Chapter 484: The King and His Minister Being Checked (5k)
Tell me about the situation…In the side hall, there was silence for a moment, and no one chose to speak first.
The Imperial Master sitting at the head of the table looked around at everyone and said calmly:
"Since no one is speaking, I will take the lead. I have summoned you all to the palace today. I believe you all know what this is all about.
Since His Majesty disappeared in Luoshan, news has been arriving from all over the country. Now, apart from Linfeng, Lingnan, and Huaishui, the five vassal kings are making unusual moves, the situation is turbulent, and rumors are spreading in the capital..."
Master Dong paused for a moment and continued:
"However, the situation is not as dire as the rumors claim. In the north, the Prince of Yanshan is being held captive in Jubei City by Luo Kedi's border troops. In the west, the Duke of Zhenguo has suppressed the restless Prince of Hejian. Along the coastal area, Prince Chen has sealed off the border, seemingly intent on secluding himself and establishing his own independent regime...
"A careful calculation shows that the only rebels threatening the capital are those in Jiancheng, Yunfu, and Qingzhou. While the former two are powerful, they haven't yet crossed the Huai River, and with Linfeng blocking their way, they're not in immediate danger."
This speech is quite insightful.
First, we should directly acknowledge the seriousness of the situation without concealing it, and then analyze it one by one to dispel the rumors and terror.
"According to what the Grand Tutor said, the most pressing threat now is the Qingzhou Army." The Minister of Justice spoke slowly.
"Qingzhou is east of the capital. Because it faces the sea to the east, it has no major border military bases. Since Your Majesty's disappearance, Prince Heng of Qingzhou took the lead in raising the banner of 'supporting the king', instigating a rebellion against the Qingzhou military headquarters, and approached the city with almost unimpeded access."
The Minister of War said calmly:
"Qingzhou's soldiers are not strong, and their horses are not powerful. They can advance unhindered because they occupy the terrain. Now, Privy Councilor Xue has gone to Linfeng to take charge of the overall situation, leaving the Beijing camp to move out and block the Qingzhou soldiers at the border, making it impossible for them to advance.
It can be seen that the Qingzhou soldiers are not a cause for concern.
In my opinion, the most pressing issue right now is not the Prince of Heng's troops, but the fact that His Majesty is missing and the army is leaderless. The current unrest in the city is a testament to this."
It was exactly the same as what Zhao Duan, the Empress, Prince Jing and others had guessed, among the five rebel armies.
The Qingzhou rebels led by Prince Heng were the first to approach the capital.
However, although Prince Heng came with great enthusiasm, he was forced back by the army of the Beijing camp and was forced to retreat dozens of miles east of the capital, unable to advance an inch.
Prince Heng, who was unable to break through the Beijing camp by force, repeatedly ordered the court to open the gates to welcome him in as "Prince", but was rejected every time.
However, most people in the city did not know the strength of Qingzhou. They were already in a panic when they heard that the rebels were fighting dozens of miles away.
"I also think that the most urgent task is not to deal with the rebels, but to find His Majesty's return." Yuan Li said calmly.
As the leader of the Qingliu Party, he attracted the attention of all the officials as soon as he spoke.
The elegant and handsome Imperial Censor, with frosty white hair on his temples, sat upright in his chair, looking at Ma Yan with a stern gaze:
"Governor, the Imperial Court has a way of communicating with the Shadow Guards. Can you find His Majesty's whereabouts now?"
The eunuch nicknamed "King of Hell" was a third-rank official and sat a little further back. When he saw Yuan Li looking at him, he said with a stern face:
"The latest news from outside the capital is that His Majesty and Zhao Shaobao appeared on the Huai River. We haven't received any news beyond that."
After a pause, he added:
"In addition, the Shadow Guard reports that Mo Zhaorong and his group are safe for now and have returned to Linfeng. Together with the White Horse Supervisor, the Minister of Rites, the Governor of the Grand Canal, and other officials, they have been hindering the rebels' progress and are showing initial success."
The ministers rioted.
They didn't care much about the life and death of Mo Chou and others, they only cared about the life and death of the empress.
At the beginning, after the empress disappeared, Mo Chou and his ministers realized that they had to let the people in the capital know that the empress was not dead, otherwise there would be chaos.
Therefore, at that time, Eunuch Hai contacted the shadow guard and passed on the news that Zhao Duan was protecting the empress and had not yet been arrested.
This was also the key to the overall stability of the court: if the empress was truly dead, how could the ministers sit down and discuss things? The city gates were already wide open to welcome the prince into the capital.
"Your Majesty is blessed by heaven. Now that you have entered the Huai River, it won't be long before you return to the capital." An official from the imperial party was delighted.
"Let me make it clear first, I sincerely hope that Your Majesty is safe and sound, but given the current situation, it's pointless to just say nice things.
Your Majesty is far away on the Huai River. When will he be able to return? And whether he can return? All of these are unknown. Even if he comes back, it is not certain..." Someone said sarcastically.
"What is your intention in saying this?! Have you defected to the rebel king?" A young official was furious and stood up to scold.
The latter retorted:
"I am devoted to the country, unlike you who dare not face the situation at this time."
"Do you want to die? His Majesty is still here! When you come back, I will definitely report you!" An imperial censor joined the battlefield.
"Haha, Censor Chen, you don't have to wait for His Majesty's return if you want to file a petition. The same applies to submitting a petition to the Grand Tutor." An attendant sneered and joined in the war of words.
For a moment, it was as if a powder keg had been ignited. The two sides started arguing, and the entire side hall was as noisy as a vegetable market.
"quiet!"
After listening for a while, Grand Tutor Dong's face turned gloomy, his hair and beard trembling as he shouted angrily:
"If you want to make a noise, get out! Did I call you all here today just to listen to your noise?"
The ministers fell silent and the atmosphere became heavy.
Yuan Li coughed lightly and said:
"Now is not the time to argue about these things. Although Your Majesty is in danger, with Young Master Zhao's support, he will surely be able to turn danger into safety and return sooner or later.
Furthermore, Linfeng is still in the hands of the imperial court. As long as Your Majesty can enter Linfeng, you will naturally be safe. As for us, we are the ones who receive Your Majesty's salary. Until then, our only responsibility is to defend the capital for Your Majesty. The Qingzhou soldiers are not a concern for the time being, but rumors are spreading within the city, and people are uneasy...
The Grand Tutor summoned you all here today, presumably to ask you to return and contribute yourselves to stabilize the situation. At the very least, order in the city must remain stable until His Majesty returns."
All the ministers agreed with this view.
Yuan Li suddenly looked at his old rival who was sitting opposite him and looked very old and dying.
"Li Xiang, don't you have anything to say?"
Li Yanfu, who had been silent since entering the palace, opened his squinting eyelids and smiled:
"I agree with what Lord Yuan and the Grand Tutor said. Let's do it this way."
After the three top ministers spoke up, things went much more smoothly.
It is nothing more than assigning tasks to various restless places in the city in order to stabilize the overall situation.
Soon after, the court meeting ended and the ministers left.
Yuan Li and Grand Tutor Dong were the last to leave. The former looked at the empty side hall and stood up and said:
"Although the ministers agreed verbally, many were already panicking."
Grand Tutor Dong sighed, his exhaustion evident: "How could I not know that?"
When morale is low, it's hard to lead a team. This is a universal truth, both ancient and modern.
All they can do is try their best to maintain it.
"Li Yanfu has been too quiet lately."
Yuan Li suddenly spoke. The sunlight shone in from outside the hall, and his tall and thin shadow fell obliquely on the smooth floor tiles.
Master Dong, with his white hair and beard, glanced at him:
"Some of the people who were pessimistic at the court meeting today must have been secretly arranged by him."
Yuan Li looked out of the palace with a deep gaze: "I'm not referring to these petty tricks in the court."
Master Dong's heart skipped a beat: "You mean, he might..."
Yuan Li shook her head and smiled:
"Perhaps I'm overthinking it. Given Li Yanfu's personality, he's probably only thinking about how to place his bets to maximize his profits. If the throne is truly taken over by someone else, how will he manage to survive the calamity safely?
No, perhaps the Huaishui Li family has already bet on different princes at the same time."
Master Dong narrowed his eyes and stared at him:
"What about you? Yuan Li, do you believe that His Majesty can return and stabilize the situation?"
Yuan Li smiled faintly, walked out without answering.
Grand Tutor Dong watched him leave. He was the only one left in the empty hall. The imperial tutor was silent for a long time and closed his eyes.
Yuan Li reminded herself to be wary of Li Yanfu.
But... can we really trust Yuan Li and the Qingliu Party behind her?
…
…
Li Yanfu walked out of the palace, and with the help of servants, he got into the carriage and returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Along the way, he closed his eyes and dozed off to save energy.
Since the beginning of this spring, Li Yanfu's health has been poor. Some of his old physical ailments have frequently recurred. Although he is much younger than Dong Xuan, his energy and spirit are getting weaker year by year.
At least that's how he appears to outsiders.
After returning to the mansion, Li Yanfu undressed with the help of servants, took off his court robes, and changed into his favorite loose red robe. He then went to the study to look through official documents.
"Master, it's time to drink ginseng soup."
The study door was pushed open, and a woman in her thirties with a respectful look walked in, holding ginseng soup.
Place it on the table in the study.
Li Yanfu put down the book, looked up at her, nodded, picked up the spoon and drank it sip by sip.
This woman was a concubine of the prime minister of the current dynasty. Li Yanfu's wife had been dead for many years and he rarely took concubines. This third concubine was one of his former "students".
She never competed for favor, was low-key and docile. Although she had no official status, she was deeply loved by the elderly Li Yanfu. Even the young cabinet ministers did not dare to act rashly in front of this concubine who did not compete for favors.
"Is there anything else?" Li Yanfu asked while drinking ginseng soup.
The concubine nicknamed "Xiao Yue" whispered, "Yinglong is here."
"Send him in."
"good."
Xiaoyue walked out, and after a while, the study door opened.
Li Yinglong, a young cabinet minister who was nearly forty years old and had a rather sinister appearance, led a servant and stepped into the threshold.
"Father, someone is coming home."
After he finished speaking, the middle-aged man behind him, who was disguised as a servant but was actually a servant of the Li clan of Huaishui Road, knelt down with a plop:
"I am here on the orders of my clan to deliver a message to the Prime Minister."
The Huaishui Li family is the aristocratic family behind Li Yanfu.
"explain."
"Yes, I've received word from home that Prince Jing and Prince Mu have both crossed the Huai River and will arrive in Beijing soon. I beg you, Prime Minister, to consider the family's honor and safety... If you can control the court and the capital, and wait for the princes to arrive, then we can wait for a good price to sell them, and ensure the Li family's continued existence for a hundred years..."
In the study, the Prime Minister and his son listened quietly to the servant's message.
"I understand. Go out." Li Yanfu waved his hand expressionlessly.
The servant kowtowed again, stood up and walked out of the room.
"Father, take action now. The situation is critical. If we wait until the kings' armies invade the capital, it will be too late."
Li Yinglong seemed a little excited. "Let's not talk about my family. Even the people below me have been restless these days. If you don't agree, I'm afraid..."
Li Yanfu looked at him coldly: "Are you the one who's getting agitated?"
Li Yinglong's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he was speechless. But at this moment, he suddenly gritted his teeth and mustered up his courage:
"Father! Over the past year, the Empress has repeatedly rebuked us, and the people below are truly demoralized. We've been patient, and the Empress's power has continued to grow. Now she's missing, and I doubt she'll ever come back.
Even if she really comes back, without her celestial cultivation, what chances does she have of winning?
The fate of the Yu Kingdom is definitely about to change. With the kings around, our Li family may not be able to become emperor, but if we can find a loyal minister, we can still achieve great things...
If you don't do it, others will. Who can guarantee that those powerful people in the city don't have the same idea? We must act quickly. If it's too late, everything will be over!"
Li Yanfu waved his sleeves expressionlessly: "Get out."
Li Yinglong gritted his teeth and urged:
"Father, what are you still hesitating about? Before, Xue Shence was in the city, and the chances of winning were not great, but now he has left the city.
As long as you give the nod, the two commanders of the Jinwu Guard and Qianniu Guard in the Imperial Guard will support us. Add to that the death squads we have nurtured in the capital over the years, and it will be easy to control the court now..."
"go out!"
Li Yinglong sighed and stomped his feet away.
In the study, only Li Yanfu, dressed in a red robe and a white jade belt, was left sitting upright, staring at a decorative palm-sized knife on the desk, lost in thought for a long time.
…
…
Just when the people in the city were in panic and undercurrents were surging, everyone still thought that the empress was still fleeing.
Outside the south gate of the capital, on the wide official road, a carriage was heading towards the city gate against the flow of people.
Zhao Duan used a disguise mask to change his appearance again. This time, he was dressed as a coachman. He waved his whip while looking at the carriages and horses on the road and said:
"Your Majesty, do you really want to enter the city quietly?"
Inside the carriage, after recovering his cultivation and temporarily changing his appearance by taking the Disguise Pill, Xu Zhenguan sat cross-legged in meditation. Upon hearing this, he said calmly:
"Now that I'm back, there's no rush to show up. I should first quietly enter the city, understand the situation, and then return to the palace. Wasn't it the same when you captured Zhuang Xiaocheng from Binhai Road and brought him back to the capital?"
No, why are you competing with me... Zhao Duan was helpless.
After the empress was promoted, she traveled at an incredibly fast speed, although the celestial beings in this world could not "travel across the vast ocean in the morning and reach Cangwu in the evening", and could not reach a thousand miles in an instant.
However, flying with a sword can ignore geographical obstacles and still greatly shorten the time to return to Beijing.
The emperor and his ministers rushed all the way without stopping in Linfeng, and arrived near the capital before dawn. However, the empress asked them to enter the capital in a low-key manner and find out the situation first.
"But the problem is, I don't think we're being low-key at all."
Zhao Duan sighed softly and pointed his whip at the large number of oncoming troops leaving the city on the official road.
In the past, the number of people entering and leaving the city was about the same.
But now it is completely different. At a glance, most people are leaving the city, and there are very few entering the city.
"It seems that the news of the rebels' rebellion has spread throughout the city. Now is the time to seal the city gates and prohibit entry and exit." Xu Zhenguan looked at the scene outside the car window with a worried look on his face.
"The current situation only shows that the imperial court's orders have not been strictly implemented."
No, that's putting it mildly. It's more like the law enforcement system is failing... And yes, without a leader, the court is bound to be in chaos. Besides, a single brick thrown from the city could hit seven or eight dignitaries...
In this situation, if the powerful want to escape from the capital, there is always a way... Zhao Duan sighed softly and smiled bitterly:
"However, on the bright side, this at least means there's no major chaos in the capital, otherwise basic order wouldn't be maintained."
As they were talking, the king and his minister arrived outside the city gate. Zhao Duan had several fake identity passes on him that made it easier for him to pass through customs, so he was able to enter the city safely.
"Your Majesty, where are we going next?"
Zhao Duan was driving on the streets of the capital.
I was pleased to find that the order in the city was better than expected.
It seems that only a small number of people escaped from the city.
Xu Zhenguan was also at a loss for a moment. She had lived in the palace all year round, so where could she have a place to stay outside?
If I were to say that there was a place outside the palace that I was familiar with, a place where I had lived before...
"Go to your house?" She glanced at Zhao Duan and said subconsciously.
It's okay that he's so impatient to come to my house right after he got married... Zhao Duan felt very relieved, with a smile on his face.
The empress glared at him: "What are you laughing at?"
Zhao Duan quickly put away his smile and said seriously:
"I'm not laughing, I just feel it's inappropriate. I can't guarantee that my house has been targeted."
After being away from the capital for so long, his first thought was to go home to see his aunt and sister.
But reason told him that it was not right.
Xu Zhenguan also understood this. After a moment's thought, he said, "Let's find an inn to stay in first, and then find out what's going on in the city."
"good."
Zhao Duan identified the direction and found an inn where he had stayed before.
…
Not long.
The king and his minister had already appeared in the room upstairs of the inn. They threw their bags on the table, stood side by side by the window, pushed it open, and looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar street scene outside.
Several months later.
It was still spring when I left Beijing, but it was almost the end of summer when I returned.
"Your Majesty, please rest in the inn for a while. I will go out and find someone to ask about the situation." Zhao Duan said.
He did not imitate movies and TV dramas and spend money to ask the inn waiter about the situation, because what he needed to know was more information related to the court.
However, messages from the public are often exaggerated and distorted, accompanied by conspiracy theories, and cannot be adopted.
"Let's go together." How could Xu Zhenguan sit still? If she hadn't wanted to observe the changes in the court after her departure, she would have flown into the imperial city on her sword.
"That's...ok." Zhao Duan nodded, thinking in his heart who to ask.
At this moment, suddenly, he noticed a large group of police officers walking towards the street with murderous intent, heading straight for the inn.
The leader was wearing a loose, ill-fitting silk garment. He had small eyes and a thin figure. He had a folding fan stuck diagonally behind his neck. He looked arrogant and domineering.
"Is it him?" Zhao Duan was stunned and his expression became strange.
"Do you know him?" Xu Zhenguan had no impression of this little guy.
"Yes. He was a lackey of mine in the past." Zhao Duan sighed and asked curiously:
"Why is this guy here?"
…
First floor of the inn.
Qin Qu led a team of "officials" into the lobby, and the shopkeeper immediately came up to greet them with a smile:
"Hey, gentlemen, what can I do for you?"
Qin Qu, the dandy who had once flattered Zhao Duan with a smile and desperately clung to him, and had made his way into the "Beijing circle", sneered and was arrogant and domineering. As soon as they disagreed, he kicked him:
"Don't you recognize me? And you're still asking what I can do for you? Do you really not know me, or are you pretending not to know?"
The innkeeper was kicked down, but he didn't dare to get angry. Although the inn had an official background, he still didn't dare to offend these officers:
"Mr. Qin, it turns out to be Mr. Qin. Look at my poor eyesight, I didn't recognize you."
Qin Qu, who was servile in front of Zhao Duan and arrogant outside, had a strong mean face. He snorted and threw out a sign:
"I'm too lazy to waste time talking to you. I'm currently working for the Imperial Court. The city has been quite restless lately. Are there any new guests of unknown origin staying at your inn?"
It turned out to be the ward round... The shopkeeper cursed inwardly and said with a smile:
"Mr. Qin, please take a seat. We are all registered here. There are no people with unknown origins..."
"Hmph, your words don't count. Come here, follow me to check the room!" Qin Qu was so proud of himself when he gained power.
With a wave of his hand, he led his men upstairs and began to kick open the doors of each room.
This quickly caused a lot of exclamations and chaos. Every time they entered a room, they would arrest the residents, interrogate them, and extort "rewards" before leaving.
Soon, Qin Qu and his men arrived outside the room where Zhao Duan was staying.
"Bang bang! The authorities are checking the room, whoever is inside, please open the door!" Qin Qu kicked the door but failed, and found that it was locked, so he couldn't help but shout angrily.
There seemed to be footsteps wandering in the room, but no one answered.
"Master Qin, this man wants to be beaten." A clerk picked up a whistle stick and pretended to force his way in.
Qin Qu waved his hand, rolled up his sleeves, and sneered:
"I'll come in person! You're such a jerk! When I get in, I'll make you kneel down and beg for mercy."
He took a few steps back to gather his strength, then suddenly rushed forward and slammed into the door, but unexpectedly the locked door opened.
Qin Qu cried out, unable to control his strength, and rolled into the room, falling down with a thud. He cursed angrily and was about to get up when his head was suddenly stepped on by a boot and pressed to the ground.
"As expected of an official from the capital, you are so domineering. But, how come I didn't know that there were people like you in the imperial court?" Zhao Duan asked quietly.
(End of this chapter)
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