Chapter 484 The monarch and his ministers were inspected (5k)
Let's talk about the situation... In the side hall, it became quiet for a while, and no one chose to speak first.
The Imperial Master sitting at the top looked around at everyone and said calmly:
"Since no one is talking, I will take the lead. I have called everyone together in the palace today. I believe you all know what is going on.
Since His Majesty disappeared in Luoshan, news has been transmitted from various places. Now, except for Linfeng, Lingnan, and Huaishui, the five vassal kings have made changes, the current situation is turbulent, and rumors are spreading in Beijing..."
Grand Master Dong paused for a moment and continued:
"However, the situation is not as dangerous as the rumors say. In the north, King Yanshan was controlled by Luo Kedi and his border troops in Jubei City. In the west, Duke Zhen Guo also suppressed the King of Hejian who was about to make a move. Along the coast, King Chen blocked the border. There is a tendency to stay behind closed doors and separatist forces...
After careful calculation, the rebels from Jiancheng, Yunfu and Qingzhou were the only ones causing rebellion and threatening the capital. Although the first two are powerful, they have not yet crossed the Huai River, not to mention that they are blocked by Linfeng, which is not an immediate danger. ”
This remark is quite insightful.
First, he positively admitted that the situation was bad and did not hide it. Then he analyzed it one by one and dispelled the rumors and horror.
"According to what the Grand Master said, the most pressing issue now is the Qingzhou Army." The Minister of Punishment said slowly:
"Qingzhou is east of the capital city. Because it faces the sea in the east, there are no major border military towns. Since His Majesty's disappearance, King Heng of Qingzhou took the lead in raising the banner of 'King Qin', instigating a rebellion against the Qingzhou military government, and approaching the outside of the city almost unimpeded."
The Minister of War said calmly:
"Qingzhou's soldiers are not strong, and their horses are not strong. They can move unimpeded and occupy a good territory. Now Privy Council Xue has gone to Linfeng to take charge of the overall situation, leaving the Beijing camp to dispatch, blocking the Qingzhou soldiers at the Qingzhou border, making it difficult to advance.
It can be seen that Qingzhou soldiers are nothing to worry about.
In my opinion, what is urgent now is not King Heng's troops, but that His Majesty is missing and the group is leaderless. The current turmoil in the city is evident. ”
Just as Zhao Duan, Empress, Prince Jing and others guessed, among the five rebels.
The Qingzhou rebels led by King Heng were the first to approach the capital.
However, King Heng came excitedly, but was forced back dozens of miles east of the capital by the army of the capital camp, unable to advance even an inch.
King Heng, who was unable to break through the Beijing camp by force, repeatedly ordered the court to open the door to welcome him as a "prince", but was rejected miserably.
However, most people in the city did not know the reality of Qingzhou. They only heard that the rebels were fighting dozens of miles away, and they were already panicked.
"I also believe that the most urgent task is not to focus on the rebels, but to find His Majesty's return." Yuan Li said calmly.
As the leader of the Qingliu Party, whenever he spoke, he attracted the attention of the officials.
The elegant and handsome imperial censor, with frosty white temples, sat in his chair, looking at Ma Yan with a serious look:
"Duke, the imperial office has a way to communicate with the shadow guards. Can we find traces of your majesty now?"
The great eunuch, nicknamed the "King of Hell", had an official rank of third rank. He was seated later when he saw Yuan Li looking at him and said with a straight face:
"The latest news from outside Beijing is that His Majesty and Zhao Shaobao appeared in Huai River, and further news has not been received yet."
After a slight pause, he added:
"In addition, the shadow guard reported that Mo Zhaorong and his party were safe for the time being and had returned to Linfeng. Together with the Baima Superintendent, the Minister of Rites, the Governor of Water Transport and other officials, they hindered the progress of the rebels and achieved initial results."
The officials were in commotion.
They were not too concerned about the life and death of Mochou and others, they only cared about the life and death of the empress.
When the Empress disappeared, Mochou and his group of ministers realized that they must let the capital know that the Empress was not dead, otherwise there would be chaos.
Therefore, at that time, Eunuch Hai contacted the Shadow Guards and passed back the news that Zhao Duan was escorting the empress and had not been arrested.
This is also the key to the overall stability of the court: if the empress really dies, how can the ministers sit down and discuss it? In the morning, the city gates opened wide to welcome the prince into the capital.
"Your Majesty, the auspicious person and heavenly minister, has now entered the Huaihe River and is not far back to the capital." A royal party official was overjoyed.
"Let me make it clear first that I sincerely hope that Your Majesty will be safe and sound, but with the current situation, it is meaningless to just say nice things.
Your Majesty is far away in Huai River. When can you return? Can we return? They are all unknown, and even if they come back, they may not..." There are people who are weird.
"What do you mean by this?! Could it be that you have taken refuge in the rebel king?" A young minister was furious and stood up to rebuke.
The latter retorted:
"I only care about Sheji. Unlike you, I dare not face the situation at this time."
"Do you want to die? Your Majesty is still here! When I come back, I will definitely give you a copy!" A censor joined the battlefield.
"Haha, Chen Yushi, you don't have to wait for His Majesty to return if you want to join the university. The same goes for submitting a letter to the Grand Master." One of them sneered at the incident and participated in the war of words.
For a moment, as if a powder keg was lit, the two sides started arguing, and the entire side hall was as noisy as a vegetable market.
"Quiet!"
Master Dong listened for a while, his face was gloomy, his beard was trembling and he shouted angrily:
"If you want to make noise, get out of here. I have summoned you today just to listen to your noise."
All the ministers fell silent, and the atmosphere became dull.
Yuan Li coughed lightly and smoothed things over:
"Now is not the time to argue about these things. Although His Majesty is in danger, with the protection of Young Master Zhao, he will be able to turn danger into good fortune and return sooner or later.
What's more, Linfeng is still in the hands of the imperial court. As long as His Majesty can enter Linfeng, it will be safe. As for us, before this, we can only protect the capital for Your Majesty. The Qingzhou soldiers are not of concern for the time being, but rumors are spreading in the city, and people's hearts are floating...
The Grand Master has summoned you all today, and he must also ask you to go back and contribute your own efforts to stabilize the situation. At least before His Majesty returns, order in the city cannot be disrupted. ”
All the ministers agreed one after another and agreed with this truth.
Yuan Li suddenly looked at his old enemy sitting across from him, looking old and dying:
"Li Xiang, don't you have anything to say?"
After entering the palace, Li Yanfu, who said nothing, opened his squinted eyelids and smiled:
"I agree with what Mr. Yuan and the Grand Master said, so let's do it."
The three top ministers spoke, and things went much smoother next.
It is nothing more than assigning tasks to various restless places in the city to stabilize the overall situation.
Soon after, the court meeting ended and the officials retreated.
Yuan Li and Master Dong were the last to leave. The former looked at the empty side hall, stood up and said:
"Although the ministers agreed with their lips, many people were already panicking."
Grand Master Dong sighed, showing his exhaustion: "Why don't I know?"
People's hearts are broken and it's hard to lead the team. This truth, looking at ancient and modern times, is no exception.
All they can do is try their best to maintain it.
"Li Yanfu has been too contented recently."
Yuan Li suddenly spoke. The sun shone in from outside the hall, and his long and thin shadow fell slantingly on the smooth floor tiles.
Master Dong, who had white hair and beard, glanced at him:
"He must have secretly arranged some of the badmouthing at today's court meeting."
Yuan Li looked out of the hall with deep eyes: "I'm not talking about these small tricks in the court."
Master Dong's heart skipped a beat: "You mean, he might..."
Yuan Li shook his head and smiled:
"Perhaps I'm thinking too much. With Li Yanfu's character, what I'm thinking about right now is probably how to bet on how to maximize his profits. If the throne is really replaced by someone else, how can he survive the calamity safely?
No, maybe the Huaishui Li family had already bet on different vassals 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 come back and stabilize the overall situation?"
Yuan Li smiled faintly and walked out without answering.
Grand Master Dong watched him leave. He was the only one left in the hall. The imperial master was silent for a long time and closed his eyes.
Yuan Li reminded himself to be wary of Li Yanfu.
But...can Yuan Li and the Qingliu Party behind him really be trusted?
……
……
Li Yanfu walked out of the palace, got into the carriage with the help of his servants, and returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Along the way, he closed his eyes and fell asleep to save energy.
Since the beginning of this spring, Li Yanfu's health has not been good. Some of the old physical problems in the past have occurred frequently. He is obviously much younger than Dong Xuan, but his energy and energy are not as good as each year.
At least that's how he looks to outsiders.
After returning to the mansion, Li Yanfu undressed under the service of his servants. He took off his court clothes and put on his favorite red robe, which was loose and loose. He immediately went to the study to read the official documents.
"Master, it's time to drink ginseng soup."
The door to the study room was pushed open, and a woman in her thirties walked in with a submissive look on her face, carrying ginseng soup.
Place it on the study table.
Li Yanfu put down the book, looked up at her, nodded, picked up the spoon and drank.
This woman was the first concubine of the Prime Minister of the 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, and was low-key and docile. Although she had no status, she was deeply loved by the elderly Li Yanfu. Even Xiaoge Lao did not dare to make any mistakes in front of this concubine who did not fight for it.
"Is there anything else?" Li Yanfu asked while drinking ginseng soup.
The concubine whose nickname is "Xiaoyue" whispered: "Yinglong is here."
"Ask him to come in."
"Okay."
Xiaoyue walked out, and after a while, the study door opened.
Li Yinglong, an old man from the small pavilion who is nearly forty years old and has a rather gloomy appearance, leads a servant and steps through the threshold:
"Father, someone is coming to the house."
After he finished speaking, the middle-aged man behind him who pretended to be a servant but was actually a servant of the Li family of Huaishuidao knelt down:
"The villain is here to deliver a message to the Prime Minister, as ordered by the clan."
The Li family of Huaishui is the powerful family behind Li Yanfu. "Say."
"Yes, there is news at home that King Jing and King Mu have entered the Huaihe River and will arrive in the capital soon. I sincerely ask the prime minister to consider the honor and safety of the family... If we can control the court and the capital, we will wait for the kings to arrive in the capital. You can wait for the price and sell it, so that the Li family can survive again for a hundred years..."
In the study, Xiangguo and his son quietly listened to the servant's message.
"I know, let's go out." Li Yanfu waved his hand expressionlessly.
The servant kowtowed again, stood up and walked out of the room.
"Father, take action. The situation is critical now. If we wait until the armies of the kings invade the capital, it will be too late."
Li Yinglong seemed a little excited, "Not to mention the family, the people below are also restless these days. If you don't nod, I'm afraid..."
Li Yanfu looked at him coldly: "Are you agitated?"
Li Yinglong's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and Nuo Nuo could not speak. But at this moment, he suddenly gritted his teeth and mustered up his courage:
"Father! Over the past year, the Empress has beaten us many times, and our hearts are really broken. We have endured it again and again, and the Empress' power has continued to grow. Now she has also disappeared, and it is estimated that she will never come back.
Even if she does come back, without her cultivation as a celestial being, what chance does she have of winning?
The heaven of Yu Kingdom must be changed. With the kings here, our Li family cannot be the emperor, but finding a minister who will obey the dragon is always promising...
Please...you...Collect_6Ⅰ9ⅠBookⅠ(Six\\\Nine\\\Book\\\!)
If you don't do it, others will do it. Nowadays, among the high-ranking and powerful people in the city, who can guarantee that they don't have the same thoughts? We have to act as soon as possible. If it's too late, everything will be over! ”
Li Yanfu expressionlessly waved his sleeves: "Get out."
Li Yinglong gritted his teeth and persuaded:
"Father, what are you still hesitating about? Xue Shence was in the city before, and the chance of winning was not great, but now he has also left the city.
As long as you nod, the two commanders of the Forbidden Army, Jinwu Guard and Qianniu Guard, will support you. Coupled with the dead soldiers we have raised in the capital over the years, it will be easy to control the current court..."
"Get out!"
Li Yinglong sighed and stomped away.
In the study room, only Li Yanfu, who was wearing a red robe and a white waist jade, was sitting upright, staring at a decorative palm-sized knife on the desk, lost in thought for a long time.
……
……
Just when people in the city were panicked and undercurrents were surging, everyone thought the empress was still on the run.
Outside the south gate of the capital, on the wide official road, a carriage headed against the flow of people towards the city gate.
Zhao Duan used the disguise mask to change his appearance again. This time he would pretend to be a coachman, waving his whip while looking at the carriages and horses on the road, saying:
"Your Majesty, do you really want to enter the city in a low profile?"
In the carriage, after recovering his cultivation, Xu Zhenguan, who had taken the Yi Rong Dan and temporarily changed his appearance, sat cross-legged and meditated. Hearing this, he said calmly:
"Now that I'm back, I'm not in a hurry to show up for a while. I'll enter the city quietly first, understand the situation, and then return to the palace. Isn't it the same when you arrested Zhuang Xiaocheng from Binhai Road and returned to Beijing?"
No, why are you competing with me... Zhao Duan was helpless.
After the empress was promoted, she traveled extremely fast. Although the gods in this world could not "travel across the sea and reach the sky at dusk" or arrive thousands of miles away in an instant.
But Yujian Flying can ignore the geographical obstacles and still greatly shorten the time to return to Beijing.
The monarch and his ministers galloped all the way without stopping in Linfeng, and arrived near the capital before dawn. However, the empress requested to enter the capital in a low-key manner and to find out the situation first.
"But the problem is, I don't think we are low-key at all."
Zhao Duan sighed softly and pointed his riding whip at the large number of oncoming out-of-city troops on the official road.
If it were in the past, the number of people entering and leaving the city would be almost the same.
But it is completely different now. At a glance, most people are leaving the city, and only a few are entering the city.
"It seems that the news of the rebels' rebellion has spread in the city. At this time, it is time to seal the city gate and prohibit entry and exit." Xu Zhenguan looked at the scene outside the car window with sorrow between his brows:
"The current situation only shows that the court's orders have not been strictly implemented."
No, you are putting it mildly. It should be said that the law enforcement system has failed... Yes, if there is no leader, the court will definitely become a mess. What's more, if a brick is thrown in the city, it can hit seven or eight powerful people...
In this case, if the dignitaries want to escape from the capital, there is always a way... Zhao Duan sighed softly and said with a wry smile:
"However, on the bright side, at least it means there is no big chaos in the capital, otherwise basic order will not be maintained."
While they were talking, the monarch and his ministers arrived outside the city gate. Zhao Duan had several false identity guides on him to facilitate customs clearance, and he was able to enter the city safely.
"Your Majesty, where should we go next?"
Zhao Duan drove 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 also had no idea for a while. She lived in the palace all year round. Where could she stay outside?
To say that the outside of the palace is more familiar, and there is a place where I have lived...
"Going to your house?" She glanced at Zhao Duan and said subconsciously.
It's okay to come to the door in a hurry just after passing the door... Zhao Du'an was so relieved that the corners of his mouth raised.
The empress glared at him: "Why are you laughing?"
Zhao Duan quickly stopped his smile and said seriously:
"I didn't laugh, I just felt something was wrong. Nunbao Chen's home has been targeted."
After being away from the capital for so long, his first thought was to go home and see his aunt and sister.
But his reason told him that it was inappropriate.
Xu Zhenguan also understood this, thought for a while, and said: "Find an inn to stay first, and then explore the situation in the city."
"Okay."
Zhao Duan identified the direction and found an inn where he had stayed.
……
Not long after.
The monarch and his minister had already appeared in the room upstairs in the inn, throwing their baggage on the table. They stood side by side by the window, opened the window, and looked out at the familiar yet unfamiliar street scene.
After a few months.
It was still spring when I left Beijing, and it was almost late summer when I returned.
"Your Majesty, please rest in the inn for a while while I go out to find someone to ask about the situation." Zhao Duan said.
He didn't imitate movies and TV shows and spend money to ask the inn waiter about the situation, because what he needed to know was more information about the court.
However, private messages are often exaggerated and distorted, accompanied by conspiracy theories, and cannot be adopted.
"Let's go together." Where can Xu Zhenguan sit still? If she hadn't had the intention to observe the changes in the court after she left, she would have flown into the imperial city with her sword.
"That's okay... okay." Zhao Duan nodded, thinking about who he should ask to find out.
At this moment, suddenly, he noticed a large group of official officers walking towards the street, full of murderous intent, heading straight for the inn.
The leader was wearing a loose satin dress that didn't fit well. He had small eyes and a thin figure. He had a folding fan stuck diagonally behind his neck, and he looked arrogant and arrogant.
"Is it him?" Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, his expression became strange.
"Do you know him?" Xu Zhenguan had no impression of this little person.
"Yes. He was a bitch from my past." Zhao Duan sighed and said curiously:
"Why is this guy here?"
……
The first floor of the inn.
Qin Qiu led a team of "official servants" into the lobby, and was immediately greeted by the shopkeeper with a smile:
"Hey, gentlemen, what are you doing for me?"
The dandy Qin Qiu, who once flattered and laughed, hugged Zhao Duan's thigh and joined the "Beijing circle", sneered, arrogant and domineering, and kicked him out when he disagreed:
"You don't know me anymore? Why do you ask me? Do you really not know, or do you pretend you don't know?"
The shopkeeper was kicked down, but he didn't dare to get angry. Although there were officials behind the inn, he still didn't dare to offend the gang of servants:
"Mr. Qin, it turns out to be Mr. Qin. You looked at me so badly that you didn't recognize me."
Qin Qiu, who was servile in front of Zhao Duan and arrogant outside, snorted and threw a sign:
"I'm too lazy to talk nonsense with you. I am currently working as an errand for the imperial office. There has been a lot of unrest in the city recently. Are there any new people of unknown origin staying in your inn?"
It turned out to be a ward round... The shopkeeper cursed in his heart and said with a smile:
"Master Qin, please take a seat. We are all registered here. There is no one of unknown origin..."
"Hmph, it doesn't matter what you said. Come on, come with me to check the ward!" As soon as Qin Qi gained power, everyone walking around felt dizzy.
With a wave of his hand, he led the people upstairs and kicked open the doors of each room.
Soon there were exclamations of exclamation and a frenzy of excitement. Every time he entered a room, he would arrest the tenant and question him, and extort "filial piety" before he would leave.
Not long after, Qin Qiu led people outside the room where Zhao Duan stayed.
"Bang bang! The government is checking the ward, and the people inside open the door obediently!" Qin Qiu failed to kick the door, and found that it was locked. He couldn't help but said angrily.
There seemed to be footsteps lingering in the room, but no one answered.
"Master Qin, this man wants to be beaten." A subordinate official picked up his whistle stick and tried to force his way in.
Qin Qiu waved his hand, rolled up his sleeves, and sneered:
"I'll come in person! You're a good toast and don't have to drink wine as a penalty. When I enter, I'll ask you to kneel down and beg for mercy."
He took a few steps back to gather strength, then rushed forward and hit them hard, but unexpectedly, the door that was originally locked opened.
Qin Qiu let out an ouch and couldn't control his strength. He rolled into the room and fell with a thud. He cursed angrily and was about to get up when his head was suddenly stepped on by a boot and pinned to the ground.
"As expected of an official from the capital, he is very domineering, but why didn't I know that there was someone like you in the imperial office?" Zhao Duan asked quietly.
(End of chapter)