Zhu Scarlett: "How did you know?"
Judging from his serious expression, it didn't look like he was joking.
Yan Xiu: "Do you still remember when you allowed Zhang Wanyao to leave the palace some time ago?"
Zhu Scarlett: "I'm stupid, you might as well just explain it clearly."
Yan Xiu smiled and explained the ins and outs to her.
Since the Empress Dowager left Beijing, Yan Xiu has paid even more attention to every move of his relatives, and he cannot let go of any disturbance. And Zhang Wanyao's sudden return to the Zhang family to visit relatives is even more strange. The spies placed in the Prime Minister's Mansion will naturally pay special attention to it. .
Zhang Wanyao returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion to move reinforcements.
She learned that the palace was vigorously renovating the lakes and pools. Sooner or later, her act of killing people and dumping bodies would come to light. The Queen Mother had abandoned her and she was really unable to solve the problem, so she thought of returning to the Prime Minister's Mansion to ask for help.
Zhang Xiang was furious when he learned what she had done, but after many days, there was nothing he could do about it.
The grandfather and grandson convened their retainers to discuss countermeasures overnight, and finally decided to find someone to take the blame when the Dongchuang incident occurred. Naturally, these incidents were secretly reported to Yan Xiu by one of the " retainers ".
"So the scapegoat they chose is Yu Xin?"
Zhu Sijia asked.
Yan Xiu shook his head: "Yu Xin is just the scapegoat on the surface, there is someone else who is the real scapegoat."
Prime Minister Zhang planned two ways for Zhang Wanyao. One was to bribe the maids and eunuchs in the Xiangsi Palace before the palace people moved to the lake in front of the Xiangsi Palace, and widely spread rumors that she was too temperamental and difficult to deal with. .
If this plan fails to slander Yu Xin in public, even if it angers Yan Xiu and has him rush to convict Yu Xin, it will be enough to remove the suspicion from others.
But what if this plan doesn't work? For example, in today's situation, Zhang Wanyao would never have imagined that Yu Xin would risk his life to reveal his old relationship with Xie Jinnian in exchange for his innocence.
Therefore, Prime Minister Zhang had another plan for his granddaughter, which was to bribe Fang Xinyue's parents in exchange for promotion to a higher position, so that they could personally convince Fang Xinyue to take the blame for Zhang Wanyao.
Yan Xiu: "Can Chanchan still remember who has the lowest background?"
Zhu Sijia: "Of course it's Fang Shunchang. Her father is only a seventh-rank official in the capital, but I remember she was on good terms with Zhang Wanyao?"
It seems that it is very dangerous to be Zhang Wanyao's friend.
Moreover, is Fang Xinyue willing to take the blame for Zhang Wanyao? The indiscriminate killing of palace maids alone is enough to put her in the cold palace. If she dares to offend Yu Xin, it can even kill her directly.
Yan Xiu: "People who make good friends are not necessarily close friends. Just tonight, Fang... Fang Yue's mother has entered the palace to see her under the pretext of visiting relatives. I believe that it won't be long before Fang Yue will stand up and take the blame. .”
He really couldn't remember the names of so many women.
Zhu Sijia: "So His Majesty has known all this for a long time, secretly used and manipulated Miss Yun'er's death and Yu Xin's distress, combined with all the evidence brought back by Mr. Li after escaping from death, and prepared to attack his relatives?"
The look she looked at Yan Xiu had no warmth at all, only questions.
It seemed that the era when the Zhang family controlled half of the court was coming to an end.
Yan Xiu knew why she was unhappy.
She complained that after he knew the truth, he did not immediately seek justice for the dead Yun'er and did not rescue Yu Xin; instead, he looked coldly and allowed the situation to develop. He was manipulating everything and everyone behind the scenes.
But he——is different from ordinary men.
If he were sitting in this position and being controlled by his emotions all the time, could he still be the Yan Xiu he is today?
Will the people of Da Qin still live a more comfortable and prosperous life than the people of other countries? Will Great Qin still be a peaceful and prosperous age where all nations come to dynasty?
Yan Xiu looked calm, holding Zhu Sijia's chin, not avoiding her eyes: "Cicada, tell me, how did you feel at the falcon hunting conference last autumn?"
Zhu Sijia carefully recalled the grand scene of last year. Under the grand scene was a sadness that no one else could see. She didn't know why Yan Xiu suddenly asked about it. She answered truthfully:
"I feel that the eagle is very pitiful. I also saw the eagle in the sky when I was in the North. Xuanzhi often rode the eagle in person, and maybe he also saw it in the wilderness or deep in the mountains and swamps. The blue sky was like a wash, and the eagle struck the sky. , the scene of spreading its wings and flying high, how can such a magnificent scene not be moving? "
"The eagle is supposed to be the overlord of the sky, but because of man's selfish desires, he is far away from his homeland and is transported to a polo field in a country thousands of miles away. He is allowed to be played by others and loses his freedom. I just feel sad."
Yan Xiu listened patiently and gently stroked her frown: "So this is what Cicada saw."
"Then let me tell you what I saw."
"Do you know where Khotan is?"
Zhu Sijia blushed and said: "I...I don't care. I only know that Khotan is in the Western Region. To go from Xijing to Khotan, you have to cross the high mountains and the lonely smoke in the desert to reach it."
Yan Xiu: "That's right, it's just a small and insignificant country, lingering among Da Qin, Beiliang and Qiang people. The only jade it can get from Da Qin is supplied to Da Qin every year."
"Farther outside Khotan are completely different countries. The richness, vastness, and prosperity of those countries near the sea are not inferior to those of the Qin Dynasty. Those who were born with red hair and blue eyes, gray complexions, talented and knowledgeable people, live in different places. Call the city a city-state.”
"They have things that Da Qin doesn't have. Similarly, they need things that Da Qin has but they don't have. For example, silk, porcelain, and tea are the most common things in Da Qin. When they get to the city-state, they will sell them to their nobles at sky-high prices."
"And Khotan is a must-pass place for one of the trade routes between the Qin Dynasty and them. If high tolls are collected from Qin merchants and foreign merchants every year, the Khotanese people will get something for nothing and sit back and relax."
"But Daqin and Beiliang are not incapable of taking that trade route. Whoever can take that trade road can control the entire Western Region. Khotan is mixed between several big countries with strong soldiers and horses. It has been a must-have for military strategists since ancient times. Land. If they don't bend their knees to please Beiliang and Daqin, once they fight, it will be a disaster for the Khotan people."
"If it falls into the hands of the Beiliang people, their men will become slaves, the elderly and children will be slaughtered, and the women will be reduced to... In short, if the Khotan people want to be wary of Beiliang, they can only please the Qin Dynasty."
"You can only see the eagle. Maybe you didn't notice how the Khotanese envoy was servile on the racecourse and tried his best to please me. You also don't know how much the Khotanese people sacrificed in catching that eagle just to make me happy. warrior."
"I don't even know that in order to make the eagle bow to me, they used ambergris to tame the eagle every day, just so that when it smells the ambergris on my body, it can subconsciously submit."
"A hundred years ago, Da Qin and Zhou Qi still divided the world into three parts, or even slightly weaker. But today, a hundred years later, if I want to win over Zhou and Qi, it will be as simple as taking it from my pocket."
"If I were a foolish king and relied on an eagle to protect the people of a country on the polo field, I would become the Great Qin."
"Cicada, you and I are in different positions, shoulder different responsibilities, and see and think differently. It is difficult to have both sides of everything in the world, and there is no right or wrong in black and white. You and I can have our own opinions, but we don't have to be in opposition. , don’t hate me.”
