Empress Chu

Useless?Ding Dachui was stunned for a moment, then this was done for nothing?

At the court meeting the next day, just as Chu Zhao said, the court officials didn’t mention this matter at all, as if they didn’t know that everyone was talking about Wen Zhisan on the street.

When Chu Zhao mentioned the Jingzhou incident, the officials remained silent—Zhu Yong hadn't come back yet, so no one came forward to answer.

"The empress thinks that if she does this, she will be able to take the lead in the court?" Xie Qiye curled his lips and said, "What about the praise from the people? The people can't rush to the court to discuss politics."

Xie Yanfang put down the fishing rod and moved her arms.

"The queen's matter is not for the praise of the people." He said.

Xie Qiye frowned: "Then what does she want?"

"She doesn't want anything, she just wants to run amok." Xie Yanfang said, with a satisfied smile, "Our Miss Azhao finally knows how to be an emperor."

emperor?Xie Qiye didn't like this title very much: "She is just a queen, and we, Ayu, are the emperor."

Xie Yanfang said: "For the courtiers, there can be one more emperor who can do anything wrong, but in the court, there can't be one more courtier who can do anything wrong."

Xie Qiye couldn't understand.

Xie Yanfang smiled: "Someone will understand."

……

……

Xie Qiye quickly saw it.

On that day, when the court officials were arguing about something, the queen sat up straight when she heard that she was interested.

"Huzhou Xiaxun has allocated funds for three consecutive years? Why have the floods been unresolved for three years?" She asked, "How much funding has been allocated in the past three years? How many canals and dams have been built? Where are the funds allocated?"

The officials who were arguing heatedly fell silent for a moment, with their eyes downcast and their hands down, as if they were deaf and dumb.

Forget it, Chu Zhao didn't care. She would read the memorial and check the case file later. She was just about to sit back when an official stood up.

"Qi Niang Niang, I have something to say about this matter." He bowed and said.

Who?

That Hanlin editor is back?

The downcast official was stunned for a moment, and turned his head back. No one stood up at the end of the line, and the officials at the end of the line looked forward in surprise.

The officials in front turned their eyes back and landed on the first three rows.

An official in purple robe and short beard raised his head and looked at the queen.

The queen also looked at him with a surprised expression: "Master Hubu?" Then she put away her surprise and smiled slightly, "Please tell me."

……

……

Chapter 38 is available

This year's Beijing has a lot of rain, and it is hot and stuffy.

On the street, people holding umbrellas and wearing coir raincoats are in a hurry, the business of the shops is deserted, and the guys are squatting to watch the rain, enjoying the rare tranquility in the busy city of Beijing.

The store clerk even felt a little pity that he was not as knowledgeable as the literati in the teahouse opposite, otherwise he could recite a poem or something to express his mood.

But soon the tranquility was broken, the horseshoes splashed water, and a group of imperial guards galloped over. They were wearing raincloths and hats, neither the raincloth nor the rain covered the flashing python patterns on their robes. The cross knife in the waist.

Longyiwei.

The shop clerk hurriedly stood up, even though he was indoors, he couldn't help but retreat.

Although the scholars in Jingzhou praised Long Yiwei before, but these things may appear, and the soldiers who can break into the homes of high-ranking officials and dignitaries as soon as they appear, still make everyone fear.

Afraid and curious.

When Longyiwei passed by at a gallop, the clerk hurriedly leaned over to look, regardless of the rain hitting his face.

Who is going to be unlucky and get caught?

The scribes who were writing poems on the second floor opposite also stopped and stood by the window looking at Longyiwei galloping in the rain.

"It seems that the Xiaxun case in Huzhou will not be settled hastily," said a scribe.

"The Minister of the Ministry of Finance went down personally, who can escape." Another scribe sighed softly and said, "Why is it necessary for Minister Du? Could it be that he is not satisfied with the benefits given to him? Just drag everyone to die together?"

The uproar caused by a Hanlin editor in the court hall complaining for a friend's grievances has not yet dissipated. The servant of the household department in the court hall stood up and asked the empress to check the accounts of Xia Xun in Huzhou over the years. , immediately caused an uproar in the court.

The empress ordered Longyiwei to surround the household department on the spot. At the same time, she also said that for the sake of convenience, the Gongwei Division was separated from the City Guard Division to take charge of Longyiwei, and an official position was set. The Ding Xiaowei became a commander. There is also Zhu Yong, editor of Hanlin, who has not come back from Jingzhou, but has also been transferred to be an acquaintance and so on. At that time, everyone was shocked by the behavior of the servant of the household department, and then they all paid attention to the household department. I can't care less about the guards or something.

Anyway, they are all the queen's personal soldiers, so it's useless to become a celebrity.

The account book quickly found out the problem. After the appropriation of Xiaxun in Huzhou was exploited from top to bottom, there was actually not much money, so the canals and dams that could have been repaired at once could only be repaired every year. Xia is also very happy to do so, in this case, you can continue to divide the money——

The queen was furious, and Long Yiwei began to arrest people, and Du Shilang was the first to be arrested.

Du Shilang should be regarded as voluntarily surrendering, not only did he expose the account book in the court, but also did not use Long Yiwei to ransack the house, and took the initiative to hand over the private letters with others.

With all the witnesses and material evidence, Grand Tutor Deng Yi could only remain silent.

The officials of the household department arrested one after another, and confessed one after another. Huzhou will not be able to escape. Imagine that there will inevitably be a bloody storm over there, and the newly established prison of the Guard Division will not be enough in the blink of an eye.

This incident shocked the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty.

Of course, it is not because of the lack of appropriation of money for water control. The amount allocated by the court is rarely fully implemented, and corruption of ink is also common. Among these officials in the court, which one dares to say that they are clean?

What shocked them was, what kind of madness did Du Shilang go? He was obviously among them, so why did he have to seek his own death?

Someone asked Du Shilang in the cell, and Du Shilang insisted that he had repented, wanted to be a clean person, and was willing to accept punishment for what he had done.

Listen to this, what else can it be if it is not crazy.

"He's not crazy." Chu Zhao said softly, "He's desperate."

She didn't understand this matter at first, but she knew that Du Shilang wasn't trying to show his loyalty to her.

Chu Zhao flipped through the brochure handed in by Longyiwei, which was a private record of the officials who investigated it: "There was a banquet at Deng Yi's house, and two people sneered at them because of their children's marriage. One of them was Tian Lin, the head of the household department. father, one is Du Shilang's father—"

Then Ding Dachui made a careful investigation, and finally learned that the Tian family had discussed marriage with the Du family, that is, Tian Lin's son and Du Shilang's young daughter, but the Tian family's son was ineffective, and Du Shilang didn't like it, which annoyed the Tian family.

Last year, Ms. Du was shocked by a horse when she went out. She broke her leg and became crippled.

"Did the Tian family do it?" Chu Zhao asked.

Counselor Yin said: "Miss Du met Mr. Tian before she was shocked, but there is no evidence."

"Although Tian Lin's official position is lower than Du Shilang's." Ding Dachui said, "But Tian's family is older than Du's family, and Tian Lin's relationship with Taifu is closer."

"Tian Lin should have used Du Shilang to blackmail him." Counselor Yin said, looking through the records in his hand, "The coachman of Du's family said that he heard Tian Lin and Du Shilang arguing by the side of the car, and they mentioned the matter of money. People parted on bad terms."

So Du Shilang saw that his daughter's life was ruined, but because Tian's family was big and he was not healthy, he had no way to take revenge, and he couldn't escape being made things difficult by Tian Lin.

"He sued Deng Yi, and Deng Yi would not really deal with Tian Lin for him." Counselor Yin said, smiling, "Tian Lin gave Deng Yi much more money than Du Shilang, how could the Taifu do it for his children? Even if Tian Lin's officials are dismissed, the Tian family will not be overthrown, but Du Shilang will attract more fierce revenge from the Tian family—"

Ale watched the whole process, and suddenly said: "So, Madam, you are the best thug in Du Shilang's eyes."

Chu Zhao smiled, it doesn't matter what it is, the thugs don't matter, she threw the booklet on the table, she didn't ask Du Shilang's heart, she only asked about this matter.

She must not leave this matter alone.

"Du Shilang said in prison that he himself deserved to die, and he only wanted to make amends in exchange for his family not to be implicated." Counselor Yin said.

So it's not that they're crazy, it's just to find a way out, Chu Zhao said: "Find it out, don't keep any of them, how much money they swallowed, and spit out a lot of them for me."

There are many places where money is lacking.

The summer flood in Huzhou must be resolved, and the military expenditure of the border counties is also very expensive.

When Ding Dachui and Counselor Yin resigned, twilight enveloped the imperial city, Chu Zhao did not wait in the hall for Xiao Yu to finish his homework, but asked Yu Shan to prepare dinner and bring it to the front hall.

Since the Zheng Xia case, Chu Zhao and Deng Yi haven't seen each other alone for two months.

When Chu Zhao arrived, he saw that the Taifu Hall was empty and there were no officials rushing in.

She knew that it must be Deng Yi who sent people away.

The imperial guards in the outer hall are controlled by Deng Yi, so the news of the Queen's arrival must have been known in advance.

"I thought I could hear what everyone said about the Xiaxun money case in Huzhou." Chu Zhao said directly.

Sitting behind the table, Deng Yi said with a half-smile, "Everyone is worried about being seen by the empress, so they will be arrested as accomplices."

In fact, Deng Yi often joked like this when talking to her before, but at that time his eyes were soft and he even sometimes hid his smile.

But now his eyes are indifferent.

Chu Zhao paused slightly, and said: "As long as there is no crime of adultery, I will not arrest you."

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Deng Yi to speak again, he went straight over and sat down, sighing softly.

"Teacher, put this matter aside for now." She said, "Let's have a good talk."

Deng Yi looked at her and smiled: "Your Majesty has never been a good talker all along."

……

……

Chapter 39 he asked

The imperial meal was set up on several tables, Deng Yi didn't directly move his chopsticks like before, but just poured a cup of tea.

"I know Ms. Chu, it's just that Ms. Chu beat someone up and ran away with her pack." He said, "Afterwards, on the way, after returning to the capital, and leading the soldiers in front of the palace gate, you don't listen to what others say, You don’t talk too much to others, you are the one who can do whatever you want, and you must do it.”

Chu Zhao was silent for a moment, it seemed like this, there was nothing she could do, since she was reborn, she had no time to talk, and she couldn't tell others about many things.

"No." She said with a smile, "I have always spoken well to Taifu, whether it was during the previous journey, or when I returned to the capital, or even at the palace gate. If I hadn't spoken well, how could Taifu let me To see His Majesty."

Looking back at these things at this time, it feels as if they were so far away in the previous life.

Deng Yi was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "Even if I didn't listen to you or open the palace door at that time, Miss Chu would not listen to me and turn around and leave."

He smiled and looked at the girl in the gorgeous palace dress in front of him, more radiant than before.

"Miss Chu will call in."

Chu Zhao thought for a while without denying it, and said, "At that time, I had no other choice but to survive."

Deng Yi said indifferently: "Then why is it that Empress Empress has no other way out now, and she insists on smashing the court to death?"

Chu Zhao didn't answer this question directly, but asked: "Master Deng, do you still remember what we said when we had tea together after I came back from Border County?"

Deng Yi didn't speak, but took a sip of tea.

"I said that I want to be a queen, and be a queen seriously." Chu Zhao continued, "I also asked you why you want to be a high-ranking official. You said it was for happiness."

She looked at Deng Yi.

"Master Deng, apart from holding power and being surrounded by officials, have you ever thought that protecting the country and the people can bring greater happiness to the court?"

Deng Yi laughed: "It turns out that the empress wants to be fair and selfless, work hard to rule, and create a prosperous world."

Chu Zhao ignored his banter, and said seriously: "Master Deng, before the country was in turmoil, internal and external troubles, you and I were born in a lower status than others, so we had to use various methods to secure our positions, but only relying on tricks to win people's hearts and exchange interests You didn’t sit for a long time, you can come to the present, you are a person of great talent, but you have been unable to display it, now you have become the Taifu, you have the final say in this court, so—”

"So I can be a lord of the sky, jealous of evil like hatred, slashing, eradicating evil, and demonstrating justice in the world?" Deng Yi took her words, and halfway through the sentence he laughed, as if he couldn't stop laughing.

Chu Zhao didn't speak any more, just looked at him.

"Chu Zhao." Deng Yi smiled, and said, "Do you really think you are being a Mingjun? You are just being used as a tool by the Xie family. What kind of court is clear, really clear, you first drive out your relatives."

He still thinks that she was persuaded by Mrs. Xie and reached an agreement with Xie Yanfang. Chu Zhao said sincerely, "It's not something that can be done overnight. I didn't do this because Mrs. Xie encouraged me. If they have something to fall into my hands, I will also severely punish you, Mr. Deng, you have talent, and Xie Yanfang has talent too, as long as you use it properly—"

Deng Yi didn't want to hear this, he held up his tea and waved it around: "No need to say more, and you don't have to be nice to me, I can see what you think of me in your heart."

Chu Zhao said angrily: "What do I think of you? I regard you as a friend, as a husband—"

"Be an enemy." Deng Yi took her words.

Chu Zhao said helplessly: "I know you are angry with what I did, but I am not targeting you."

Deng Yi shook his head: "I know you're not targeting me, but you're guarding against me." He looked at Chu Zhao and examined her bright eyes, "I know you don't believe me, Queen, and I never ask you to believe me, but You are on guard against me now, where did I threaten you?"

Guard, threat, he also mentioned this word. Chu Zhao still remembered Xie Yanfang's questioning and examination when he was offering tea on the way, and she sighed softly in her heart.

No matter how deeply she hides her thoughts, she will inevitably show them in her outward behavior.

Chu Zhao thought for a while, and said, "I'm dissatisfied with your lord about Liang Qiang's matter, but you know, the frontier war is the painstaking effort of my father and me. I really care about it, and I'm also afraid that it will cause accidents."