Chapter 74: Looking at the chess players upstairs
“Mr. Yuan is very complimentary.”
In the flower hall, Zhao Duan was flattered when he heard this comment, "It's just luck."
The leader of the "Qingliu Party" who was in sole control of the Metropolitan Procuratorate shook his head:
"Luck? Not luck."
Underneath his seemingly calm face was uncontrollable surprise and admiration.
Is it luck that Zhao Duan has done this?
At first glance, it seemed that when I needed to deal with Minister Pei, Wu Lang's clues came to my door. It was too much of a coincidence.
But if you think about it carefully, if Zhao Duan hadn't spent a year to make himself infamous, he would be truly accepted by the dandy circle.
How could there be a chance to meet Pei Wulang?
Be trusted by the other party?
He has been laying the groundwork for more than a year before he has what seems to be "at his fingertips" today. How can this be attributed to luck?
Of course, what Yuan Li really appreciated was Zhao Duan's whole set of "disturbance tactics".
It doesn't seem complicated, but it's actually like dancing on the tip of a knife.
If his acting skills are slightly off, if he shows timidity and cannot deceive Pei Kaizhi, everything will be in vain.
But he just did it, and in just a few days, he bit Pei Kaizhi hard enough to make blood dripping from him in an unknown place.
Especially Zhao Duan's last sentence, about Lu Liang's "conspiracy turning into a conspiracy", is even more in line with the taste of this powerful minister.
Conspiracies and tricks will never come to light.
Only being good at using conspiracy is an essential quality for a top chess player.
Yuan Li himself did not realize that to a certain extent, Zhao Du had been placed in the position of a "chess player" like himself.
A chess player or a chess piece, there is only one word difference, but they are completely different.
What he didn't even expect was that this casual chess move that he made on a whim that day would actually give him such a generous gift just a few days later.
"Where is Lu Liang?" Yuan Li asked.
"It has been handed over to the custody of the steward."
"Very good," Yuan Li stood up and walked around the flower hall, seeming to be thinking. After a moment, he said:
"I will handle the next matter. You can go back and wait for the result with peace of mind. If Pei Kaizhi causes trouble for you, I will stop it for you.
If everything goes well, there may be a lot of excitement in the next few days. When the dust settles, I will personally take care of you and ask for your credit. "
As of now, Empress Xu Zhenguan still knows nothing about this.
"It all depends on Duke Yuan."
Zhao Duan stood up and handed over his hand, not worried that the dignified imperial censor would take away his credit.
As for the ensuing struggle, his rank is too low, and rashly getting involved would be tantamount to seeking death.
It was a unique fight between real big shots. If he didn't want to die, it was best to be patient.
The two of them stopped talking nonsense and Yuan Li went to see Lu Liang.
Zhao Duan left Yuan Mansion, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he waited on the rooftop in the distance.
Not long after, I saw officials swarming out one after another, scattering in all directions with murderous intent.
"yawn."
Zhao Duan stretched out, jumped off the roof, floated on the horse's back like fallen leaves, and patted the horse's butt:
"Go home and sleep!"
…
…
The next morning, after Zhao Duan went to the Yamen, he heard two things.
First, someone accidentally saw that Pei Kaizhi was suspected of visiting Li Yanfu last night.
Secondly, Lu Liang disappeared, and the people involved kept the matter secret.
Pei Kaizhi didn't come to trouble him, either because he was blocked by Yuan Li or because he was too busy to take care of himself.
In the next few days, a big event happened in the court.
One morning in the morning, the missing Lu Liang suddenly went to court. In the Jinluan Palace, he reported and impeached the "former father-in-law" Pei Kaizhi, the minister of the Ministry of Punishments, for a total of ten crimes including fraud in the imperial examination, corruption and murder.
And bring out relevant dossier evidence as thick as a book.
For a time, it caused a sensation in the court. Pei Kaizhi refuted it face to face, Li Yanfu severely questioned it, and Yuan Li supported his censor.
Empress Xu Zhenguan was furious and ordered the temporary arrest of Pei Kaizhi and 12 people involved in the case.
Yuan Li was ordered to take the lead, Ma Yan to execute, and Dali Temple to supervise, to jointly try this old case that was more than ten years ago.
The ruling and opposition parties were shocked.
The entire officialdom of the capital was either trembling or in a melon-eating mode.
The morning sessions over the next few days were even more exciting.
The "Li Party" headed by Li Yanfu began to counterattack, questioning the authenticity of the evidence and throwing out dirt on political opponents.
In one day, the scandal about Lu Liang spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital, and the "star censor" persona that he had worked so hard to create in the past collapsed. If a rat crosses the street, everyone shouts to beat it.
On the second day, 21 imperial censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate jointly submitted a petition for impeachment. With great momentum, they launched a round of war, and the court meeting became a battlefield for both sides.
Li Yanfu and Yuan Li ended up in person, and the students of the Imperial College stopped attending their classes and discussed state affairs heatedly in major literary and cultural restaurants.
There was constant bickering and quarreling.
"Brother, right now, even the chief minister of the Jiaofang is talking about not poetry, talents, romantic affairs, but the drama of 'the father-in-law turns against his father-in-law'. It is really wonderful."
Qin Qiu, who was short and thin, with a wretched appearance, and a folding fan stuck diagonally on the back of his satin collar, was amazed.
He was squatting half-crouching, using an awkward posture, licking his face and pressing it on a flight of stairs.
Here is an abandoned watchtower.
It was used as a lookout for the Forbidden Army during the war. It has a good view and can overlook a large area of the surrounding blocks.
Outside the watchtower, there is a winding wooden staircase.
Qin Qiu raised his face with a flattering smile and looked at Zhao Duan who was standing on a high place, leaning on the railing.
Zhao Duan held half of the watermelon and ate it with a spoon, occasionally spitting out the seeds.
Watermelon seeds fell on Qin Qiu's face and turned into pockmarks.
"Really?" He responded casually.
In the field of vision, there are stretches of green tiled roofs.
Under the sun, it reflects blue light, like a sea.
It reminded him of Jiang Wen's movie "The Righteous", in which Peng Yuyan is seen riding a bicycle on a rooftop in Peking looking for a woman.
"Yes, yes," Qin Qiu licked his face and said with a smile: "Even Wang You, Mr. Dong San and others are also paying attention to this matter."
Zhao Duan knew that the two people he was talking about were the two most famous dandies in Beijing circles.
The former is the son of the Minister of Rites, and the Wang family is one of the most famous families in Dayu.
The latter was the third grandson of the current "Grand Master Dong". He was extremely domineering and was undoubtedly the number one playboy in Beijing.
He is not afraid of heaven or earth, but he only listens to the words of his brother "Dong Da".
The number one dude in the previous session was the current "Xiao Ge Lao", the son of Prime Minister Li Yanfu.
However, Mr. Xiaoge has long stopped being a disciple, and is now a very important figure in the "Li Party".
"Oh, so what?"
Zhao Duan was eating watermelon, squinting his eyes, and his gaze drifted to the highest "watchtower" at the end of the continuous roof, close to the palace.
It is also the tallest building second only to the "Big Bell Tower" of Tianshi Mansion.
I thought: If I stood there, I might not be able to overlook half of the capital.
"Ah this..."
Qin Qiu was speechless and laughed dryly:
"Don't you talk to your brother about this? I heard that the dust is about to settle, and your Majesty will probably make the final decision tomorrow morning."
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"Can we participate in the kind of party politics and fighting among the top figures?"
Qin Qiu nodded crazily and said with some envy: "I wonder when we can get into that circle."
But he didn't know that in this major incident that swept the entire officialdom, the one who delivered the first blow was Zhao Duan, who was standing above him, watching the show.
"Bah, bah." Zhao Duan casually put half a watermelon on Qin Qi's head and jumped up:
"I'm going back to the Yamen."
Qin Qiu held his watermelon head on his head, his face covered with bright red soup, and murmured:
"Brother, if you want to make progress, don't be in a hurry."
…
On his way to Baima Prison, Zhao Duan bought two jars of osmanthus wine and a large bag of meat and vegetables.
A few days ago, he learned that the old supervisor came to see him and left disappointed. It was probably a misunderstanding.
Before the matter was settled, he was not prepared to explain to avoid causing unnecessary complications.
But now that this protracted storm will come to an end tomorrow morning.
Then he doesn't mind, find someone to eat and wait, share the joy that no one knows, and wait to enter the palace tomorrow to receive the reward - provided that the "Beheading of Pei" operation is successful.
It’s been a long time since I last saw the Empress, and I’m still wondering.
However, when Zhao Duan was carrying wine and food, smiling as the sun turned to the west, he stepped into the back office, and Sun Lianying threw a volume of books at his pocket: "Get out!"
…
The transitional chapter, Entering the Palace Tomorrow, speaking of it, this kind of transitional chapter will be slower in pace, which is not conducive to follow-up reading, but I quite like it. . Then, thank you all for your compliments yesterday. I took a quick look at the reading today and it started to rise again...
Thank you for the support of Sanfen Xiaomuyu Hundred Reward
(End of this chapter)