Zhu Youtang was silent for two sticks of incense. He made a decision.
Zhu Youtang first said to Wanxi: "Gu has a deep love for his mother, concubine, and son. Gu regards you three heroes of the Wan family as his biological uncles."
"My nephew and uncle since ancient times!"
"You took a desperate risk to save the life of your mother and concubine. It's excusable. I don't need to hold you accountable."
After hearing this, Wanxi was stunned at first, and then felt relieved, kowtowing as if pounding garlic: "Ah! Thank you, His Highness, for your forgiveness!"
Where in the world can there be free lunch...as well as breakfast and dinner?
Zhu Youtang smiled slightly: "However, considering that my uncle not only has to find a way to extend the life of his mother and concubine, but also has to command a hundred thousand soldiers and horses in the fifth military camp, it is really hard."
"In a while, uncle will go to Fengtianmen with Gu."
"During the imperial court in the early morning, you offered to resign from the post of Governor Qianshi and hand over the military power of the Fifth Military Camp. At the same time, you recommended Ye Guang to take charge of the Fifth Military Camp. What do you think?"
Zhu Youtang's meaning is very clear: after you hand over the military power, I will not hold you accountable for abducting my more than thirty wives.
Wanxi naturally understood the deeper meaning of the words.
He had caused such a big mess behind Wantong, Wanda, and Shang Ming's back, knowing that there was no way it would end.
Now he can only make a deal with Zhu Youtang.
Wanxi said: "Yes. I will obey the prince's order."
Chang Feng watched from the sidelines as Zhu Youtang and Wan Xixu interacted with Weishe. He sighed in his heart: Your Highness is so skillful. Through the Demon Fox case, most of the Wan family's military power was directly taken away!
He and I are really with the right person! With such a young and mature manipulator as my lord, I will definitely have a bright future!
Zhu Youtang looked at Li Zisheng again: "Li Qing, you are the Zuotang of the Ministry of Etiquette. Your wedding affairs are under the control of your Etiquette Department."
"In these two days, I will complete the selection of the three as soon as possible. You must advise the emperor to hold the official wedding as soon as possible."
"I am anxious to get married because I want to celebrate my mother's concubine as soon as possible!"
Li Zisheng said quickly: "Yes, yes! I will definitely advise the emperor."
Zhu Youtang smiled and said, "I won't hold you accountable for what happened tonight."
Ji Xiao saw that Zhu Youtang had forgiven two of the three masterminds, and quickly said: "I also beg Your Highness to forgive me."
Chang Feng suddenly remembered something. He interrupted Ji Xiao: "How can the Imperial Master call himself a poor monk? You are not poor at all."
"In your eternal treasury, there are more than 50,000 taels of silver and more than 6,000 taels of gold. There are 100,000 taels of copper coins in deposits. There are also title deeds for 150,000 acres of land."
"The total discount is more than 300,000 taels! You are obviously the most wealthy monk in the Ming Dynasty."
Chang Feng was reminding Zhu Youtang in a roundabout way: Your Highness, please don't spare Ji Xiao lightly. He's a fat pig, you can kill him!
Zhu Youtang understood the idea and glanced at Chang Feng in a tacit understanding.
Then Zhu Youtang said: "Oh. I encountered a sad thing recently, and I feel irritable. I spent a night practicing here with the Imperial Master, but I didn't calm down."
Ji Xiao asked cautiously: "May I ask, Your Highness, what's the matter?"
Zhu Youtang said: "The northwest army is still short of two hundred thousand taels of pay. Those Qiu Ba in Suzhou can do anything without pay."
After speaking, Zhu Youtang winked at Chang Feng.
Chang Feng understood and sang a double act with Zhu Youtang.
Chang Feng smiled and said: "National Master. My father was also a devout Buddhist during his lifetime. I have been with my father for a long time and learned a lot of Buddhism."
"I remember that there is a sentence in the "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Original Vow Sutra" - 'After all living beings are saved, Bodhi will be achieved. Until the hell is empty, I swear that I will never become a Buddha'."
"The officers and soldiers of Suzhou's border army are all living beings. The frontier fortress battlefield is hell."
"Since the Imperial Master is so rich, why not show some mercy on behalf of the Buddha and save the soldiers in the northwest?"
"In my opinion, 50,000 taels of silver, 6,000 taels of gold, and 100,000 taels of gold are just enough to save all sentient beings in the northwest!"
Zhu Youtang sang with Chang Feng: "Chang Feng, how brave are you! How dare a little Han general force the current imperial advisor to donate military pay?"
"But, Imperial Master, what Chang Feng said makes some sense."
Ji Xiao has two major characteristics: greed for money and lust.
Letting the hungry Pixiu spit out real money is more uncomfortable than killing it.
But... listening to the prince's words, he doesn't intend to pursue the matter of the "demon fox" kidnapping the candidate girl.
However, the prince did not say that he would not be held accountable for his actions of kidnapping young girls from good families and hiding them in the temple and humiliating them wantonly.
Chang Feng and others rescued more than a hundred virgins who were used to cook pills from the underground palace. There are also forty or fifty women who have been damaged by Ji Xiao and imprisoned for a long time.
Ji Xiao gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness. I am willing to donate all the cash, gold, and copper coins in Dayongchang Temple."
Zhu Youtang smiled and said: "Oh! The Imperial Master is really an eminent monk who regards money as dirt! Isn't it Chang Feng?"
Chang Feng echoed: "Yes, yes! The national preceptor is an eminent monk! He is so eminent!"
Ji Xiao felt terribly distressed. But I had to laugh with him, and it was uglier than crying.
Zhu Youtang loudly said: "I heard it all. The thirty-two candidate women and the thirty-two maids were indeed kidnapped by the demon fox."
"It was the national master praying for blessings in the temple. The Buddha appeared and influenced the demon fox. The demon fox took the initiative to send the sixty-four women back!"
"Wanxi. Tell your second brother Wantong. If anyone in the capital dares to talk about the demon fox case again, the Jin Yiwei will first arrest them and send them to prison."
"Xiao Jing. After dawn, you are responsible for bringing the female candidates to the palace. First, let the female officials from the Six Bureaus and One Division conduct the palace selection again to verify their chastity."
"It's verified that it's correct. Please make the decision, Queen Mother Zhou, and choose three immediately."
After all, it is a major marriage matter, and a new palace selection and physical examination is absolutely necessary.
Zhu Youtang was also afraid of becoming a brother-in-law with the wild monk in Dayongchang Temple. Wouldn't that make fun of the history books?
Do it all. Zhu Youtang said: "Okay. You all should step aside first. I have a few words to say to the Imperial Master alone."
Everyone retreated to a place fifty steps away from the main gate of the Main Hall.
Only the personal Han general Chang Feng stood at the entrance of the palace.
Chang Feng heard Zhu Youtang in the palace say something intermittently: "Send medicine...concubine...please ask the national master."
Chang Feng was shocked: His Highness had taken advantage of Ji Xiao, could he have encouraged Ji Xiao to send poison to Concubine Wan Gui to kill her?
His Royal Highness, who is usually gentle and gentle, turns ruthless... and is no less fierce than the pack of evil wolves in Fusi, Beizhen.
It's almost dawn.
Zhu Youtang walked out of the Main Hall.
By handling the demon fox case in a low-key manner and not pursuing the culprits, he achieved three goals.
First, seize most of Wanjia’s military power.
Second, solve the problem of military pay in the northwest.
Third, let Zhang Fengling, who fell in love at first sight, retain the hope of becoming a crown princess.
He lowered his voice and said to Chang Feng: "Chang Feng, you have made three great achievements for Isolation. I will remember it in my heart."
"Now Jinyi Weishang's surname is 'Wan'. It's not time to promote you yet."
"When the time comes. What I give you will be worthy of your credit."
Chang Feng was very good at talking. He held up his hands and said: "Being loyal to the prince and being loyal to the future king is the duty of a minister."
"I dare not claim my merits. I just hope that I will do a good job for His Highness in the future."
Zhu Youtang reached out and patted Chang Feng on the shoulder.
Then, Zhu Youtang looked at Wanxi, Li Zisheng, and Jixiao.
Zhu Youtang seemed to be talking to himself, or to Chang Feng: "Those three people must be killed. But not now."
