Early the next morning, at the Jinluan Hall.
Today seems to be no different from before. The ministers filed in and saluted one after another.
If there is any difference, it can only be said that Xiao Chen, who was supposed to attend the court meeting, is missing.
All civil and military officials almost knew what happened yesterday.
It's just that I don't know what Xiao Chen is like, so I'm still a little worried.
Chu Yanwu waved his hand to make everyone level up, then stroked his beard and said:
"My dear friends, what do you want to do today?"
The first one to speak was still Zhou Tianfu. He took a step forward and said in a solemn tone:
"Your Majesty! I have something to report to you!"
Chu Yanwu smiled and said: "Zhou Aiqing can just say it directly, why bother to be so indifferent to me?"
Zhou Tianfu's eyes became more serious: "Your Majesty, last night, unknown people burned down the East Factory. It is said that they wanted to take revenge on Xiao Chen!"
Everyone felt confident after hearing this.
Zhou Tianfu sounded like he wanted to impeach, and he didn't mention the news of Xiao Chen's death!
It seems that that guy is still alive in all likelihood!
Chu Yanwu squinted his eyes and said: "Dongchang is an important institution established by the royal family to exercise supervisory power! Why are those Jianghu people so bold to burn down Dongchang? Aren't they afraid of being executed by the Nine Tribes!"
There was a hint of sadness in Zhou Tianfu's tone:
"Your Majesty, you don't know something!"
"When Xiao Chen went south, he was unscrupulous, and many tragedies involving family destruction and destruction were related to him! Those people in the world hated him, so they burned down the East Factory without caring about their lives!"
What he said was actually quite outrageous.
Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "a chivalrous person breaks the law with force."
The Jianghu people rely on the force in their hands, and they are indeed unscrupulous and contemptuous of authority.
But the key question is, where is Dongchang?
Chu Yanwu has made it very clear just now that it is an institution established by the royal family to exercise the power of supervision on its behalf!
That is the emperor's sword and the emperor's eyes!
No matter how stupid and hateful the Jianghu people are, they will never do anything to burn down the East Factory.
Chu Yanwu almost knew what was going on. He sneered and asked again:
"Zhou Aiqing, this matter is of great importance and is full of doubts. I believe it is appropriate and I will investigate it thoroughly before discussing it!"
In fact, Chu Yanwu said this just because he wanted to make peace with Xini.
He also knew why Zhou Tianfu deliberately mentioned this matter. He just wanted to hijack Dayi and try every means to label Xiao Chen as a "bad guy".
If he succeeds, it will be easier for him to get rid of Xiao Chen!
It's a pity that Zhou Tianfu has been immersed in the art of emperors for decades, so he can understand it!
Zhou Tianfu also cursed "old fox" in his heart, but on the surface he was still very respectful:
"Your Majesty! This matter is not as simple as you think!"
"The story of the burning of the East Factory has also spread to the people. Do you know what the people say? They praise it and regard it as a happy blessing!"
"Xiao Chen is resented by the people, and Dongchang, as a supervisor controlled by the royal family, has this image among the people. What does that mean? It goes without saying!"
In fact, it was already very clear what Zhou Tianfu was hinting at.
He was saying that Xiao Chen had affected the royal family's reputation and even vaguely made the people resent Chu Yanwu!
If Chu Yanwu wasn't so sophisticated, he might have started to panic.
After all, water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.
Even during this period, the will of the people is very important to a king.
And after Zhou Tianfu spoke.
There were also some officials from Zhou Tianfu's lineage nearby who spoke:
"Your Majesty! What Xiao Chen did is really lawless! In order to uphold the principles and eliminate the resentment of the people. Please also ask Your Majesty to remove Xiao Chen from the post of governor of the East Factory!"
"Your Majesty! Xiao Chen cannot stay. Not only do we want to remove him from his post, but we also want to arrest him and bring him to trial for questioning!"
"..."
Everyone was talking to each other, and it took a while before they became quiet.
Zhou Tianfu said leisurely: "Your Majesty, it is not too late to remove Xiao Chendong as the governor of the East Factory. It is not too late! I would like to ask your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible!"
After the words were spoken, it was considered a revelation!
The civil and military officials present were also nervous.
Chu Yanwu's eyes narrowed slightly, and his already serious face became more serious.
After a while, he spoke: "If I remove Xiao Chen from his post now, wouldn't I be telling the world that I am afraid of those masters of the world?"
"No matter what the people think, the emperor's face must not be lost!"
Zhou Tianfu was unhurried: "Your Majesty has no idea what the people think of Xiao Chen! The old minister also understands what your Majesty is thinking. Your Majesty can completely adopt a compromise method and issue a reward order after removing Xiao Chen from his position. Capture the mastermind involved in the burning of the East Factory!"
“In this way, we not only save the royal family’s face, but also calm the public’s resentment!”
Chu Yanwu shook his head: "Zhou Aiqing, although I have lived in the palace for a long time, I also understand that three people can become a tiger, and a lot of words can make gold!"
"What the public thinks about Xiao Chen is not that simple! What's more, the martial arts masters cannot represent all the people!"
Zhou Tianfu felt slightly anxious.
Chu Yanwu just turned his attention to Zhang Dongyang: "Zhang Aiqing, you have worked with Xiao Chen for a while, what do you think about this matter?"
Zhang Dongyang also went to the south before and had dealings with Xiao Chen.
Chu Yanwu asked this, and everyone was blameless.
Zhang Dongyang's heart suddenly trembled.
But now the situation is too complicated, and he actually has no idea how to take sides.
He thought for a while and said flatly:
"I think your Majesty is right! It's not about Xiao Chen, it's just that when I went south, I also saw some reckless people. Those people are not loyal people, and they only act for profit!"
"They burned down the East Factory, for what purpose is unknown! We still need to investigate clearly before dealing with it!"
Chu Yanwu was satisfied, nodded and said:
"Zhou Aiqing, this is what Mr. Zhang said, and it is not my conjecture!"
"This matter is related to the royal family's face, and we cannot dismiss Xiao Chen. We can only wait until the investigation is clear before making any plans!"
Zhou Tianfu frowned in confusion, but before he could speak, Chu Yanwu waved his hand:
"That's the end of this matter! Dear Sirs, do you have any other matters?"
Civil and military officials began to report on political affairs in turn.
Everyone has their own ideas in mind.
Especially Zhang Dongyang, although this guy looks calm and calm, he is actually still beating the drum in his heart.
He could also guess what it meant that Xiao Chen didn't come to court this time.
It must have been Zhou Tianfu's attack yesterday that made Xiao Chen lose his temper.
Zhou Tianfu's state is also very interesting. He only impeached Xiao Chen, but did not say that Xiao Chen was dead.
It seemed that Xiao Chen had actually retained a certain amount of strength.
But Xiao Chen died down, and Zhou Tianfu's offensive was neutralized by Chu Yanwu.
As a result, the struggle between the two came to a standstill...
This is not a good sign!
Zhang Dongyang's eyes flashed and he made a decision.
After going to court, he left the palace and did not return to his mansion. Instead, he went straight to Xiao Chen's private residence.
