As the sun sets in the west, the drums in the palace city are beating. It is the time for the officials in the palace of the imperial city to go on duty. At the end of the day's business, the officials went home together, either in sedan chairs or on horseback.
In the government office of the Youque Imperial City Department, Li Ye, the military moral envoy, was also on duty at this time. It's just that he didn't leave the palace and go home like the other officials. Instead, he passed through the palace and walked towards the Guangzheng Palace.
Li Ye is the younger brother of the current Queen Mother, and the close "brother-in-law" of the young emperor. He is also responsible for the entry and exit of foreign courtiers in the imperial city. There is almost no place in the entire imperial city that he cannot go to. After getting off duty today, Li Ye went straight to Guangzheng Hall, still looking for Emperor Liu Chengyou.
When he arrived in front of the palace, the familiar eunuch told him that the official family was not in the palace, but had gone to the harem early to have fun with the newly elected maids.
Li Ye was naturally aware of the fact that the official family was increasingly intruding on men and women, and even took a lot of "contribution" to this matter. Even the most beloved concubine of the small official family, Mrs. Geng, was introduced to the palace by him. In his eyes, isn't it just for the sake of having more women and having more children when people become kings and emperors, get promoted and make money?
Li Ye took out a small wooden box from his sleeve pocket and handed it to the internal prisoner. He pointed at the wooden box and said: "This is a valuable thing. Inside is the wooden box I bought from a Hu merchant from the Western Regions in Dongshi a few days ago." Wanlingbao is said to be made from the bark of Ruomu. When soaked in water and wine, it has the effect of Guangyang. After taking it, the waist will be straightened and the legs will be straightened, and the energy will be endless..."
Halfway through Li Ye's words, he suddenly remembered that there was an eggless body in front of him. He lost interest in continuing and just sent him: "I have tried it. This thing is really effective. You can take it to the harem quickly and ask the officials to soak it in water." Drink directly afterwards, don’t take too much!”
The eunuch agreed and hurried away. Li Ye thought for a moment and decided to drop by to visit his sister, Queen Mother Li.
Empress Dowager Li lived in the inner palace. Unlike Li Ye and others, Empress Dowager Li had been with Liu Zhiyuan for many years, and she had known most of the prime ministers in the court since Liu Zhiyuan was in charge of Taiyuan Prefecture and served as the governor of Hedong. Therefore, after Liu Zhiyuan's death, he still had undiminished trust in Su, Shi, Yang, Guo and others, and had never been too involved in foreign affairs.
Because of this, Li Ye was very critical of his sister's behavior and had not visited the palace for a long time.
Li Ye arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace where the Queen Mother was, and was received without waiting outside the door.
There were only two maids accompanying the palace. Out of courtesy, the sister and brother met each other through a bead curtain. Li Ye couldn't see what was going on inside, so he just held the ceremony in a cursory manner without any respect.
He was never polite in front of Empress Dowager Li, and Empress Dowager Li never blamed her younger brother. She just asked him: "It's strange that I haven't seen you for so long. Why do you suddenly want to come to me now?"
"I haven't seen the Queen Mother for a long time, and I miss you very much. In addition, I accidentally got a treasure a while ago, and I thought that only the Queen Mother's status is worthy of it, so I came here to present it to the Queen Mother."
After saying that, Li Ye took out a crystal clear jade bead from his sleeve pocket, stepped forward and gently opened the bead curtain, held the jade bead steadily in his hand, bowed and showed it to Empress Dowager Li: "Sister, you Look!"
Empress Dowager Li gently pinched the jade beads with two fingers, looked at the light carefully, and said with a smile: "I don't know how many such jade beads there are in the palace, but if you have this intention, my sister's love for you will not be in vain. "
"Sister is right, we are a family." As he said this, Li Ye sat down on the low pillar moved by the palace maid.
Empress Dowager Li reached out and took the jade beads aside. After the accompanying maid carefully took them away, she turned to look at Li Ye: "But I want to ask you, Zhang Zhao, the minister of Taichang Temple, came to me a while ago and said that the people around your majesty are not doing their jobs properly. He only knows how to flatter and have fun, do you know who he is talking about?"
Li Ye didn't take it seriously: "Zhang Siqing is an old man. Half of his body has been buried in the ground. Why do you listen to him? I think this guy is just trying to gain fame because we don't have any use for his scriptures."
"Huh, you're not good at studying. You've learned a few words but you can't use them. Are you really a sister who doesn't know? According to me, Chengyou is not doing his job right now, and half of it was learned from you."
Li Ye felt dissatisfied. He left the post and got closer to the Empress Dowager Li. He lowered his voice and said, "It is said that His Majesty is not doing his job properly, but my sister, tell me, whose hands are in charge of the official job of the imperial court now? Not the ministers of the court!" Sometimes I really don’t know whether my surname in this world is Liu or theirs.”
"Hey! Don't talk nonsense!" Empress Dowager Li frowned and scolded: "Don't I know the behavior of the ministers in the court? Maybe sometimes I am a little harsh on Chengyou, but it is just out of public conscience."
Li Ye tilted his head to one side: "It would be great if that were the case."
After the two siblings chatted for a few words, Li Ye said another thing: "By the way, I heard that the position of Hui Envoy in the Central Government has been vacant recently. Why don't my sister fill the vacancy and envoy my brother? In these important positions?" The more experience I have, the better I can serve His Majesty and my sister."
Empress Dowager Li stroked her wrist and sighed: "Okay, since you have your thoughts, I will discuss this matter with Xianggong Yang and others later."
It’s Xianggong Yang again! Even though it's our own business, we still have to ask their opinions!
Thinking of this, Li Ye stood up suddenly, gritted his teeth and forced a smile on his face: "Thank you very much, sister. I have something else to do, so I'll leave first."
After leaving the imperial city, Li Ye felt that not only had he come here in vain, but he felt suffocated in his heart and felt extremely unhappy! When he was about to go home, he met Yan Jinqing and Nie Wenjin on the way. When they saw Li Ye, they immediately invited him: "We are going to the city to have fun with prostitutes. Why don't we go as before?"
Li Yezheng was worried that he had no way to vent his anger, so he readily obeyed, ordered his entourage to get horses and change into official uniforms, and went with the two of them.
It was already Xu hour when the group of people rode out of Zhuque Gate. Nowadays, there is no curfew in the morning. After nightfall, the most prosperous place in the city is also the place where prostitutes thrive. The second alley from Zhuque Gate is famous as Pig Killing Alley, which is a place filled with smoke and willows surrounded by prostitutes.
Yan Jinqing and Nie Wenjin knew the place well and took Li Ye straight to a brothel in the alley.
The three people dismounted and were soon surrounded by a group of enthusiastic women walking inside.
Li Ye borrowed the lantern, looked up, saw the name of the museum hanging on the door, and asked casually: "This name of the museum sounds familiar?"
"Martial virtue makes you have a good memory! The year before last, Li Shouzhen's eldest son Li Chongxun was assassinated here by people from the Fu family."
"Oh!" Li Ye suddenly felt a little unlucky.
After entering the hotel, Yan Jinqing and Yan Jinqing were familiar with each other. They introduced Li Ye to good prostitutes in the hotel, and then they each found a familiar lover and went to the second floor.
The girls in the hotel saw that Li Ye was dressed noble and elegant, so they all came up to talk to him, lifting their clothes while talking, covering their mouths and laughing, all trying to attract his attention.
Li Ye was a little disappointed by what he just said. Li Chongxun's incident had been lingering in his heart for a long time, because at that time he had firmly believed that Li Chongxun's death was not caused by the Fu family, but by Guo Xin venting his anger. Now that he has stepped into this place, this The thought couldn't help but arise in his mind again.
What's more, he has seen countless women, and he can tell with just one glance that the women in front of him only rely on the night and heavy makeup to achieve their beauty. In terms of appearance and figure alone, they are far inferior to his private slaves in the palace. I don't know how those two people can I like this kind of woman.
So Li Ye simply picked the one with the lightest makeup and the coldest expression among the women in front of him.
After being invited into the room by the handyman, Li Ye was still deep in thought, but the woman he chose saw that Li Ye neither spoke nor took action, and her tone was a little frightening: "What are you thinking, sir? What if those rough tricks were used?" , please go find those girls outside."
Li Ye was lost in thought and didn't hear what the woman said clearly, so he asked her: "Oh? What kind of rough play?"
"Is this the first time that Mr. Lang comes back? Our family can still stand here after what happened the year before last year. It is because of the many sisters who can satisfy the nobles' rare ways... Mr. Lang may have heard about it before, or used it. Tie them with ropes, or beat them with whips, paddles, flog them, or..."
Li Ye listened and thought to himself: I thought scholars like Yan Jinqing were the most elegant, but I didn't expect that they were no different from ordinary people inside, and even drank and had more debauchery than ordinary people.
He quickly interrupted her and asked her about the incident with great interest: "Li Chongxun came here to play with these things the year before last? Were you here at the time?"
The woman lowered her head: "I am here, Li... that man was enjoying himself in the room when he died."
"Have you ever seen the murderer? What is his appearance and body shape?" Li Ye continued to ask.
He became more and more interested. When he saw that the woman was hesitant to say anything, he simply took out his money bag and threw it aside. He sat on the couch and said, "I don't want to do anything else today. As long as you tell the truth, you will be rewarded." .”
The woman Nuonuo said yes, and slowly said: "Not only did I see the murderer that day, but it was he who forced me to open the door with a weapon, and then entered the room and killed Li Chongxun. But his appearance and figure... …It’s been so long that I can’t remember my identity clearly.”
And such things! Li Ye was greatly surprised, and suddenly had a feeling that it was not Yan Jinqing and Nie Wenjin, but some kind of providence that brought him here and told him to discover these secrets!
He couldn't wait to continue asking: "What did you hear and see that night?"
The woman recounted the scene that night in detail, and it was not much different from the stories circulated in Li Ye's memory. It seemed that the Fu family reneged on their engagement and sent a guest to assassinate Li Chongxun, but the evidence was discovered in a hurry.
Li Ye was immediately disappointed. He had thought that the matter would not be so simple. As early as the year before last when Li Chongxun died, he had suspected that Guo Xin was responsible for Li Chongxun's murder. He was a sinister and cunning man. In front of the official family and hundreds of officials, he lost the limelight to Li Chongxun on the polo field, and there was a complete possibility of revenge and killing.
The woman observed the disappointed look on Li Ye's face, then looked at the money bag lying aside, and took a breath, as if she suddenly remembered something: "By the way, I suddenly remembered that the man had once forced me to I said something like this: I am a general of the Forbidden Army, how dare you bully me?"
Li Ye's eyes suddenly widened and he stared at the woman: "Is this true? I am a court official. If you tell nonsense, you will be beaten to death!"
The woman felt great regret in her heart, but at the moment she could only bite the bullet and nod in agreement.
Damn it, the Forbidden Army generals, which Forbidden Army generals are the private slaves of the Fu family? Li Chongxun’s death was indeed not caused by the Fu family! Li Ye thought about this, jumped down from the couch, grabbed the woman's shoulders, and stared at her fiercely: "When the Guards Department investigated this matter, I didn't ask you these things? Tell me!"
After hearing this, the woman's face changed, and her words started to cry out of fear: "No... the officials just questioned everyone in the hall together. Apart from the words that the Li family was not worthy of marrying the Fu family's wife, this was not only said by me, but also by many people. Everyone has heard it, but no one from the government officials has come to ask me about it. Everything I said is the truth, I just ask you."
Li Ye cursed loudly in his heart. Even this omission could not be found out. Shi Hongzhao and his group from the Bodyguard Department are simply stupid pigs, or they have nothing to do with this matter!
He felt with pain and annoyance that Li Shouzhen's family had rebelled and had been slaughtered in the river by Guo Wei and his son. However, he had only accidentally discovered this matter today. He had no way to make an issue on this matter. He had simply missed too much. Chance! That guy Guo Xin is really cunning. If he hadn't accidentally discovered it today, everyone would have been deceived by him!
Li Ye was angry, as if a fire was buried in his chest. He turned back to look at the woman: "What are the methods you mentioned before?"
