Chapter 321 The Empress's Chess Game (Two in One)
Did Xu Zhenguan want to be a wise ruler?
There is no doubt about this. Even if we don't look at it from the perspective of our heart, but only from a practical point of view, she must obtain such an image.
In his previous life, Zhao Duan looked through history and found that Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty was very interesting. This emperor wanted to be a good emperor in the eyes of the world throughout his life. The reason was nothing more than "he obtained the country in an unjust way."
Just like when launching a war, one must first have a legitimate reason so that one can stand firm.
If Xu Zhenguan wanted to secure her position as empress, she needed to address those criticisms.
"She gained power by an unjust cause"... was the rhetoric that the Kuangfu Society had been spreading all the time, and it was widely circulated. The story about her killing her brother and father to seize power was naturally a fabricated rumor.
But even if we dispel this rumor, as a woman, she ascended the throne and became a rare female emperor without the imperial edict of the late emperor and the crown prince. In the eyes of the people of the world, this is already considered "improper".
If the name is not right, the words will not flow.
Therefore, Xu Zhenguan paid special attention to his words and actions.
When faced with many constraints, she did not choose to rely on the imperial power or her cultivation to act arbitrarily, but rather tied her own hands and feet in a somewhat aggrieved manner, and did everything according to the "rules".
It’s very interesting that as the person in the world who is most qualified to break the rules, the empress is the one who cares the most about “rules”.
However, tonight, someone broke this rule, forcing the empress to make a choice.
…
"I was actually surprised."
Inside the carriage, Zhao Duan stared at the candlestick lampshade on the table and said softly:
"Your Majesty actually sent you here."
Mo Chou looked at him quietly, as if she understood something:
"So, you're worried that His Majesty can't make this decision, or you don't want His Majesty to make a decision, so you choose to take action?
As long as Gao Lian dies, the southern nobles will still lose this battle. If you take action in secret, you will solve His Majesty's urgent problem.
But have you ever thought about what outsiders would think? What would the southern nobles and the officials of the Li Party think? They wouldn't be able to tell who did it, they would just think it was Your Majesty who did it.
Zhao Duan looked calm, looked at her quietly, and said with a smile:
"But it's better than asking you to do it yourself. Many things, even if they are done right, will still make a difference."
"Even if outsiders can't tell the difference? Can't distinguish it?" Mo Chou retorted.
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"With time, the truth will always come to light. At least I'll do it. Even if Your Majesty is temporarily misunderstood, as time goes by, it will eventually be clarified. But if it really was Your Majesty who did it, then there's no way to clear it up."
Mo Chou was silent.
At this moment, she was somewhat dazed and lost in thought: "So, what you did tonight was to preserve His Majesty's reputation as a wise ruler?"
Zhao Duan smiled and said, "What else?"
Mo Chou looked at him quietly for a long time, then shook her head and said, "I don't believe it. You must have other thoughts."
Her expression suddenly became strange: "You are not trying to eliminate harm for the people, are you?"
Zhao Duan, like a cat whose tail was stepped on, was furious and glared, "Don't slander the bad guys! Do I look like some foolish knight who stands up for justice?"
Don't slander bad people...
"..." For a moment, Mo Chou had a mouthful of saliva stuck in her throat and was unable to speak.
So, is fairness and justice something dirty and shameful to you?
Oh, yes, words from a scumbag and traitor like you... indeed...
The four words "eliminating harm for the people" should not be associated with your name at all.
Well, he came here and brought up the topic on purpose because he wanted to show off his merits and demonstrate how he helped His Majesty share the worries. His ultimate goal was to curry favor with His Majesty and covet his body... It barely made sense... Mo Chou nodded, feeling that she had found a reasonable explanation for Mr. Zhao's behavior tonight.
But I still feel that this guy is a little insincere...
"You shouldn't be involved in this matter," Mo Chou exhaled and said stiffly:
"Your Majesty has told you before that the matter of Gao Lian's conviction is none of your concern."
Zhao Duan smiled frivolously and said, "It's okay. Those who are capable should do more work."
Mo Chou was so angry that her head hurt. She raised her hand and pressed it on the small table in front of her, as if to increase her authority.
"Your Majesty is protecting you. He doesn't want you to be drawn into a more complicated vortex too soon. Do you understand?!"
Zhao Duan blinked his innocent eyes, showing his pure innocence: "What do you mean?"
Mo Chou said unhappily:
"Do you really think His Majesty only has you at his disposal? That the investigation is entirely up to you? In fact, His Majesty had already discovered the involvement of Prince Jing's Mansion in the Taicang case. Who do you think Song Tiju, the man who submitted the accusation and then disappeared, is working for?"
Zhao Duan frowned and became a little more serious: "You mean, he is Prince Jing's subordinate?"
Mo Chou nodded and sighed:
"According to the clues Your Majesty has now, it's highly likely that Song Tiju was picked up by spies from Prince Jing's residence and fled to Jiancheng Road after sending the letter of accusation. His purpose in making the report at this critical moment and stirring up this storm was to inflict blame on Li Yanfu and the southern aristocracy."
No wonder that Song Tiju left behind so much evidence. I was wondering how a mere Tiju could have investigated without anyone noticing... If it was the work of Prince Jing's Mansion, it would make sense...
Zhao Duan's expression grew serious: "Keep talking!"
He had already guessed most of it in his mind, but he still needed Big Ice Ball to confirm it.
Seeing that he had already gotten involved, Mo Chou simply didn't hide it and said:
"The first step in your new policy was to open a market along the Huai River, followed by the equalization of land tax... When the news got out, the century-old families in the south were the most concerned.
Firstly, the imperial court wanted to make money from them through financial management.
Secondly, those big families own the most land, which makes people uneasy.
The Eighth Prince is even more unwilling for the court to smoothly implement the new policy and will certainly take action to stop it.
Therefore, Prince Jing is likely setting up a scheme, using Song Tiju as a pawn to detonate the "Taicang Silver Mine" bomb, thereby provoking conflicts between Your Majesty and the Li Party, and between the court and the southern gentry."
"This is an open conspiracy, because even if Your Majesty becomes suspicious, it is difficult for him to ignore it. Moreover, the implementation of the new policy is bound to collide with the interests of the aristocracy. This matter cannot be avoided or evaded.
Moreover, at that time, His Majesty was still unaware that this matter was related to Prince Jing, so I sent you there to investigate the case, to make an example of him and rectify the administration, and to punish the southern nobles."
"And Gao Lian's arrival in Beijing did indeed spark resistance from the Li Party... Among those who recently arrived in Beijing, the most crucial one is the Shen family's second master, Jiancheng."
Zhao Duan interrupted, "The Shen family? Which branch of the great clan is Gao Lian's father-in-law from?"
He learned about this when he was younger than Gao Lian.
Mo Chou nodded and said:
"According to the shadow guards' secret investigation, the Shen family has most likely defected to Prince Jing's Mansion. On the surface, their trip to Beijing was a normal lobbying operation, but in reality, the people they contacted were mainly officials from the Li Party.
And Wang Chusheng's sudden death tonight, judging by his behavior, doesn't seem like something Li Yanfu would do."
Zhao Duan's eyes suddenly became sharp:
"Are you saying that the person who silenced Wang Chusheng might be the Second Master of the Shen family? His purpose... is to further provoke conflict between Your Majesty and Li Yanfu?"
At this moment, with several key clues completed, the entire chain of evidence in his mind became clear:
In order to obstruct the implementation of the new policy, Prince Jing tried to stir up conflicts between the empress and the "Li Party".
Detonating the Taicang silver mine was only the first step, and instigating the second master of the Shen family to kill people was the second step.
...Once the news of the silencing came out, everyone would suspect Li Yanfu, and Li Yanfu was firmly bound to the Jiangnan gentry, unable to break away. As a result, the enraged empress would naturally further suppress the "Li Party"...
If Li Yanfu continues to stick to his original strategy, retreating into a cowardly position and abandoning some members in exchange for the survival of the entire Li Party, it will inevitably lead to disunity among his subordinates...
In order to maintain his position as "Party Leader", he would go to war with the Empress, which would cause the newly stabilized political situation to become unstable again... The implementation of the new policy would be hindered...
At the same time, the Shen family used the opportunity of "lobbying" to openly contact the other "Li Party" officials in the capital. It is hard to say that they did not extend an "olive branch" to Prince Jing and secretly win him over...
Zhao Duan's mind was full of thoughts and he took a deep breath.
I felt that the fog that had been covering my eyes since I arrived in Taicang Prefecture suddenly dissipated.
"So, even if I didn't catch Wang Chusheng, Prince Jing's Mansion might find a way to send him to me..."
"The ambush on my return to the capital was most likely not aimed at Gao and Wang, but at me... If I, the Imperial Envoy, were to die, and the blame were pinned on Gao Lian or Li Yanfu... this would further fuel the conflict between Your Majesty and the Li Clan... After all, the ones most motivated to ambush me, besides the Kuangfu Society, would be the Li Clan implicated in the silver mine case..."
Zhao Duan whispered to himself. For the first time since he traveled through time, he felt a sense of horror.
One thing leads to another, and it turns out that the silver mine case was just a prelude.
The real battlefield was in the capital from beginning to end.
If there is a chessboard of heaven and earth outlined by the territory between the capital and Prince Jing's Mansion.
Zhao Duan was the chariot pushed out by the empress, which crossed the river and captured an enemy horse.
This lame horse was deliberately given away by Prince Jing, and the pawn with the lame horse was Wang Chusheng.
Mo Chou sighed softly and said helplessly:
"So, you understand why His Majesty doesn't want you involved, right? Your current position isn't high enough for a fight of this magnitude."
Zhao Duan rarely responded, but said with a strange look:
"Speaking of which, Zhen... Your Majesty had already anticipated that Wang Chusheng would be silenced, right?"
If Zhenbao had already seen through the real opponent in this game when he returned to Beijing to report, would he really not have provided enough protection for Wang Chusheng?
Or are you just letting it all go?
After all, if Wang Chusheng is not dead, then according to the current situation, Li Yanfu will try his best to prolong the case at most, try to keep Gao Lian alive temporarily, and then seek a subsequent turnaround.
In the end, the game was nothing more than the execution of Gao Lian, and the empress once again warned the Li Party.
In the final analysis, it was nothing more than a routine weakening of the Li Party, similar to the overthrow of Pei Kaizhi.
And if he allowed Mr. Shen to kill people, he would kill Gao Lian.
First of all, the empress will still win this battle, and this major premise will not change.
The majesty of the imperial court and the purpose of deterring local officials can still be achieved.
Secondly, although it seemed that Prince Jing's conspiracy succeeded on the surface, the premise for Prince Jing's success was that the empress was enraged and severely punished Li Yanfu. She even launched a thunderous revenge on the entire Li Party and the southern gentry behind them because of this silencing incident!
In other words, Prince Jing was trying to provoke and get the empress to take the lead.
As soon as Empress Hong Wen came to power, she no longer maintained her image as a "wise ruler" and began to destroy the Li Party with force.
Then Prince Jing’s goal was achieved.
but……
"What if Zhenbao doesn't fall for it?"
This thought suddenly arose in Zhao Duan's mind.
"What if Zhenbao didn't fall for it and didn't use drastic measures against the Li Clan, but instead tried to win them over and divide them? With Li Yanfu's wisdom, he would surely realize he'd been tricked by the Shen family and Prince Jing. Perhaps he'd already prepared for a direct confrontation with Zhenbao...
But as long as Zhenbao doesn't get carried away and chooses to hold back his wrath, or vent it on the Shen family instead of pursuing others... In this way, he can not only stabilize Li Yanfu, but also complete a division within the Li Party, thereby weakening it..."
The more Zhao Duan thought about it, the clearer his mind became.
He suddenly thought of the conversation he had with the old supervisor.
Sun Lianying once told him that Zhenbao was using the "new policy to open the market" to win over and divide the gentry of the Dayu Dynasty.
Zhao Duan only listened to the old eunuch's words at the time and didn't take them seriously. But now thinking back on it, wasn't it some kind of hint?
Prince Jing placed pieces on the chessboard, trying to trick the empress into anger and strike at the Li Party.
The more the Li Party is attacked, the more united they will be. Combined with Mr. Shen's solicitation, they are likely to gradually turn to Prince Jing.
The empress pretended to be ignorant and deliberately got involved in the game. When the time was right, she could turn around and split the Li Party.
"Well... this move isn't perfect. Ultimately, it only temporarily stabilizes Li Yanfu, but doesn't bring him back. Furthermore, this divisive situation will only further intensify the situation... But, how can there be a perfect move?"
Zhao Duan closed his eyes unconsciously.
Many thoughts were fluctuating in my mind, as if I could "see" this game with the earth as the chessboard and all the officials as chess pieces.
"Hiss... I seem to have underestimated Zhenbao." Zhao Duan thought with a toothache.
"Master Zhao?" Inside the carriage, Mo Chou saw that he had been silent for a long time and seemed to be distracted, so she finally couldn't help but call out softly.
"Oh, sorry, I just thought of something." Zhao Duan smiled and said, "Where were we talking about?"
"..." Mo Chou said speechlessly: "You ask me about Wang Chusheng's death..."
"Ahaha, I just said it casually. It's impossible when you think about it." Zhao Duan interrupted her and took the initiative to cut off the topic.
They had talked too much tonight.
As for how much truth or false his guess was, there was no need for him to answer the female official.
Just wait and see how this matter ends and you will know.
Zhao Duan knew that many people in the capital could not sleep tonight.
"Then I won't delay you from returning to the palace to report?" Zhao Duan asked with a smile.
“…” Mo Chou sighed.
Zhao Duan jumped out of the carriage with a smile, took two steps, and suddenly turned back to add, "By the way, don't forget to greet His Majesty for me, okay?"
After saying this, without waiting for Da Bingtuozi to get angry, he put on the grease and ran towards the imperial yamen.
Mo Chou rubbed her forehead with a headache and ordered, "Return to the palace."
…
…
Prime Minister's Mansion.
“Father, father!”
Li Yanfu had just laid down and wanted to take a nap to prepare for tomorrow's troubles.
An ordinary person would suffer from insomnia if encountering such a thing, but the prime minister, who had experienced countless hardships in his life, had the ability to force himself to fall asleep.
However, after sleeping for a while, he heard the voice of Buxiaozi coming from outside the door.
Li Yanfu woke up with a start, his right eyelid twitching uncontrollably. For the first time ever, he did not scold his son for his behavior. Instead, he got up on his own initiative and walked out the door in his loose pajamas.
"What happened?" The old man opened the door and got straight to the point.
Li Yinglong's robe was stained with the night dew, his face was extremely ugly, and he said with a trembling voice: "Gao Lian is dead."
Li Yanfu's breathing became tight.
He held the door with both hands and stared at his son: "How did he die?"
"They said it was a sudden death. There were no injuries, except for a bitten finger. He died while sitting cross-legged in the cell. There was a confession written in his own blood on the ground in front of him."
Li Yinglong quickly described the intelligence he had obtained:
"Before he died, there was no movement. It was Mo Zhaorong who discovered it. She led a group of people out of the palace and went to the Ministry of Justice's prison. She specifically asked to interrogate Gao Lian alone. He was dead in a short time.
The people over there said that the man was already dead when Mo Zhaorong went in, but how is that possible? It was clear that someone had gone to see when Wang Chu was alive or dead, and Gao Lian was fine at the time.
Li Yinglong was also anxious. He finished speaking in one breath, his face twitching as he said:
"Father! It was His Majesty who did it! It must have been His Majesty who sent Mo Zhaorong to kill him, and he didn't even bother to hide it!"
Don’t even pretend!
We all know how to do it when we kill someone!
The young cabinet minister felt a chill down his spine after being frightened by the two deaths he had witnessed tonight.
Li Yanfu remained silent, his face filled with an expression of "unexpected, but reasonable".
A hint of mockery inexplicably shone in his eyes. The Shen family... haha, just a noble family living in a corner. How could they have ever witnessed a truly bloody storm? Did they really think that just because they were associated with the "Eighth Prince", they would have the courage to run rampant in the capital?
These rats from the south only knew that the empress was a woman, but had they ever witnessed the scene of the Xuanmen coup?
"Prepare the carriage." Li Yanfu sighed and said calmly, "Tell the servants to help me dress. I want to go to the palace to meet the emperor."
Now that things have come to this, he knows that he cannot avoid what is coming.
It has to be faced eventually.
"Father, it's so late, His Majesty should rest, why not tomorrow..."
"I want you to prepare the car!"
Li Yinglong was frightened by the reprimand and hurried to make arrangements. This minister who thought he had seen all the ups and downs in the court only realized his own immaturity at this moment.
At least when it comes to the crisis of the Li Party's survival and the Li family's prosperity and decline, his shoulders are far less capable than those of his aging father.
…
The palace is brightly lit.
Xu Zhenguan sat in the imperial study, closed his eyes, and waited quietly.
She didn't open her bright eyes until she heard familiar footsteps outside the door.
"Your Majesty, I'm back." Mo Chou bowed respectfully before crossing the threshold and entering the room.
Xu Zhenguan said "yes" and asked with a smile, "How is it?"
"Gao Lian is dead, and he left a confession. We have arranged for someone to tell the public tomorrow that he committed suicide out of fear of punishment." Mochou said.
"Very good," Xu Zhenguan said calmly, his pale face looking like a gilded Buddha in the light. "Anything else?"
Mo Chou lowered her head, took a deep breath, and said:
"But it was not me who executed him. Someone had already done it for Your Majesty just before I arrived."
Xu Zhenguan was obviously stunned and showed genuine surprise.
Fortunately, Mo Chou didn't let her wait too long and spit out Zhao Duan's name.
He recounted in detail how he met Zhao Duan after leaving the prison and what they said in the carriage.
This matter could not be concealed, as the other guards saw it.
Of course, more importantly, Mo Chou was able to assist the empress in handling state affairs as a maid. The most important thing was that she never concealed anything from the empress, let alone deceived her.
Even though she was a "rival in love", she was extremely reluctant to take credit for Zhao Duan, but she still did not hide it.
Mo Chou still clearly remembered that when she was in the Third Emperor's palace, she had sought guidance from Sun Lianying. At that time, the old eunuch did not say anything profound, but only taught her a simple and plain truth:
"As slaves, we only need to serve our masters wholeheartedly and not lie to them. That is our duty."
Mo Chou wrote this sentence on her sleeve, and read it whenever she had nothing to do. She has been acting according to this advice ever since.
She had never done anything to gain personal advantage, yet she became the head of the six female officials. She had no desire for power, yet she became the "Miss Mo" who walked for the empress.
"Zhao Duan?" The empress was stunned, her expression extremely complicated. After a long pause, she simply asked, "So, he finally asked you to pay your respects to me on his behalf?"
"Yes." Mo Chou nodded honestly.
Xu Zhenguan was at a loss for words, and said in a voice that made him feel confused and uneasy: "You are quite honest. You have repeated everything. If he said something inappropriate to me, would you have repeated it as well?"
Mo Chou, who used to be smart, suddenly didn't understand what the empress meant. She was stunned and confused: "This..."
Fortunately, she didn't hesitate for too long before she heard someone outside the door come in and report, "Prime Minister Li Yanfu wants to see you."
In the room, the smiling Xu Zhenguan restrained his relaxed expression and pursed his red lips:
"Xuan."
…
The night is very dark.
Li Yanfu stepped into the Meridian Gate and walked in the dark square. He wrapped himself tightly in his crimson official robe because of the cold.
As far as he could remember, it had been a long time since he had entered the palace to meet the emperor so late at night.
At first, the old emperor ignored state affairs in his later years and only left cabinet affairs to him to deal with. Secondly, the prince also shared the same dining box with him.
From then on, there were fewer opportunities to enter the palace late at night.
During the three years since the empress ascended the throne, the Li Party was constantly suppressed. The empress supported the Qingliu Party to check and balance him. Whenever there was something, she would summon members of the Imperial Party or the Qingliu Party into the palace.
“Woo woo—”
The cold wind of the autumn night blew through Li Yanfu's robe as he walked across the square and was led to a side hall.
He was prepared to be left here by the angry empress and kept awake until dawn.
I remember that the late emperor was angry once and left him alone to wait for three full hours. It was winter and there was heavy snow.
Li Yanfu stood in the snow-covered palace until he almost collapsed, and the pain in his bones began to build up at that time.
He thought that he would have to suffer the same fate tonight so that His Majesty could calm down.
However, to his great surprise, when the eunuch leading the way led him to the side hall, he saw Empress Dayu standing under the eaves, waiting quietly.
Xu Zhenguan smiled gently and said, "The Prime Minister is old, how can he be so busy? Come and sit down and drink some soup."
Li Yanfu was stunned and suddenly realized that the third princess in front of him was very different from the deceased emperor.
(End of this chapter)
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