Li Bing walked out of the stone house with a gloomy face, feeling indescribably bad. When Ouyang Lin saw this, he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, did you let your humble position deal with him?"
Li Bing hesitated for a moment and said coldly:
"Death by a thousand cuts."
The so-called "cut into pieces with a thousand cuts" means to cut with a thousand cuts or cut into pieces ten thousand times. Even if it takes less effort, it will be a crime of deceiving the emperor.
With an expression on his face, Ouyang Lin responded seriously: "I obey."
Li Bing took a few steps outside, then stopped again, and suddenly asked in a confused manner: "Ouyang, are you afraid of death?"
"Your Majesty, I am afraid of death." Ouyang Lin replied calmly: "But if it is for your Majesty, I will not be afraid even if I am shattered to pieces."
Li Bing turned around, looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, and sneered: "Seriously? It's very painful to be broken into pieces."
This is obviously a rhetorical method, but the emperor seems to really think that people can be reduced to pieces.
Ouyang Lin was still very calm: "I have no family or relatives. I am alone in this world. I just want to die with some value. As for the specific way of death, there is actually no difference."
Li Bing seemed quite satisfied with this answer. He nodded slightly and said softly: "After handling Ash's weight, come see me."
"I obey." Ouyang Lin cupped his hands and bowed deeply to Li Bing.
Li Bing said nothing more. Accompanied by the chamberlain and guards, he turned around and walked out of the corridor, climbed up the stairs, and returned to the palace.
The chamberlain asked where to go next, whether it was Yangxin Pavilion or Imperial Study Room.
Li Bing thought for a while and said, "Go to the queen's place."
The chamberlain agreed, and quickly ordered his subordinates to inform Fengyi Palace to make preparations, then summoned a warm sedan chair and asked the emperor to drive.
Li Bing sat in the sedan, his body swaying gently with the sedan, and what he was thinking about was still the scene that happened in the dungeon just now.
Ashina Zhijin, the Turkic monarch at the end of his rope, saw that his life was gone, but he was still mocking the Holy Tang Emperor. Li Bing could deeply feel that the other party completely despised him, looked down on him, and did not regard him as an opponent.
Never.
In Ashina's eyes, there was only that person, the person who had truly defeated the entire Turks.
For Li Bing, this kind of humiliation was simply more unbearable than insulting him in person, and more cruel than taking his life.
Anger, or rather jealousy, was burning in his chest.
Li Bing clenched his fists tightly, and his thoughts became increasingly disturbed. From Ashina Zhijin, he thought of Xiahou Ninghan again. Perhaps, like the Turkic Khan, this woman who fascinated him also thought that person was better than himself.
The sedan walked leisurely through the palaces and pavilions, all the way to Fengyi Palace where the Queen was.
Cheng Wen didn't expect that the emperor would come to her at this time, so she was hurriedly getting ready. Unexpectedly, Li Bing strode into the palace, without saying a word, directly dismissed all the palace maids and chamberlains, and then pulled Cheng Wen into the palace. In the tent.
A bunch of rain clouds started to rise.
Today, Li Bing seemed particularly rude and forceful. Cheng Wen was even a little scared by him. However, she did not dare to show any resistance or displeasure. She could only cooperate with Li Bing obediently and try her best to fulfill her responsibilities as a wife.
However, Cheng Wen couldn't help but shed tears in the end. This was not because of pain or fright, but because when Li Bing was most devoted, he murmured a name - "Ninghan".
Xiahou Ninghan!
Cheng Wen instantly felt that her heart was being broken, and then she was mercilessly thrown to the ground and stomped a few times.
She had heard various rumors about Feixian Sect Master before, and she also knew to some extent that the person the emperor loved deeply was Xiahou Ninghan. However, Cheng Wen never expected that Li Bing would be so unbearable to her that he would regard her as someone else's replacement when the two were deeply in love.
Tears flowed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes, gradually wetting her hair and the woman's fragile and sensitive heart.
-
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty -" the voice of the chamberlain came from outside, as light as a mosquito humming.
Li Bing stood up from the couch and said coldly: "What's the matter?"
"There are urgent matters in the court," the chamberlain replied cautiously: "Several adults are requesting an audience outside the palace."
Li Bing was stunned for a moment, then stood up and put on his clothes. While arranging them, he asked, "Who is there?"
The chamberlain replied: "Master Dong from the Ministry of War is back, as well as the Prince of Hejian County and the Duke of Zhenguo."
"Where's Wei Zixuan?" Li Bing pulled away Cheng Wen, who was about to step forward to help, and followed Yu's lead.
"Reporting to your majesty, Prime Minister Wei did not come. I heard that Governor Yin seemed to have gone to inspect the military camp outside the city, but he did not show up." The chamberlain responded outside.
Li Bing opened the door and strode out: "Go to the Imperial Study Room and ask them to meet there."
The chamberlain agreed and hurriedly walked beside the emperor towards the royal study.
Cheng Wen appeared at the door wearing a robe, looking at Li Bing's back from a distance, a look of resentment flashed in her eyes.
She thought for a moment, turned around and took a folding fan from the case, and then called for a little chambermaid.
"Jiubao, go to the Imperial Study Room and secretly listen to what the ministers are talking about with His Majesty. If you encounter someone asking you why you are there, you are the Emperor. He forgot his fan in Fengyi Palace, and I ordered you to send it to him. Yes. Do you understand?"
The little chamberlain Jiubao nodded quickly, took the fan with both hands, turned around and left in a hurry.
The Imperial Study Room is not far from Fengyi Palace, so Li Bing did not take a sedan chair and walked through several doorways to arrive here. He sat down behind the desk and ordered the palace servants to make a cup of hot tea. After a few sips, Dong Tianxing and others arrived.
Looking at the wrinkled and tired old Dong, Li Bing said: "Dong Aiqing, I went to the eastern state capital to pacify the Japanese bandits. I was gone for more than half a year. Thank you for your hard work."
"Serving for Shengtang, I dare not say how hard it is for me." Dong Tianxing bowed and said, "If you don't do your job well, please punish me."
Li Bing put down the tea cup: "How is the situation on the front line? Chang Tao joined the war, has the situation improved?"
Dong Tianxing responded: "Reporting to Your Majesty, after the main force of the Xuanwu Legion went to the East China Sea battlefield, they fought four consecutive battles with Japanese pirates in three months and won great victories. Before the veteran returned to the imperial capital, Donghai County and Langya County They have returned to our hands, and the remnants of the Japanese bandit troops are fleeing to the Qilu and Jiaodong areas, intending to join up with the Japanese bandits there. Commander Chang Da is ready to let the troops rest for a while before continuing to attack northward."
Hearing this, Li Bing nodded and praised: "Chang Tao is still very reliable. Back then, when I raised troops to fight against the enemy in Youzhou, he and Yang Xingtai were the first generals to swear allegiance. Later, he was one of the first generals to swear allegiance. The Liaodong Protectorate marched into the Central Plains, and Chang Tao was responsible for the crusade against the rebel king Li Kuang, and he made many military exploits, which is very good."
Dong Tianxing also agreed: "What your Majesty said is true. Chang Da leads the army rigorously, and his officers are also very convinced. Coupled with the considerable number of cavalry, the overall combat strength of the army is even slightly better than Qinglong and Suzaku."
Li Bing nodded slightly, and then asked curiously: "Dong Aiqing, you came to see me today, what do you want to report? Are you just reporting the results of the battle in the eastern state capital?"
Li Maoxun, the prince of Hejian County, said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I am here for another important matter."
As he said that, he glanced at Dong Tianxing subconsciously, and when he saw Old Dong nodded slightly, he continued: "The frontline soldiers captured a Japanese bandit leader. According to the man's account, there are important officials in the court who are colluding with the rebels!"
Li Bing was shocked when he heard this, and immediately looked at Dong Tianxing: "What's going on?"
"Your Majesty, this is what happened." Dong Tianxing said seriously: "Half a month ago, the Xuanwu Legion raided Donghai County, wiped out four thousand defenders, and captured the Japanese general Masao Hamano. In order to save his life, this man took the initiative to confess There is news that they came to harass the eastern coast of Shengtang at Bao Yuchun's suggestion, and that there were important figures in the court cooperating to cover it."
"Who is it?!" Li Bing asked coldly, his face as cold as ice.
Dong Tianxing said: "Masao Hamano doesn't know who he is. But... he provided an important clue."
Duke Chen Ziling said from the side: "Hamano Masao said that when they first tentatively attacked Langya in the East China Sea, they received Bao Yuchun's assurance that there would be high-level officials from the Shengtang side secretly helping to prevent the main legions or soldiers from attacking. The more powerful regular government soldiers carried out defense in order to cooperate with the Japanese bandits to stand firm."
"Looking back now, this was indeed the case at that time." Sun Yue, the Duke of Jingguo, continued: "At that time, if the Zhenjiang Army had not sent out timely reinforcements, the newly recruited eastern soldiers alone would not have been able to stop the number one Japanese bandit. Attack round."
Li Maoxun, the king of Hejian County, said solemnly: "But that is limited to Donghai and Langya in the south, while the Qilu Peninsula in the north was invaded by Japanese bandits."
With a bang, Li Bing slapped the desk hard and said angrily: "I thought it was just a coincidence at first, but I didn't expect that there was a traitor in the court! Investigate! This matter must be investigated strictly!"
Dong Tianxing looked at the distinguished ministers next to him and asked, "Your Majesty, how should we investigate this matter?"
Li Bing squinted his eyes and thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice: "Where is the Japanese pirate you mentioned now?"
"At that time, the veteran felt that the matter was of great importance, so he immediately decided to escort Hamano Masao directly back to the imperial capital," Dong Tianxing replied: "At this moment, he is being secretly detained in the guardhouse of the Ministry of War."
Li Bing nodded slightly: "Then interrogate him first! Try to dig out more useful things, and then follow the previous idea of letting the eastern soldiers fight the enemy, one official at a time!"
The Prince of Hejian County hesitated for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Mr. Dong asked just now how to investigate this matter. Does he mean who should be responsible for investigating this case?"
Li Bing glanced at them: "Are you worried that the people investigating the case will be connected to this behind the scenes?"
"That's right." Several distinguished ministers nodded at the same time.
Li Bing pondered for a moment, then suddenly sneered: "I happen to have a candidate here. He is neither an official of the Sanfa Department nor an undercover spy of Beiya. His identity and background must not have much to do with the ministers of the DPRK. Let him go. The most suitable."
