzhang secretly speculated that the local recommendation system would probably be completely abolished, or at least exist in name only.
Going a step further, perhaps the supervisory responsibilities of the second-in-command of the local government, Beijia, should be abolished, so that the governor can have all the power.
The foundations of the aristocratic families that dominate the local areas and control the officialdom will be shaken to the roots!
what to do?
That death order is like a sword hanging over one's head, which must be completed, but how to break the deadlock now?
Wang Chong, Shen Yuanzhang's thoughts once again focused on this person.
He was originally just a small-time figure on the edge, but he had a talented female scholar under his control.
Now that a large number of women from Beijing have taken the exam, they will inevitably grab a large number of places for Juren, and those who use ordinary cheating methods may not even be able to enter the examination room.
With so many cases breaking out at the same time, it's only natural that Wang Chong would be implicated because of lending money.
Jingzhao Prefecture tried dozens of cases a day. For the sake of efficiency, it was normal that not every case was thoroughly investigated.
What's more, Wang Chong's family is still firmly in his hands. As long as he is not given special attention and special care, he will never dare to reveal the person behind the scenes.
As for the female scholar who still stayed in the pharmacy...
Since Wang Chong was arrested, he naturally didn’t have to repay the loan.
She was short of money, and in Fengjing, where every inch of land was worth a lot of money, how easy would it be to move out and find another place to live?
Moreover, it was the time of the provincial examination, and all the inns were already fully booked, and prices were skyrocketing.
Everything seems to make sense?
Shen Yuanzhang's fingers unconsciously stroked the cold wall of the cup, and his eyes changed color.
After pondering for a long time without making a decision, he waved his hand gently, and the shadow disappeared silently.
…
Under the guidance of the clerk, Qin Wenyuan, the Supervisor of the Imperial Household, stepped into Fengge Terrace.
Qin Wenyuan was led to the signing room where the prime minister worked. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Pei Xuanyun was about to have lunch, but postponed it after hearing the announcement.
A clear scrutiny flashed across those deep eyes that had seen the world.
He was well aware of how much his position was envied, and since he took over the position of prime minister, he had no dealings with the royal family and nobles.
The Shaofujian in front of him was the highest-ranking official among the royal family, and he was not even an acquaintance.
He signaled the clerk to leave, and the heavy wooden door closed, isolating the outside room.
"What brings you here from the Shaofu Prison?" His voice was calm but carried a natural majesty, and his eyes were as sharp as torches.
Qin Wenyuan staggered forward two steps, and when he was three steps away from the desk, his knees slammed heavily on the blue brick floor.
Bang!
The dull sound of the kneecap hitting the hard ground was particularly thrilling in the silent signing room.
Qin Wenyuan crawled down, his forehead almost touching the ground.
"Please, Prime Minister Pei, save me!"
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