With the departure of the second prince, the banquet also ended hastily.
Wu Gen was the last to leave, just to wait for the one hundred and fifty taels of gold. Zhao Yuzheng accompanied Wu Gen out and reminded him in a low voice to be careful these days. The second prince has a violent temper, and today he was slapped in the face, which may have caused some trouble.
Less than two miles away from the villa, several carriages appeared in front of them, traveling slowly along the official road. Wu Gen didn't want to deal with these noble people anymore, so he bowed his head and passed them.
At this moment, the curtain of a carriage opened, and a person's face appeared in front of the window. It was the third prince Zhao Linyun, and there were two people traveling with him in the carriage.
"Your name is Wu Gen." The third prince said warmly. Without waiting for a reply, he said, "It's still a long way back to the city, so why not share the ride."
Wu Gen looked at the elegant furnishings in the car and the calligraphy and paintings spread out on the table. He cupped his hands and declined politely, "Thank you, Third Prince, for your kindness. Wu Gen is used to walking, but he is a little unaccustomed to riding in a car."
Zhao Linyun didn't care about Wu Gen's rejection and said as he walked: "You insulted my second emperor brother today. If something happens, you might as well come to my house to avoid the limelight. I guess he can't demolish my house. "
Regarding Zhao Linyun's kindness, Wu Gen couldn't say anything, he could only nod and thank him. He had offended a prince today, and Wu Gen was afraid that he might offend another prince if he got into the car, so it was better to stay away.
Back at the inn, Wu Gen sat at the table and sighed. He saw that it was already dark, but he did not light the lamp. The trouble I caused today is quite big, so I have to explain it to Mr. Zhu to prevent him from doing something behind his back.
When Zhu Buzhan came back, Wu Gen quickly reported today's situation one by one. He only said that the second prince was bullying others, and he had no choice but to fight with his servants, but he came back with some gold in vain.
When Zhu Buzhan heard this, his expression was a little strange. After a long while, he said, "Wu Gen, it's better not to go to such occasions in the future." Now he could see that Wu Gen was a troublemaker, no matter where he went. We won't stop until we have flowers.
"Sir, why is the second prince so hostile to you? Could it be because of the eldest prince's affairs?" Wu Genquan asked curiously, pretending not to have heard Zhu Buzhan's words.
Zhu Buzhan's expression was a little complicated, and he picked the candle wick with a bamboo stick. Sparks burst out, and the room suddenly lit up.
"Oh, power is alluring, messy with people's hearts, and has caused so many grudges. I once tried to protect the eldest prince, but I didn't want to be hated by him until now. Forget it, in such a situation, what difference does it make if I hate him more or less? .”
Wu Gen lowered his head and looked at the candle shadow on the ground, "Sir, it is so difficult in the officialdom. Why don't you just retreat and instead struggle in this quagmire to this day?"
Zhu Buzhan turned his head in surprise and said with relief: "You are old after all. Do you still remember the first time I invited you to enroll in school?"
Wu Gen looked up and saw the tavern in Dingyuan City before his eyes, "Of course I remember it."
Zhu Buzhan stood up, put one hand behind his back, and clenched his other hand into a fist, and slowly walked to the window, "You have traveled to so many places and have seen many situations of common people. Why should I take the initiative to serve these princes?" Teaching is to let them know from a young age that in this world, outside this thick palace wall, in the place where the sun does not shine, there are still many people living a precarious life.
In this case, no matter who among these people sits in a high position, not to mention how many changes there will be, at least they can be more lenient to these heads of Guizhou who no one pays attention to. Moreover, during my stay in the court, I could not influence the court even slightly, so that I would not issue harsh orders frequently and harm the people. Even if the road ahead is confusing, we should try our best. "
Wu Gen sighed softly, walked to Zhu Buluzhan's side, and looked at the peach tree swaying slowly in the darkness, "But this is not fair to Qian Hua. How many people are eyeing her because of you."
"I know." Zhu Buzhan's body suddenly collapsed, his eyes a little painful, "I am not a qualified father, and there is nothing I can do to make up for it. I can only hope that you can treat her better in the future. Wu Gen, please."
"I will do it, please don't worry, sir." Wu Gen's voice became louder, "Even if God dares to bully her, I will also dare to overturn this day."
Zhu Buzhan laughed loudly, "Yes, domineering, but a bit murderous. When two people are together, how can there be so many swords and swords? In addition to protecting her, we must also tolerate her.
Qian Hua is a child who has been tolerant since he was a child. He is also gentle and gentle towards my father, but he has lost his closeness. Only to you do I act like a little girl. Therefore, as long as she is happy, no matter what choice she makes, I, as a father, will support her. "
"Wu Gen, the identity of this noble man is not important to me. You have to believe that no flower is just a flower from the beginning. No tree is still a tree until the end.
Things in this world are changing with each passing day. It is impossible to say that in a few years, the world will be very different. The fact that you went to deliver medicine to the garrison has already spread in the court. As long as you stick to your true intentions, there is no threshold for being noble or not. It's enough for you and Qian Hua to be happy. "
Listening to Zhu Buzhan's words, Wu Gen felt a bad feeling in his heart. Just as he was about to ask further questions, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Wu Gen was stunned for a moment, held the handle of the knife with one hand, and walked out of the door first. When the courtyard door was opened, a strange man stood in front of him. He looked a little nervous and kept looking around. Wu Gen looked back doubtfully. Could it be that this was Mr. Zhu's friend.
"Who are you looking for?" Wu Gen asked, blocking the door to prevent the man from entering.
"I'm looking for Mr. Zhu. I have something important to tell you." The man's voice was trembling. He kept looking behind him and squeezed through the door regardless.
Wu Gen was suspicious and couldn't let him in. The man squeezed twice but failed to shake Wu Gen at all. It seemed that this man was just an ordinary person and had no cultivation level.
Zhu Buzhan walked to the courtyard door, patted Wu Gen on the shoulder, and motioned for him to let go of the courtyard door. "What do you call me, Your Excellency? What's the reason for your late night visit?"
The man looked anxious and said almost as if he was pleading: "Sir, I am a member of the young man's house. I have something important to report. Please let me in and listen to me. Please rest assured, sir, I will never do any harm to you." "
Zhu Buzhan nodded, "Please follow me."
The man crossed Wu Gen and followed Zhu Buzhan closely. Wu Gen glanced outside the courtyard and found nothing out of the ordinary, so he closed the courtyard door and followed inside.
When they arrived at the house, Zhu Bu showed his interest and Wu Gen made the man a cup of tea. The man took the tea in his hand, picked it up and put it in his mouth, but was burned and coughed repeatedly.
Zhu Buluzhan put his hand down and said, "Brother, don't worry."
The man struggled to stop his coughing, leaned back on the chair, let out a long breath, and stared blankly at the roof.
Wu Gen and Zhu Buzhan looked at each other, both of them confused as to what this uninvited guest meant by his late night visit.
After a while, the man finally came to his senses and slowly straightened up, "Mr. Zhu, I'm really presumptuous. I had no choice but to come to your house." After saying this, the man glanced at Wu Gen.
"This person is my student. If you have something to do, please just tell me." Zhu Buzhan saw what the other party meant.
After thinking about it, the man fumbled in his arms for a long time, then took out a piece of paper and handed it to Zhu Buzhan respectfully, "Sir, please take a look. After reading it, let me explain it in detail to you."
Zhu Buzhan took the paper and glanced at it by candlelight. His expression suddenly changed. He raised his head to look at the man, but then lowered his head to look carefully again.
Written on the paper were the names of some people. The first one was the second prince Zhao Linge, followed by the names of the eldest princess Zhao Rong, the young master Qing Rongkui, and then a long list.
"What does this mean?" Zhu Buzhan handed the paper to Wu Gen, who was looking around with a very serious expression.
"Sir, my name is Zeng Nong, and I am the weaver of the Shaofu." The man quickly replied: "Rong Kui is a traitor and has formed a clique with the eldest princess and the second prince to plot for the throne.
Not only that, these people also gathered a group of internal and external officials to support each other, gathering secretly from time to time, trying to harm the current Holy Emperor. The names on these papers are all people I know who are connected in series. "
Zhu Buzhan's hand tightly grasped the corner of the table, veins popping out, "How did you get this list, and why did you send it to me? If these people are really rebellious, should they hand it to Tingwei directly or write to the emperor?" Okay."
When Wu Gen heard this, he thought, yes, it would be inappropriate for a small Imperial Academy to handle such a major matter of beheading. If Zeng Nong deliberately dragged Zhu Buzhan into troubled waters, Wu Gen wouldn't mind letting him have a good taste of the village master's iron fist.
Zeng Nong smiled bitterly and cupped his hands, "Mr. Suwen is noble, Zeng Nong really has no other way out. I was killed by Rong Kui in the Shaofu. Not only did I lose my official position, but he also planned to give me a corrupt job." The crime wanted to put me to death, so I took the risk.
As for the origin of this list, it is because I was once one of them, so sir, there is no need to doubt it. Why don't you report it to Ting Wei? I can't trust them. If you give it to Ting Wei, I will be dead before the list comes out of Ting Wei's house. Moreover, there are some of their people with the Emperor. I am afraid that my memorial will be robbed before it reaches the Emperor.
Although the current emperor demoted you, he was actually doing it to protect you, and you still have great trust in him. Moreover, all the officials in the court knew that Rong Kui had always been at odds with his husband. He tried to use vicious methods several times, but was blocked by the emperor in the end. Therefore, in desperation, I had no choice but to look for the husband with a shy face. "
Zhu Buzhan was silent. Zeng Nong probably hated Rong Kui deeply, so he found his so-called enemy, hoping to use his connections in the court to bring down Rong Kui.
Wu Gen on the side asked curiously: "Why did Rong Kui want to deal with you, but what did you do behind his back to feel sorry for him?"
Hearing this, Zeng Nong became furious, his eyes seemed to burst out with fire, he thought for a long time with a painful expression on his face, and then he said dejectedly, "Come on, now that we have come to this point, what else can't be said. Then. Rongkui was strictly controlled by the eldest princess and was not allowed to get close to other women.
He was selling himself for glory, so how could he have any feelings for the eldest princess? Maybe I had held it in for too long, so I took the risk and had an affair with my wife. Later, my wife actually left home and was hidden by him somewhere. You said, who can bear such shame and humiliation? "
When Wu Gen heard this, he couldn't help but feel sympathy. It turned out that this person was cuckolded by his boss.
