Chapter 310 Empress: I heard you and the princess are very close
In the Imperial Garden.
Xu Zhenguan tilted his head to listen to the report of the small imperial guard. Even though he had expected it in his heart, he still couldn't help but be distracted when he actually heard the answer.
Well, roughly speaking, how much has he done for himself in just these few months?
Each and every one of them was completed extremely beautifully.
Originally, she was a little nervous and worried about the appointment of Zhao Duan as the imperial envoy.
The capital and the outside world are both part of the Dayu Dynasty, but they are two completely different worlds.
In the capital, under his own nose, the power Zhao Duan can rely on, the resources he can mobilize, and the skills he can display are far greater than if he were a dragon crossing the river in other places.
Even though she was given the authority to mobilize the soldiers of the garrison and cooperate with the local shadow guards, she was still surprised that they could return triumphantly at such a fast speed in the face of the complex local situation.
"Zhao Qing, thank you for your hard work." The empress stared at him deeply for a moment and said softly.
"Why should I bother sharing your majesty's worries?"
Zhao Duan resumed his dog-licking attitude and became passionate.
Familiar posture, familiar taste.
Although, similar words would be said by all officials in the court.
But the same words, when spoken to him, sound much more pleasant and agreeable.
Xu Zhenguan raised the corners of his mouth slightly and nodded with satisfaction. He felt comfortable being licked.
She threw the towel casually on the tray, picked up the water and took a sip, waved her hand to let the maid take the plate away, and left the conversation range.
"Let's go, and tell me about your experience."
Xu Zhenguan opened her red lips slightly, and her skirt moved towards the depths of the garden.
Ah, this... Won't you give me a sip? I coughed too. It doesn't matter if it gets on your Majesty's saliva... I don't mind that you are dirty... Zhao Duan looked at the tray regretfully as it went away, turned around and followed.
There are also many chrysanthemums in the lonely imperial garden, but they are not as gorgeous as those in Taicang.
"Your Majesty, after arriving in Taicang..."
Zhao Duan lagged behind the empress half a step, and as he walked, he recounted his experiences of the trip.
He described it in great detail, starting from how he used the guise of a "fake imperial envoy" to attract local officials, secretly visit Songjiazhuang, and obtain evidence of his crimes.
He went to the county government office and interrogated Magistrate Sun, obtaining his letter of surrender. Later, he sent a shadow guard to find Wang Chusheng with a mirror, and the matter was settled at a crab feast.
He told the story without hiding anything.
Xu Zhenguan listened quietly without interrupting, but at the end, his handsome brows frowned as expected:
"Gao Lian... is it really him..."
Zhao Duan glanced at her cautiously: "Your Majesty, have you guessed it long ago?"
Xu Zhenguan shook his head, then nodded and said coldly:
"I don't believe that a mere county magistrate could dare to probe into a silver mine and uncover it only after many years.
Wang Chusheng, originally promoted by Gao Lian, had his suspicions, but he was never sure if this man was truly so bold. Not only did he embezzle government funds, he also committed numerous crimes! Where is he now?
Zhao Duan said truthfully:
"They have been taken to the imperial court and detained, awaiting their fate. Due to our urgent need to return to the capital, we are only bringing this man and Wang Chusheng with us. The remaining accomplices are under the custody of Sun Xiaozhun."
Xu Zhenguan nodded, sighed and said self-deprecatingly:
"The capital has finally stabilized, and now it's the turn of the local officials to fall. Provincial governors... Provincial governors... How many are there in Dayu?"
She seemed calm on the outside, but Zhao Duan keenly heard the empress's melancholy and disappointment from her self-deprecating tone.
Every important official is a pillar supporting this dynasty. From the perspective of the empress, there is indeed a saying that "a new emperor means new officials."
But at least for now, in the few years before she ascended the throne, when the dynasty was plagued by internal troubles, she still focused on winning over and appointing ministers left over from the old emperor's era.
Gao Lian is also one.
However, some contradictions are destined to be impossible to ignore.
Zhao Duan believed that if this case did not involve the "Taicang Silver Mine", it would be the key to the promotion of the "New Policy".
Even if the empress knew that Gao Lian had problems, she might not take any action.
Perhaps they would just send an ordinary censor to go through the motions and catch a few scapegoats.
Unfortunately, Gao Lian stood in the way of the new policy.
In other words, at this moment, the imperial court needed to use a high-ranking local official as an example to other officials in the world and demonstrate the determination of the upper echelons.
Sending him there personally signifies a thorough investigation, no matter how big the hole is, no matter how bad it is.
"That's all. Besides that, is there anything else you want to report?"
Xu Zhenguan took a deep breath, exhaled, and calmed himself down.
After going through so much, she has made great progress in controlling her emotions.
"Oh, there are indeed a few." Zhao Duan said seriously:
"Song Tiju, the man who sent the letter of complaint, is still missing. According to Wang Chusheng, he disappeared before they took action. I suspect he went into hiding, but I don't think it's right."
"Oh?" Xu Zhenguan asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"It's hard to say," Zhao Duan hesitated and said:
"I actually don't have any evidence, but I instinctively feel it's not that simple. Take the evidence he left behind, for example. I compared it several times on my way back to the capital, and it just felt too...perfect."
"Perfect?"
"Yes, it's simply too perfect. Aside from not clearly pointing the finger at Gao Lian and other higher-ups, the investigation into Wang Chusheng and his associates is well-documented. There's almost no need for further investigation. Arresting the suspects would easily confirm the case..."
Your Majesty, I feel that it is truly remarkable that a mining official could accomplish all these things without anyone noticing..."
“…Keep going.”
“I can’t say for sure. The person is missing, and it’s hard to verify the speculation.
"In short, I have instructed Sun Xiaozhun and the local shadow guards to continue the investigation, both openly and covertly. If he truly is in hiding, and Gao Lian has been apprehended, then Song Tiju should have appeared as well," Zhao Duan said.
Xu Zhenguan pondered for a moment and nodded:
"Let's put this matter aside for now. I will also send more shadow guards to investigate."
Zhao Duan nodded and said:
"The second thing is that I was ambushed by the Fashen Sect on my way back to the capital..."
He recounted the ambush that started well but ended poorly, and at the end he asked tentatively:
"Your Majesty, the bandits have mysteriously retreated, seemingly driven away by a powerful enemy. Do you know why?"
Hmm... Xu Zhenguan was staring at him, feeling inexplicably guilty, and said with a stern face:
"How do I know? Perhaps there are disagreements among the thieves themselves."
Well, she wouldn't say that it was because the shadow guards detected the movements of the God of Law Sect and that some strong men were heading to Taicang, so she urgently sent Eunuch Hai there.
This would easily make this kid fearless in the future, and it would also make it seem like the emperor cared about him a lot...
"Is that so..." Zhao Duan said suspiciously:
"I thought that Your Majesty had sent experts to secretly protect us, but it seems I was overthinking it."
The Empress: “…”
Zhao Duan then said, "But why did the Fashen Sect kill us? This is more important."
Xu Zhenguan glanced at him and said, "Do you suspect Prince Jing?"
Zhao Duan didn't say anything, which was considered as his agreement.
As far as he knew, the Fashen Sect had some connection with the Tianshi Mansion and was founded by a priest of the previous generation who defected and fled.
But they were not hostile to the imperial court.
If we were to rashly attack the team, the first place that comes to mind would be Prince Jing's Mansion.
After all, the feud had already begun... Zhao Duan had arrested the Jingwang Mansion's spies in Beijing twice, and even uncovered a mole within the Privy Council. New and old grudges were brewing...
"I know about it and will start an investigation. You don't have to worry about it." Xu Zhenguan said in the tone of a domineering female CEO.
Well, she planned to wait for Hai Gongfeng to return to the palace and ask him in detail.
Zhao Duan said, "That's basically it. I have nothing else to report."
"Really?" Xu Zhenguan suddenly glanced at him and said, "Think about it again. Have you missed anything?"
ah?
Zhao Duan shook his head blankly:
"I don't know what your majesty is asking. Could you please indicate?"
Xu Zhenguan looked at him disdainfully, her beautiful eyes moving around his face twice, and said jokingly:
"Don't you want to explain about my sister?"
Oh no... Did Zhenbao know what I said?
Zhao Duan was shocked, but then he felt that the possibility was very low. Xu Junling would not dare to say such a thing.
He looked frank and righteous.
"The princess did follow the team for a while. I had already asked the shadow guard to report it to her. I thought that after all, she was your Majesty's sister, so it would be difficult to refuse..."
"That's not what I'm talking about," Xu Zhenguan interrupted him, saying indifferently:
"Jun Ling seems to be very interested in you."
Zhao Duan spoke righteously:
"Your Majesty, I have indeed noticed that the county lord is trying to alienate the relationship between me and Your Majesty. However, my feelings for Your Majesty are evident to heaven and earth..."
Xu Zhenguan had asked casually and jokingly, but he didn't expect his reaction. His face was embarrassed and angry, and the beauty pretended to be angry, which was quite charming:
"What nonsense are you talking about? Do you really think I won't punish you?"
Zhao Duan lowered his head and looked submissive, as well-behaved as a little wolfdog, with a look of extreme aggrievedness on his face.
"...Okay, I know you're loyal. Jun Ling is the most cunning girl. I will naturally distinguish right from wrong."
Xu Zhen looked at his wounded expression with drooping eyebrows, and her heart softened, and her tone softened a bit:
"You've had a hard time out this time, go home and rest first."
After a pause, he added, "However, I'm afraid there will be follow-up, and I'm going to require your participation."
Zhao Duan raised his head: "Your Majesty is referring to..."
"Convict Gao Lian," Xu Zhenguan said with a serious expression.
"How to convict a provincial governor is not something I can decide on my own. Tomorrow morning, we will discuss the matter and then hand it over to the three courts for trial. Only after a thorough investigation can the charges be confirmed."
Zhao Duan was not surprised.
The downfall of a high-ranking official naturally cannot be determined by what he, an imperial envoy, says.
The corresponding evidence, witness testimony... the entire case must be tried and verified in Beijing to prevent the imperial envoy from fabricating evidence and making a false case.
However, when the empress said this, it seemed to have another meaning.
"Your Majesty, are you saying that someone will obstruct us?" Zhao Duan asked.
Xu Zhenguan nodded and said something similar to Xu Junling:
"Gao Lian is a member of the 'Li Party'. I'm afraid Li Yanfu won't sit idly by this time. He will face numerous obstacles in convicting Gao Lian. Since you are the imperial envoy in this case, it's difficult for you to deny yourself. However, now that you've returned to the capital, I will arrange for people to handle these matters, and you may not be involved..."
Anyway, let's see what happens at tomorrow's court meeting."
(End of this chapter)
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