“The struggle between the two factions began as early as Xin Zong’s later years,” Sima Xin said, “but Xin Zong’s sage has always acted as a check and balance, allowing the two factions to abide by their duties.
"But, you also know that Emperor Xinzong suddenly fell ill and passed away so suddenly that he didn't even have a crown prince in the East Palace. In the end, he could only be succeeded by the emperor's eldest grandson.
"And our Emperor Changle ascended the throne at the age of twelve. He was young and weak. This led to the power being lost and controlled by these two factions."
"Then..." Xu Zhen asked, "Who are these two factions?"
"No way?" Sima Xin was surprised, "Don't you know this? One group is the money party headed by the prime minister Qian Youdao.
"This Qian Youdao is the son of Qian Qifeng, an important official in the three dynasties. The Qian family has disciples all over the country, and their roots are deep. Their influence spreads across three provinces and six tribes.
"The other faction is the British Party headed by the King of England Li Xiao. Their power includes the royal family and nobles, princes from various states, and military generals. They are also very powerful."
"King of England?" Xu Zhen grinned, indicating that he had never heard of it.
There is no way, neither the host's memory nor "The Demonic Way" has any information about this prince.
"Sixty years ago during the Taikang period, Xuan Chengzong Li Ao was deposed. This King of England was the biological son of Emperor Chengzong!
"He is the cousin of Emperor Xinzong Li Xing, but he is twenty-seven years younger than Emperor Xinzong!"
"Xin Zong's younger brother, that is..." Xu Zhen clapped his fingers to clarify the relationship, "Is he the uncle of the current emperor?"
"Yes," Sima Xin said, "This man can be regarded as a legendary figure in Daxuan. His father was the deposed emperor. With such a sensitive identity, it was not easy for him to survive in the environment with towering fangs at that time.
"But he repeatedly performed extraordinary feats and won the trust of Emperor Xinzong. He eventually became a powerful prince and stood up to the Qian Party. It is simply a miracle."
oh……
Xu Zhen naturally thought that for a powerful prince whose biological father was the deposed emperor, would he think that taking back the throne was not a conspiracy to usurp the throne?
Xu Zhen can think like this, let alone those above the court and today's young emperor?
But this British prince is still standing, which shows how powerful he is!
“The two factions have been at odds for a long time,” Sima Xin said. “Especially after the new emperor ascended the throne, the struggle intensified, and many people suffered from it.
"Xu Zhen..." Sima Xin looked into the distance and said meaningfully, "I won't hide it from you. I am also half a member of the British Party!"
"Oh?" Xu Zhen was surprised, "You too? Half?"
"How the governor Han Wentao... died, you can understand it if you think about it. Alas..." Sima Xin shook his head and sighed, "I am Sima of Songzhou, so naturally I have to follow the footsteps of the governor."
"Is Han Wentao a member of the British Party?" Xu Zhen asked.
Sima Xin nodded and said bitterly: "Han Wentao is to blame for Cui Xiaotian's loss of control. The governor of such a big country... kills him whenever he wants...
"Actually, Cui Xiaotian's secrets are not only aimed at the British Party. The King of England keeps him because he also wants to use him to suppress the Qian Party."
oh……
Only then did Xu Zhen understand the stakes of the last Cui Xiaotian incident.
"Xu Zhen, if my guess is correct..." Sima Xin said, "Song Zhili and you are both members of the emperor, right?"
ah? this……
Xu Zhen grinned, feeling surprised.
"No need to pretend," Sima Xin said, "Cui Xiaotian is a fireball that can ignite at any time. If his secret comes out, it will not only hurt the British Party, but also the Qian Party, so neither faction will target Cui Xiaotian.
"Since Song Zhili is so confident, is there any need to say this?" Sima Xin said firmly, "You must have been instructed by a superior, and you are all acting according to the order, right?"
I see……
Xu Zhen grinned again, no wonder this Sima Xin was so cooperative with him! Is this what he thinks about feelings?
If he knew that Song Zhili eliminated the three bullies because he was tricked by him, who knows what his expression would be like?
However, since others think so, there is no need for him to clarify.
So, Xu Zhen had no choice but to nod and admit: "Master Sima is indeed very discerning."
"Don't compliment me at this time," Sima Xin said with a red face, "I feel ashamed of my humble position! If I could have figured it out earlier, I wouldn't be so stupid!"
No way?
Xu Zhen smacked his tongue, Sima Xin actually used the word "humble position", it seemed that he really regarded himself as a confidant of the emperor.
"Xu Captou, if you have offended me in the past, please forgive me!" Sima Xin bowed and saluted.
"You're too polite," Xu Zhen quickly returned the greeting, "Sir Ma actually made great contributions. After all, you were the one who caught Cui Xiaotian! Don't worry, Lord Song Zhili knew what he knew and reported it truthfully to his superiors. "
After hearing this, Sima Xin finally felt at ease and no longer doubted Xu Zhen's identity as the emperor's confidant.
"In that case," Sima Xin said, "you came to Daguan City pretending to be a fortune teller, and you obviously came under orders? Capt. Xu, can you tell me something?"
"Well..." Xu Zhen covered his face and thought for a few seconds, and finally said, "Sir, don't worry too much, I came here just to save my uncle! I just didn't expect that Fang Wubing would be involved in so many complicated things."
The more Xu Zhen told the truth, the less Sima Xin believed him. He only thought that Xu Zhen had a secret order and could not tell him everything.
"Isn't it easy to talk to uncle?" Sima Xin said, "I'll just let him go."
"Don't," although Xu Zhen was happy in his heart, he still waved his hands and said, "The Chief Inspector is here, and if you let him go at this time, it will only cause suspicion and trouble.
"Let's wait until we find out the whole story and make sure my uncle has nothing to do with it!"
Xu Zhen naturally has his reasons for saying this.
Even if Sima Xin lets Qin Lin go, it is absolutely impossible for him to bring Qin Lin back to Yanping safely.
And in that case, they will be even more suspicious.
The difficulty in Fang Wubing's case is that no one knows who is the enemy and who is the friend.
"Okay," Sima Xin said, "I hope this case can be settled quickly. I wonder, do you have any ideas?"
"Lord Sima," Xu Zhen said, "I need your help with something. The entourage I brought has been exposed. We need to find a safe place to stay."
Before, Xu Zhen was able to deceive Lian Ji by dressing up as Fang Wu Bing, which was done by Qin Yin.
Therefore, Qin Yin and Shen Yu have been exposed, and naturally they can no longer stay in the inn.
"That's easy to say," Sima Xin said, "Sir Chang Shi has been going to the Holy Capital for business these days. You might as well just stay in the Yamen of the state capital. It's safe there."
Originally, Xu Zhen thought that the safest place was the county prison, but unfortunately Qin Yin and Shen Yu were both women, so it was not suitable to live in the prison.
So, he agreed to Sima Xin’s proposal...
…
(End of chapter)
