Traveling through Du He, Li Chengqian's rebellion begins

When Du He heard the unexpected news brought by Ma Zhou, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

Du Zheng, the deputy director of the Chenghuang Office of the Imperial Household Department, was a member of the Jingzhao Du family. Although he was not from the same branch as Du He, he was also a descendant of the direct lineage.

In addition, Fang Yiai, He and Du Chuke all worked under Li Tai, so even if their relationship was not very good, they should not become enemies.

"Could it be that Fang Yiai and Du Chuke broke up?"

"But what kind of conflict of interest or major contradiction could the two have that would lead to them killing each other?"

The first thought that popped into Du He's mind was that Fang Yiai and Du Chuke were not getting along, but at the same time, all kinds of confusions arose.

One of them was in Chang'an and the other in Xiangzhou, thousands of miles apart.

They are so far apart, yet they eat from the same pot, so what conflicts could there be between them?

Apart from this point, Du He really couldn't imagine what the deeper meaning of Fang Yiai's action was.

Think for a moment.

Du He shook his head slightly and said, "Brother Ma, I don't know what tricks Fang Yi likes to play, but he and I are not the same kind of people."

"As for Fang Yiai sending people to report the Du family for illegal activities, that is exactly what I want. You can feel free to impeach them."

Since Fang Yiai also helped him to deal with the people from the Jingzhao Du family, Du He was also happy to see this result.

Anyway, except for a few who came to him to beg for mercy, all the other members of the Du family would be dealt with one by one.

Moreover, Du He had no psychological identification with the Jingzhao Du family, so he had no psychological pressure when he took action.

Ma Zhou said softly: "Brother Du, if that's the case, I will enforce the law impartially."

"Du Zheng resold the imperial court's war horses and made a lot of money from it. Not only will he lose his official position, he will probably have to accept several years of hard labor!"

The reason why he asked Du He about this matter was just to confirm whether Du Zheng, the secretary of Chenghuang Office, was Du He's man.

Since he is not Du He's man, he can let the people from the Censorate impeach him boldly.

Du He smiled and said, "Brother Ma, thank you for your help. I will always remember your kindness!"

Hearing Du He's words of gratitude, Ma Zhou waved his hand indifferently.

If the officials of the Jingzhao Du family in the court were honest and diligent in their work, he would not have helped Du He to commit atrocities.

However, these officials themselves had misconduct and did things that violated Tang law.

As the Imperial Censor who supervises all officials, he certainly cannot allow them to harm the people and undermine the interests of the court.

As the two were talking, they had already reached a fork in the road. The Ministry of Works went left, while the Censorate went right.

Ma Zhou stopped and said to Du He, "Brother Du, please tell the Crown Prince privately that I have forgotten everything I said in the East Palace just now."

Du He nodded: "Okay!"

Then Ma Zhou saluted towards Du He with his fists clasped, then hid his hands in his wide sleeves, lowered his head slightly, and walked quickly towards the Censorate.

What happened in the East Palace today really made him feel frightened.

I will have to go back to the Censorate later and read the Tang Code several times to adjust my mood.

Du He looked at Ma Zhou who was walking away quickly, a faint smile appeared on his face, and then he also walked towards the Ministry of Industry.

...

In the afternoon.

Du He was handling government affairs in the office. Xiao Kai, who had nothing to do, walked into the office and winked at Du He.

"Brother Du, do you want to go to Baihua Tower to listen to music after your shift?"

Hearing what Xiao Kai said, Du He immediately showed a look of contempt.

Du He glanced at him and said, "Brother Xiao, aren't you going to take in a ninth concubine tomorrow? Why do you still want to go to Baihua Tower to listen to music?"

"Don't you need to prepare for taking a concubine in advance?"

Although taking a concubine does not need to be as grand as marrying a wife, it is still a major happy event in life, and it is definitely necessary to hold a banquet and decorate the mansion.

In addition, Xiao Kai's concubine was not a girl from an ordinary family, but the legitimate daughter of a small aristocratic family.

It takes a lot of effort to get it done.

Xiao Kai said angrily, "Brother Du, don't mention the concubine my father gave me. Her physique is almost as big as three of me."

"Besides, I have many concubines now, so there is no need for any ceremony. We can just come over for a meal and have some fun."

"After your shift tomorrow, remember to come over with Brother Cui and Brother Wang and have a couple of drinks!"

According to the Zhou Li, marrying a wife requires a formal matchmaker, three books, six ceremonies, four betrothals and five pieces of gold, and the ceremony is very grand.

Taking a concubine doesn't have to be so troublesome. You just need to give some gift money, and you don't even need to have a banquet. And you can only enter through the side door.

The current concubine system in the Tang Dynasty only exists among officials and gentry families. Ordinary people can only marry one woman, so they are called "one man and one woman".

Concubines are divided into concubines and maids. Concubines are of good status, while maids are ordinary slaves. The two have completely different identities.

Concubines like Xiao Kai'na needed to go through paperwork at the county government office. Their status was that of a concubine, but in the Xiao family they were the status of a master.

As for Linglong, a maid in Princess Chengyang's mansion, she has not had any official documents with Du He, so she is a concubine and a slave in terms of status.

To put it simply, slaves are servants and their status is not high.

It’s just that Linglong is Princess Chengyang’s maid, and the highest-ranking servant in the princess’s mansion.

Du He shook his head and said, "Brother Xiao, after your shift, remember to continue to seek treatment from Divine Doctor Sun. As for Baihua Tower, don't go there."

"If your concubines still can't get pregnant this year, your father will definitely continue to mess around."

"Although the four courtesans in Baihua Tower are extremely beautiful, you can't take them as concubines. Instead of drooling over them, you might as well stay at home and work hard."

When Xiao Kai heard Du He mention the four most beautiful courtesans in Baihua Tower, a hint of admiration appeared on his face.

He said with emotion: "Brother Du, why do you think that beautiful women who are good at playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting only appear in places like Baihua Tower?"

"If my father gave me a concubine with the looks of the four most beautiful courtesans, I would be happy every day."

Having a father who doesn't understand him, Xiao Kai feels that even though he is so rich, he still can't enjoy the happiness he deserves.

Du He glanced at him and said, "Would you choose an ugly person to play the zither?"

"Don't be so sentimental, kid. The entire Ministry of Industry is working on the innovation of the Zhenguan Plow. You have to pretend to be busy."

Seeing that Du He was ordering him to leave, Xiao Kai did not stay here any longer.

He took out a festive-looking invitation from his long-sleeved robe, then handed it to Du He with both hands and said.

"Brother Du, I will take a day off tomorrow and prepare for taking a concubine."

"You are the most distinguished person I have invited. Remember to come and support me after your shift."