Chapter 198: Flatterer Huo Lang
There are some things you can't think about too deeply, otherwise you will hurt others and yourself.
Huo Lang stood up and finally understood why Lu Yan was so determined to keep the assassin. He was about to lead his men out of the dungeon when he heard Wei Hong's hoarse voice behind him:
"Do you really think that the army died outside Guiyan Pass because the food and fodder had not arrived?"
"Huo Lang, the emperor is eliminating my Wei family today, and it will be your turn next."
His tone was unexpectedly calm, and it echoed in the gloomy dungeon, inexplicably making people feel a chill on their backs. Huo Lang silently hid his hands in his sleeves. Minrui heard from his words that returning to Yanguan was not a simple matter, and slowly turned around to look at Wei Hong.
The noble young man who rode a horse to tour the capital in the past was now completely unrecognizable, and there was no trace of his former self. He looked at Huo Lang, laughing so hard that his whole body was shaking, but no matter how he looked at him, he looked like he was crying, and his eyes were so red that they seemed to be dripping with blood:
"I was ordered to deliver food and grass, but I encountered an ambush at Broken Dragon Gorge. All my soldiers died. I jumped off a cliff to escape. Who do you think sent those people?"
Tick-tock…
A drop of snow fell straight from the eaves and hit the ground silently, but it made people feel uneasy for some reason.
Lu Yan's body trembled violently, and he woke up from his sleep for the umpteenth time, his body covered in cold sweat. He raised his eyes and stared at the dark tent above his head, and then he realized that he was in the bedroom. His fluctuating emotions finally calmed down, like the receding tide disappearing without a trace.
Lu Yan dreamed of the bloody case again.
He threw back the quilt and stood up, closing his eyes and wiping his face. The mute slave who was on night watch heard the noise and poured a cup of tea over. Lu Yan took a sip and asked, "Where's Wumei?"
The dumb slave gestured: [In the secret room, discussing matters with His Majesty.]
Lu Yan paused when he heard this, and a dark light flashed in his eyes: "How long have you been in there?"
Dumb Slave: [About half a cup of tea.]
Lu Yan waved his hand gently, signaling her to leave, then stood up, put on a robe and walked to the compartment. No one knew what he did on the wall, but the entire antique display cabinet suddenly shifted slowly, revealing the entrance to the secret passage at the back. The green light of the luminous pearls inlaid on both sides was dim, making the end seem even darker and more eerie.
Lu Yan took a candle and walked in, passing through the winding road, and finally stopped in front of a stone wall with an imperceptible small hole on it. He held his breath, lightened his steps, and could vaguely hear faint voices talking inside.
"Your Majesty... In three days, the Wei family will pass through Qilin Pass... The one guarding the pass will be the old minister left by the late emperor... Send a message and take action then... It will be foolproof..."
This soft and old voice was clearly Wu Mei's. As soon as he finished speaking, another male voice was heard. It was undoubtedly Zhao Kang. It was the first time that Lu Yan realized that the other party could be so full of energy and gritted his teeth, as if the Wei family and him had a deep hatred:
"Well done! As long as Wei Tan dies, there will be no more male descendants in the Wei family who can inherit the title. I can take back the military power. With the help of Xiling, I will definitely be able to get rid of Huo Lang, the great threat!"
This underground palace is very complex. For ventilation, many narrow air passages are left on all sides. One of them is right next to the underground palace's bedroom. You can hear the conversations coming from inside if you get close to the wall. Lu Yan discovered this secret by accident.
Lu Yan knew that Zhao Kang wanted to get rid of the Wei family. It was not unusual for him to ambush them on their way back to their fiefdom. But what did he mean by "Xi Ling's help"? Did Zhao Kang secretly collude with Xi Ling?
Lu stretched out his hand to cover the flickering candle flame, and his warm face was slightly gloomy in the light and shadow. This was something he had not noticed in his previous life, but now that he thought about it carefully, he felt that there were already clues.
No wonder Xiling sent troops for no reason, no wonder Zhao Kang insisted on appointing Prince Jingyang to be in charge of grain and grass, no wonder Duke Zhenguo was a military genius but died on the battlefield, and several of his sons were killed or injured. It turned out that there was a traitor in Beishu.
For the first time, Lu Yan discovered that this sickly emperor was much more thoughtful than he had imagined. In order to regain power, Zhao Kang was willing to risk the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers. What conditions did he offer to make Xiling so helpful?
Gold and silver? Cities? The method of smelting iron or making salt?
The Xiling people are a nomadic people who mostly make a living by herding cattle. There is an extreme shortage of iron tools and salt on the grassland, and they can only trade countless cattle and sheep with Beishu every year. If Zhao Kang really uses these to exchange for Xiling's troops, it may be able to solve the problem temporarily, but it will leave Beishu with endless troubles.
Lu Yan didn't listen any more and left the secret passage holding the candle. The most urgent task now was to save the lives of the entire Wei family.
Zhao Kang did have a few old ministers left by the previous emperor, and they were very well hidden and would not easily show up in the court. The brave general Huyanjia was one of them. He had guarded Qilin Pass for several years and had a deep foundation. If he were to be killed, the women and children of the Wei family would probably be in great danger.
The next morning, in the court.
There have never been any secrets in the capital. The news of the emperor being assassinated yesterday had spread throughout the streets and alleys this morning. That was fine, but the regent had forcibly taken the assassins away for investigation, which inevitably gave rise to gossip. Sure enough, the fearless officials were the first to jump out, and the memorials impeaching Huo Lang formed a thick stack in the upper right corner.
"Your Majesty, since ancient times, there has been a distinction between the monarch and his subjects, and the hierarchy is determined by heaven. However, the Regent has repeatedly offended the emperor, raised private soldiers, beat court officials, and seized military power without handing it over. He has committed 72 crimes, big and small. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to a disaster! I heard that your majesty went to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to pay his respects yesterday, and was assassinated on the way back to the palace. As a result, the assassin was snatched away by the Regent on the street. There must be something fishy about this matter. I ask your majesty to severely punish Huo Lang, deprive him of his military power, and order the officials to investigate in detail!"
Huang Shi'an, the Imperial Counselor, was the first to speak out. These scholars did not hold high positions or receive much salary, but they were all stubborn and courageous. They had read a lot of nonsense and were rigid and inflexible.
If the emperor listened to Huang Shi'an today, he would be a capable minister who eliminated harm for the people. If the emperor turned a deaf ear and beheaded him, he would also have a good reputation that would go down in history.
All in all, it's a win-win situation!
Lu Yan sat high on the dragon throne, the drooping crown tassels covered his eyes, making it difficult to tell whether he was happy or angry, but his voice was gentle and calm, and he did not seem angry: "My dear minister, why do you say that? I was assassinated in the street yesterday and was fortunately saved by the Regent King, otherwise I would have been beheaded. Both of you are Beishu's loyal ministers, you should do your best to work for the well-being of the country instead of being suspicious of each other. Let's not talk about this matter anymore, leave."
He clearly did not want to punish Huo Lang, and anyone with good eyesight would have walked down the stairs. However, Huang Shian was stubborn and said in a sharp tone from the bottom of the hall:
"Your Majesty! Even if the Regent King had the merit of saving the emperor, he should not have snatched the assassin away in the street. Since he is so loyal, why not hand the assassin over to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation, so as to avoid the suspicion of silencing him!"
Wow——
Huang Shian's previous accusation was shocking, and this one stirred up even more waves. What does it mean to silence someone? Isn't this clearly saying that the assassin was sent by the Regent, so he deliberately took the person away to silence him?
Huo Lang was part of many factions in the court, and a minister immediately jumped out to refute him. Both sides started to curse each other, their faces turned red and their necks became thick, spitting everywhere, and they were about to start fighting.
"What do you mean by silencing someone? You dare to slander the Regent for assassination, so I will silence you first!"
"The Regent is loyal and dedicated to the country. How can you, a pedantic scholar, poke at his spine and scold him? I think all the books you have read over the years have gone to waste!"
"Beishu has long had a law that the number of a prince's troops cannot exceed three hundred, but the Regent Prince's Palace has more than a thousand soldiers. This is nothing but treason!"
"He deliberately claimed to be ill and has not attended court for a long time. It is clear that he does not take Your Majesty seriously. He should be punished for every crime!"
Just as the two groups were about to start fighting, a black figure suddenly appeared outside the hall. Huo Lang, wearing a jade crown and a sword on his waist, walked into the hall in full view of everyone. Although he said nothing, his cold eyes swept over them, and the group of ministers spontaneously quieted down, as if someone had strangled them by the throat.
"I didn't realize that the court meeting had turned into a street market. Some adults are well-read in poetry, but why are they more noisy than chickens and ducks in a cage? Huh?"
Huo Lang happened to walk in front of Huang Shian when he said this. He slowly stroked the sword at his waist and looked at him indifferently and casually, as if he was looking at an ant who didn't know his own limits. "Why, Master Huang, what's wrong with me?"
Huang Shi'an was so angry that his face turned red and he pointed at Huo Lang and scolded, "Prince Regent, you came at the right time. Hand over those assassins quickly. The assassination of the Holy Chariot is a serious matter. Are you hiding those assassins away to cover up your tracks?!"
Huo Lang's lips curled up slightly when he heard this, and he smiled inexplicably: "How could that be? I just want to torture him severely and find out who is so bold as to order the assassin to commit the assassination."
Huang Shian pressed aggressively: "Have you found out?!"
"Of course it was found out."
Huo Langyu grabbed Huang Shi'an's wrist without warning and twisted it hard. There was a crackling sound of bones and he actually broke the opponent's tendons. Huang Shi'an knelt on the ground in pain, screaming and crying, unable to speak.
All the ministers were shocked!
Huo Langrao stared at Huang Shian with interest, and a sneer suddenly broke out of his chest: "Why, you can't bear it? I thought you were very capable, but it turns out you are just a weakling. Where did the vigor you had when you spoke so confidently in the court just now go?"
Huang Shian was shaking with pain, his court robes soaked with sweat, and he looked like he had just been pulled out of the water. He clenched his teeth and glared at Huo Lang fiercely, uttering with difficulty: "Fake minister...thief!"
“Crack!”
Huang Shi'an let out another scream, and felt as if his arm had been twisted into a knot, with his five fingers twisted out of place. It would have been more satisfying to kill him with a knife. When others saw this scene, they were all horrified and took two steps back in fear.
The atmosphere in the court was tense and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.
Huo Lang turned to stare at the emperor in the Mingtang who was calm in the face of adversity. His eyes were slightly dark, and his aura was unruly and domineering. He asked slowly, word by word, "Your Majesty, do you think that I have the intention of rebellion?"
Lu Yan looked at Huo Lang through the crown, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, but like white jade sinking into water, clear and warm: "Of course not."
Huo Lang sneered and pulled Huang Shian to him. He raised his chin slightly, unable to hide his rebellious nature: "Then, Your Majesty, how do you think this man should be dealt with?"
Aggressive!
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