Chapter 324: Eliminate the remaining poison
The Empress Dowager Song and Princess Yongqing were not harmed, nor were they forced or lured by the rebels. They were just imprisoned in the bedroom and were not allowed to enter and leave freely.
Old Cai and Jin Tai went up to deal with several masters of the eunuchs. When the imperial guards saw the emperor and the empress dowager arrive, they had already knelt on the ground.
All relatives were safe and sound. Luo Li comforted her mother and Yongqing, and then hurried out of the palace. The baby son who was still breastfeeding was still in the Moyun Cavalry Camp outside the city. The rest of the work of eliminating the remaining enemies was left to others!
The palace gate had been opened long ago. The Moyun Cavalry elite soldiers and the big-footed female soldiers were solemnly guarding every intersection and palace gate. Hong Gu and Mo Ming, with a few shadow guards and a thousand Moyun Cavalry elite soldiers, escorted Luo Li out of the palace and headed straight for the Moyun Cavalry Camp outside the South City Gate.
The matter of clearing the remaining poison could not be delayed. Fortunately, the frightened Cheng family father and son confessed the list of people involved in the coup and the execution plan without reservation.
Feng Xuanzi sat in the palace, protecting the little emperor, Wu Chizi and Old Caitouer. Jin Tai followed Mo Yunqi and several other commanders to lead the troops to arrest people overnight. They rushed into the high-walled courtyards and heavily guarded military camps according to the list, carrying the imperial edict .
A total of 36 civil and military officials were taken to the prison for interrogation overnight.
What people didn't expect was that Wang Kui, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, confessed that Cheng Wuya, the former commander of the Imperial City Division, was the initiator of this palace coup.
It was Cheng Wuya who used the cruel and inhumane persecution of the aristocratic families in Shu. We must not allow the Regent Zhao Defang to promote the new policy in the Song Dynasty as an excuse. He secretly instigated and seduced several court officials from aristocratic families. Several court officials seduced and lured the greedy and ambitious Cheng family father and son to carefully plan and launch this coup. The
people who went to a hidden courtyard to capture Cheng Wuya returned in vain. Cheng Wuya, who was more cunning than a loach, had already smelled the breath of danger and fled with several men.
The young emperor Zhao Wuji's steel teeth were almost broken, and he immediately issued an imperial decree to notify the Ministry of Justice to issue a sea arrest document to hunt down the thief Cheng Wuya.
Luo Li once again witnessed the cruelty of the young emperor Zhao Wuji. All officials who participated in the coup were executed and their property was confiscated.
Only after her intercession did she reluctantly spare the lives of her grandfather's family. Cheng Zhuang and Cheng Haodong were sentenced to exile to the border. Cheng Haonan, who had made meritorious contributions, was demoted three levels and sent to the newly recovered Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun to serve as a captain. The sons and daughters of the Cheng family were sentenced to three years of house arrest.
Empress Dowager Zhaoning did not complain about the cruelty of the prince, nor did she plead for her family. Her heart had long been broken by her family.
Luo Li personally saw Cheng Haonan off, and took a farewell glass of wine from Hong Gu and handed it to him, "General Cheng, thank you again for your deep understanding of justice. I hope that the general can kill the enemy at the border, make more military exploits, and restore the glory of the Cheng family as soon as possible."
Cheng Haonan's face was calm, and he took the wine and drank it all, "Good wine! I also thank the princess again for keeping her promise and protecting my Cheng family. One person survives.
Don't worry, Princess, I will not sink into oblivion. I will definitely kill the enemy and restore the reputation of loyalty and bravery of my Cheng family ancestors." Seeing Cheng Haonan riding away with a dozen personal soldiers, Luo Li sighed
, "It's a pity that such a wise, brave and ambitious general was betrayed by his brainless father and elder brother. "
He also said with deep emotion: "The ancestors of the Cheng family were a family of military generals with outstanding achievements, but they were led into decline by the idiot head of the family, Cheng Zhuang. Cheng Zhuang had a good hand of cards but played it badly. If it weren't for the wise Cheng Lao Er, the Cheng family would have almost ended up with the whole family being exterminated.
The main family is not as promising as the side branches. General Cheng Yu has a good vision. He followed the right people and stood on the right side. He made many military exploits under the prince."
Luo Li was amused and laughed, "Cheng Yu is a talent, and this Cheng Haonan is not bad either, but he was dragged down by his family. As long as he is determined, there will be a day when he will become famous and powerful."
Zhao Defang, the regent king of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, received his subordinate Feng Zian, who was known as the "God of Wealth." The various businesses of the palace will also be opened one by one in the recovered Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.
Feng Zi'an said calmly: "Your Majesty, my opinion is to open cotton cloth business and toilet paper business here and build workshops. These two businesses are related to people's livelihood. People with a little more wealth can afford them. The product prices are not high but it is a highly profitable industry.
In less than a year or two, it will bring huge income to our palace."
Sima Qingyun shook the sandalwood fan and looked at Feng Cai with sarcasm. Zhao Defang, the Prince of Regent,
glanced at Sima Qingyun who was acting weird, and said, "Zi'an, I have decided that from now on, all the money earned from the business of our palace will be handed over to the private treasury of the princess."
Feng Zi'an was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "As the prince orders, it belongs to me." Next month, the income from the business will be sent to the princess's private treasury."
Sima Qingyun was not angry at being confronted, but smiled happily and cunningly, "Prince, you are really good at calculating. The income from the princess's business is about to catch up with the income from the palace's business, and will surpass it next year. If you merge the palace's treasury and the princess's private treasury, we, the subordinates, will need money in the future. But you really have to be bold to ask for money, so that Feng Zian, the stingy money-grubber, won't keep making excuses and crying his eyes out. "
Yun Yi suddenly walked in, clasped his fists and saluted, "Your Highness, a secret report from the capital says that the Cheng family father and son and more than 30 court officials took advantage of your absence from the capital to launch a palace coup."
Before Yun Yi finished speaking, Zhao Defang "jumped" over and asked, "How are the princess and her son and the emperor?" "
The princess led people to suppress the rebellion successfully. All our people are safe and sound, and the rebels are being arrested and imprisoned one by one."
Regent Prince Zhao Defang finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the heart that had been in his throat fell to the ground. He had always remained calm in the face of a huge disaster, but now he was really scared when he had the most important person to worry about.
"Qingyun, Zi'an, the affairs of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun are handed over to you. I will return to the capital today."
Sima Qingyun and Feng Zi'an, who were also startled just now, immediately straightened their faces!
He clasped his fists and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, you can return to the capital to take charge of the overall situation. We will do our best to handle the affairs of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."
An hour later, the anxious Regent Prince Zhao Defang led three thousand Moyun cavalry elite soldiers and rode towards the capital.