On the Xin'an River, the water is turbulent, and there are many dark shadows under the water. There are hidden reefs. If you are not careful, you will hit the bottom of the boat directly.
Without the guidance of experienced boatmen, this Xin'an River would not be easy.
A small boat was swaying and docked on the official ship, which was not very fast. Li Xuan grabbed the cable and jumped onto the deck.
Li Zhu followed Li Xuan.
Behind Li Zhu was a middle-aged man with short beard and an ugly face, wearing a green gown and a black hat.
He has little eyebrows and an ordinary face, but this man is the former official who has the deepest knowledge of gunpowder in the entire imperial court.
Du Chun, a former general who served as a supervisor, later fell into the hands of the Tianyin Sect. Now, he has fallen into the hands of Li Xuan.
"Take him down first and then bring him back to Chang'an." Li Xuan turned her head and confessed.
"Here!" Li Zhu immediately handed over his hand and took the person down.
Although Du Chun was reluctant, there was nothing he could do.
Now that he has been found, his relatives and friends at home will inevitably be implicated. Now he can only rely on the arrangements of the King of Nanchang to have a chance to avoid disaster.
Standing on the deck, with the river breeze blowing, Li Xuan crossed her arms and thought about the usefulness of Du Chun.
The main reason why Du Chun was able to make more progress in gunpowder than his predecessors was the explosion that happened to the prisoner.
He found that the more honey he put in, the more powerful the gunpowder explosion was.
Now, he has begun researching alternatives to honey.
It's just that although there has been progress, it is still far away from the fundamentals, and there are even signs of going completely in the opposite direction.
Otherwise, he would have played a greater role in the previous battle in the underground palace.
Li Xuan knew that Du Chun's progress was insignificant in the long history.
But now it's attractive enough.
That's good, just recommend him to the court. ap.
In this way, Li Xuan used more powerful gunpowder in the future and could easily push it onto Du Chun's body.
Li Xuan returned to the cabin with a trace of thought. Inside the cabin, Sima Chengzhen and Ming Chongyan were sitting together playing chess leisurely.
Qiu Zhenmu stood in the corner, his eyes constantly falling on Ming Chongyan.
Among all the people, Qiu Shenji and Ming Chongyan had the closest relationship, and they were also Empress Wu's most trusted ministers.
If you ask about the whereabouts of Qiu Shenji, Ming Chongyan is the one who knows the best.
Li Xuan nodded slightly to Ming Chongyan and Sima Chengzhen, then sat back at the desk and began to write the memorial.
Although the Tianyin Sect has accomplished major events, there are still many large and small things that need to be reported.
Among them, not only the affairs of Du Chun should be written, but also the missing whereabouts of Prince Yin should be mentioned.
At this moment, a rush of footsteps suddenly came in from outside.
A soldier of the Huangshan Prefecture captain walked in quickly from outside and presented a secret letter to Ming Chongyan.
Xue Qianfeng's people... no, they are Ming Chongyan's people, the inner guards' people.
Although Li Xuan was writing the memorial with his head down, he was also paying attention to Ming Chongyan's every move.
After receiving the secret letter, Ming Chongyan took a look and his expression changed slightly.
Although Li Xuan couldn't see clearly the content of the secret letter in Ming Chongyan's hand, he also knew that there were not many things in this world that could make Ming Chongyan's expression slightly change.
Could it be said that they have found the whereabouts of Qiu Shenji.
The thin bamboo brush in Li Xuan's hand paused slightly, and a look of natural thought appeared on his face.
But then he wrote in his pen that he requested the people of Muzhou to be relocated from various states as soon as possible.
After this battle, Muzhou suffered heavy losses in population. Even if everyone was granted a hundred acres of land, there were still a large number of fields that were deserted. If the population could not be relocated in time, these fields would be occupied by aristocratic families...
After noticing Ming Chongyan's gaze passing over her, Li Xuan felt slightly relieved, and then continued writing the memorial.
But I couldn't help but feel a little strange.
If Qiu Shenji's body has been found, why didn't Ming Chongyan make it public immediately? Why was he hesitating?
At this moment, Ming Chongyan suddenly turned his head and looked at Li Xuan again, and asked directly: "The King of Nanchang seems to be worried about something. I don't know what he is worried about. Can you tell Pindao?"
Li Xuan frowned, and her heart became clear. Ming Chongyan seemed to have doubted herself.
After all, no one saw Qiu Shenji's death, and anyone could be a suspect.
"This?" There was hesitation on Li Xuan's face at this time. She glanced at Ming Chongyan, then turned to look at everyone, waved her hands and said, "You all go out first."
Many Qianniu Guards in the cabin, including Li Zhu and Qiu Zhenmu, also retreated.
At this time, Li Xuan looked at Ming Chongyan and Sima Chengzhen seriously, and said cautiously: "You two masters should have heard that a few months ago, a prince's seal escaped from the capital and fell into the Tianyin Sect. In his hands, however, after searching through the Tianyin Sect’s underground palace, there is still no trace of the Prince’s Seal?”
Ming Chongyan didn't even look at Sima Chengzhen and said directly: "Your Majesty should know that the Prince's Seal is a forgery. Anyone who gets the Prince's Seal and uses it will be discovered immediately, and then the entire Tang Dynasty will Strangulation."
The prince's seal was just a certificate for Yanzhuang to sneak into the Tianyin Sect's main altar at the beginning. Likewise, it was a trap from the beginning.
Once the Tianyin Sect's cashier is sealed by the prince, both them and the allies behind them will be exposed immediately.
"Of course I know this, but everything now proves that the person who really wants the Prince's Seal is not a member of the Tianyin Sect, so who is this person, where is he from, and what does he want for the Prince's Seal? effect?"
Li Xuan put the thin bamboo brush in her hand aside, stared at him closely, and said in a deep voice: "Master, the real threat to the Tang Dynasty is never the prince's seal, but the one who wants to take it." To his people."
Ming Chongyan, who was standing opposite Li Xuan, felt the extremely dazzling light and shadow of swords in Li Xuan's eyes for a moment.
The struggle for power in the Tang Dynasty royal family was more cruel than anyone imagined.
Ming Chongyan had already been involved. He was not only Empress Wu's adviser, but also the teacher of Prime Minister Li Dan.
Although Li Xian is the prince now, no one can guarantee that the prince Li Xian can sit down forever.
King Li Xian of England and Prime Minister Li Dan both had opportunities.
Later, Li Xian was pushed down from the throne, and most of the people who really contributed, except Empress Wu, were the palace ministers of Prime Minister Li Dan.
Li Xuan looked at Ming Chongyan and said coldly: "This person got the fake prince seal. Even if he didn't use it for himself, he just hid it in a certain prince's palace with ulterior motives, and then set out to report it." , then the entire court will immediately face a bloody storm... So the fake prince seal must be found, and the person who wants to use it must also find it."
Ming Chongyan's face became very embarrassed in an instant.
Although Li Xuan did not point out Li Dan's name, Ming Chongyan felt that Li Xuan was talking about Li Dan.
Once the fake prince's seal suddenly appears in the palace of the Prime Minister at some time in the future, the Prime Minister will immediately be in bad luck.
In Ming Chongyan's mind, the scene of the internal guards comprehensively raiding the Prime Minister's Mansion appeared.
In the end, he had no choice but to nod his head solemnly and said, "That's true. If this matter is not handled properly, the consequences will be huge."
"Yeah!" Li Xuan nodded seriously, and he successfully changed the topic.
Ming Chongyan no longer worries about the cause of Qiu Shenji's death, or in other words, he has shifted his suspicion to others.
Because Li Xuan never mentioned Qiu Shenji from beginning to end, as if he didn't know he was dead.
But the person who got the crown prince seal was indeed troublesome. Li Xuan lowered her head and thought, this person should be the King of East China Sea.
The army did not move very quickly. When it was dark, the army arrived at Weiping.
Stop at Weiping
After night, the army set off again in the early morning of the next day.
At noon, the army had appeared at the south gate of Muzhou.
Countless people stood at the city gate and on both sides of the street to welcome the triumphant army.
However, when the military formation passed by the city gate, more of the people's eyes fell on the black coffin in the middle.
Behind and behind the black coffin were twenty or thirty captured Tianyin cultists, all of them wearing sackcloth and mourning, crying softly.
The people around them were no strangers to these people, because they were not only fellow residents of Muzhou, but also Tianyin believers.
Now that these people are wearing sackcloth and mourning, it is self-evident who is in the coffin.
Under the city gate, seeing the people's attention, Du Bixing raised his hands in celebration to Li Xuan, Duan Baoxuan, and many officials present: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, Governor, with this, the people of Muzhou will no longer have any doubts." repeatedly."
The coffin contained the body of Empress Qi. Ming Chongyan and Sima Chengzhen confirmed this in person after their return.
Even now they are still guarding both sides of the coffin, and no one doubts the truth anymore.
"The hearts and minds of the people are never about one person. The key lies in whether the people's lives are stable. As long as there is enough food left over, the people will not rebel even if there is a natural disaster." Duan Baoxuan looked at Li Xuan and nodded slightly.
Li Xuan was a little surprised. He quickly raised his hands and said, "What the Governor said is absolutely true."
Duan Bao Already."
"What the governor said is true. Therefore, after Xianguan returns to Wuzhou, he is going to go down and check how much food is left in the people's homes after the summer harvest, and then compile it into a book and report it to the central government." Li Xuan looked at Duan Baoxuan sincerely.
Duan Bao .”
"So, we can't rely on those police officers." Li Xuan said seriously: "For such statistics, the people first need to be willing. If the people are unwilling, then no one is allowed to break into their homes and force the statistics. It is best to do this by those who Students from prefectures and counties go into the villages to do statistics. They are literate, they are in their own hometown, and they have no authority. They can also let the people see the benefits of studying, and they can achieve multiple things with one stone."
"Does the prince want to take the opportunity to build more schools?" Yao Zhi suddenly said, and everyone present suddenly realized.
Li Xuan smiled and nodded.
If other things are not political achievements, then building a school can be regarded as an effort to encourage students to learn, and it can even provide an income to more students who failed in the scientific examinations.
The land of Wuyue has a prosperous literary style. If we can use this to go deeper into the countryside, more and more Wuyue officials will appear in the court in the future, which is a good thing for them.
Returning to the Governor's Mansion, Duan Baoxuan immediately began to arrange many political affairs.
Du Bixing also reported to Li Xuan and Duan Baoxuan what happened in Muzhou while Li Xuan was away.
Especially the turmoil of the Yang family in Muzhou a few days ago.
The government found out that the Yang family in Muzhou had hidden a large amount of land, and required them to hand over the land and pay back taxes owed for many years. There were also a lot of fines and confiscations, and a group of people were even arrested and imprisoned.
At this time, the son of the patriarch of the Yang family gathered a crowd to rebel, but was directly defeated by Du Bixing, who was well prepared.
Looking at the confiscated land and property, Li Xuan hesitated for a moment, then looked at Duan Baoxuan and said, "Captain, please leave this matter to the new governor of Muzhou. The war is over, and it's not good for subordinates to overstep their control."
"That's fine." Duan Baoxuan nodded and said, "I am now going to send all the troops back to the states. The prince will go to the counties to supervise the people's autumn planting. All the troublesome things at present will be handed over to the new officer. Muzhou Governor, the imperial decree must be coming soon."
"Yes!" Li Xuan nodded in agreement.
As early as more than ten days ago, when they first arrived in Muzhou, they had already urged the court to appoint Muzhou governor and governor.
Now that the war is over, it will not take long for the new governor of Muzhou to come with the imperial edict.
But even so, Li Xuan did not expect that the imperial edict would come so quickly.
