Rui Hegui

"What did you find in Feixia Building yesterday?"

The next day, it was the meeting of the warm pavilion once every five days. Zhao Liang got up earlier and found that Chu Bandit was already waiting at the door, so he took the cloak from Youbai and put it on, and walked towards the door in three steps.

"As Xiao Rong expected, that Lu Qing is indeed the one who has been hiding in the dark, that is, Kriti." Chu bandit frowned slightly, and said, "But Feixialou is Yeyuan's place after all, Kriti If they didn’t catch it, they could only take the opportunity to let Xuefangyuan and the Ministry of Justice remove some of Yeyuan’s spy posts in the capital.”

Zhao Liangyue saw that the worry in Chu Bandit's eyes did not diminish, so he knew that there were other troublesome things happening, so he got into the carriage with Chu Bandit and sat down in the carriage, and asked, "But there is something wrong with the East Palace?"

Bandit Chu nodded, and said: "The crown prince wants to accept Ruan Yue as his side concubine. I sent someone to deliver the message, but the crown prince has never returned."

"Since we returned to Beijing, the crown prince is no longer the same as in the past, telling all the big and small affairs of the court and the palace, and always concealing something." Zhao Liangyue thought for a while, and said, "I read it carefully a few days ago. The changes in the officials of the Ministry of Officials, and compared with Mr. Xiao, the household registration, official history and in-law relationship of the officials in the court, and after discovering the Ningzhou case, Tang Shangshu is probably the most proud."

Chu Bie smiled: "Tang Shiyu? I thought it was impossible for this old man to be honest, otherwise he wouldn't have been occupying the position of Minister of the Household Department and refused to hand it over."

Zhao Liangyue asked: "Brother, did the Tang family develop from Tang Shiyu?"

Chu Bandit: "Yes, there was no place for the Tang family in Kyoto back then. Later, Tang Shiyu entered the household department in the imperial examination high school, and was favored by the late emperor. He has been a minister, and the children of the Tang family have also been able to follow suit, or enter the Imperial College, or be able to The Tang family will gain a firm foothold in the court after being promoted to a noble rank."

Zhao Liangyue asked again: "Then when did he start acting like he's not interested in power?"

"It was just after the 13-year-old case happened. The late emperor was self-willed and suspicious. Among the big officials who participated in the New Deal back then, the family of the concubine's mother, the Webster family, and the Tang family who were watching from the sidelines were left behind." Bandit Chu pointed Tapped, thought for a while, and said, "At that time, people in the court thought that Tang Shiyu, like me, wanted to embrace prosperity and wealth, but looking at it now, I'm afraid he has other plans."

Zhao Liangyue: "Brother also suspects that he has something to do with Ye Yuan?"

Bandit Chu nodded, and said: "Xiao Rong has already gone to investigate, as long as it is found that he has contacts with Donggong, it will be a real hammer."

While speaking, the carriage had already driven outside the Meridian Gate.

The days are short and the nights are long in winter, and it is still pitch black outside the Meridian Gate. In addition to the freezing weather, there are not many officials who come early to wait, and they stand here and there, discussing important matters in groups of three or four, among them is Zheng Xiuhe, Minister of the Ministry of War Sun Jian, chief secretary of the Ministry of Industry.

Bandit Chu helped Zhao Liangyue get off the carriage, stuffed a stove, and then led him among the sad-faced officials.

As soon as Changsun Jian saw Zhao Liangyue, he moved closer to him, and was about to grasp Zhao Liangyue's hand to complain, but he withdrew his hand in embarrassment when he heard Chu Bandit cough lightly, and said, "Master Zhao, what happened to the Jingchang Canal is coming soon!" It has not been approved yet, what should I do this old man? Is it ready now, or not?"

Zhao Liangyue supported Eldest Sun Jian, who was blushing from the cold, and said, "Master Elder Sun, let the Ministry of Industry prepare for it. The Jingchang Canal is of great importance. Zhao will definitely come up with a solution next year."

"Okay!" Changsun Jian said with a long sigh of relief, "I'll just wait for your words, I believe you!"

Zheng Xiu also said: "When the new year begins, even if you take the paper, we old people will support you."

Changsun Jian bowed his hands to the surrounding officials and said, "Thank you all!"

At this time, three servants came over with palace lanterns, and the leader was Ding Miao, the chief inspector beside Emperor Ping Chong.

Ding Miao stepped forward to salute, and said: "The emperor said that today's meeting in the warm pavilion will be cancelled, and it's snowing outside, so please go back, my lords."

The officials looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces. Some people tried to ask something from Ding Miao's mouth, but Ding Miao blocked him with official words, and then left.

Bandit Chu and Zhao Liangyue looked at each other, and after sending the officials away, they walked towards the Nuan Pavilion alone, and found that Ding Miao was already waiting for him in front of the Nuan Pavilion.

"The emperor knew that the two lords would not leave, and ordered that if the two lords come, just go in." Ding Miao smiled and turned sideways to make way.

"There is Mr. Lautin."

Chu Bandit and Zhao Liangyue entered the Nuan Pavilion when they heard coughing from behind the screen.

After a while, the cough stopped, and Emperor Ping Chong's deep and weak voice came from inside: "You two come in."

"I waited to come in from the outside, afraid that the cold would disturb the emperor."

Emperor Ping Chong gave a low laugh and said, "Come in, I have something to tell you alone."

Ding Miao understood, waved his hand, and retreated with all the servants in the cabinet.

Chu Bandit and Zhao Liangyue put the cloak on one side shelf, straightened the official robes, and went around the screen to see Emperor Ping Chong.

"Get up." Emperor Ping Chong sighed, handed the secret letter in his hand to Bandit Chu, and said, "Take a look, it's from the southwest."

The secret letter was stamped with the emperor's private seal. It was the news that Emperor Ping Chong asked Sima Xiao to send someone to Ningzhou to investigate.

After the two had read the secret letter, Emperor Ping Chong looked at the calmness on their faces, and said, "Sure enough, you already knew about Ye Yuan, and you are afraid of death. Too much." Emperor Ping Chong coughed twice and continued, "I am the Son of Heaven, but in the end I am really just a blind and deaf man."

Bandits Chu and Zhao Liangyue lifted their robes and knelt down.

Emperor Ping Chong half-closed his eyes and looked at the two scarlet faces in front of him, raised his trembling fingers and pointed, and said, "You are very capable, but I didn't call you here today to punish the so-called crime of deceiving the emperor. I want to make a deal with you."

Bandit Chu was also not as polite as Emperor Ping Chong, and asked, "What does the Emperor need us to do?"

Upon hearing the words, Emperor Ping Chong's eyes leaked a trace of confusion and sadness, he moved his lips a few times, and said: "I want you to overcome all difficulties and support the crown prince to succeed, no matter what happens in the future, I promise that the next emperor will only be him. "

Chu Bandit rolled his eyes and asked, "Then what will the emperor promise us?"

"An imperial edict, an imperial edict that allows you to wait to investigate the old cases back then, as long as you support the prince to secure the future throne, someone will naturally deliver that imperial edict to you." Emperor Ping Chong coughed twice and said , "You don't have to doubt that I will deceive you. With your ability, it is not impossible to pull the prince down to the throne in the future."

Hearing this, bandit Chu suppressed the smirk stained by peach blossom eyes, raised his head and looked at the Emperor Chong Chong peacefully, and said: "I am terrified, I never intend to be a traitor."

Emperor Ping Chong waved his hand and said: "People's hearts are unpredictable, and it is their crime to conceive jade. Meng Yu and Sima Xiao first followed the first emperor, then I, and in the future the prince. They always only have the emperor of Daxu in their eyes, and they are more sincere than you." , but I will still guard against them, this is something the emperor has no choice but to do."

Zhao Liangyue couldn't help asking: "The emperor intends to use ministers and Chu Shangshu to check and balance Commander Sima and Meng Shangshu?"

Emperor Ping Chong was puzzled: "Why not? In this way, you can also stay in the court and use your hands and feet."

It's a good trick for the emperor to check and balance, and it's a good way for the monarch and ministers to trust.

Zhao Liangyue looked at the elderly emperor sitting in front of him with a quilt wrapped around him from a short distance away, and felt a tight breath in his chest, which was suffocating.

Emperor Ping Chong's physical condition was very poor, so Chu Bandit and Zhao Liangyue didn't stay much longer, and they left the warm pavilion after staying for a quarter of an hour.

Bandit Chu tightened Zhao Liangyue's loose cloak, and said softly, "What he said is crazy, don't take it to heart."

Zhao Liangyue stopped, looked up at Bandit Chu, and asked, "Brother, have you been listening to him say such crazy things all these years?"

Chu Bie smiled: "He used to be crazier, but now he goes crazy occasionally."

Zhao Liangyue looked at the person in front of him with a pair of peach blossom eyes slightly curved, his face was calm and breezy, he didn't know what to say for a moment, he lowered his head and continued walking outside the Meridian Gate.

Bandit Chu followed up, smiled sideways and said, "Does Xi Lin feel sorry for Senior Brother?"

Zhao Liangyue didn't reply to him.

Bandit Chu clicked his tongue and said, "Xi Lin, don't worry, senior brother, apart from being tender to you, like the crazy old man in the Nuan Pavilion, I have always been hard-hearted."

Zhao Liangyue quickened his pace.

Bandit Chu caught up with him in two steps and stopped in front of Zhao Liangyue, a faint fragrance of ink wafted over his nostrils.

Chu bandit sighed softly, and said shamelessly, "Then, if Xilin feels that I'm uncomfortable, how about hugging me for comfort?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Liangyue really stretched out his arms to hug Chu Bandit, and called out in a low, nasal voice, "Senior Brother."

Bandit Chu froze for a moment, only feeling a warm current from the tip of his heart, flowing to his limbs and bones, and couldn't help smiling.

In fact, over the years, Emperor Ping Chong was just as Chu Bandit said, he was a lunatic.

He has been the crown prince for most of his life, and he managed to get to the throne with great difficulty, but what Emperor Jianning left him was a mess. In his eyes, the emperor's hegemony has become a daydream.

He wanted to change something, but he was just a sick skeleton in a yellow robe, and it was too late.

He summoned Meng Yu, Meng Yu asked him to wait, he summoned Sima Xiao, Sima Xiao asked him to wait.

Everyone wants him to wait, but there is only one person who made a covenant with him to regain the imperial power when he was the prince-Chu Bandit, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment.

This is a person who makes it difficult to see what he wants. He is heartless and lonely, and his methods are extremely vicious, but he is his best pawn. Therefore, he has summoned Chu bandit countless times and asked him when he can help him get back. Huangquan, without getting a single reply, he felt at ease.

But these were not enough, he still didn't have Chu Bandit's bargaining chip.

Until he found out that in the basement of the Chu Mansion, there was still a spiritual tablet enshrined in the former emperor's master Wang Taboo. He was ecstatic, he understood what Chu Bandit wanted, and he finally had the bargaining chip to hold Chu Bandit firmly in his hands.

Regarding the conspiracy, no emperor would be willing to reveal it. It was a slap in the face to the Daxu royal family and would become a stain on their political achievements, but Emperor Ping Chong was willing to work hard to weave for Chu Bandit. A dream he believed in, because he needed him, such a pawn was too easy to use.

So when Emperor Ping Chong left an imperial decree for Chu Bandit to thoroughly investigate the old case of rebellion, he had already left behind in secret.