It was said that Qi Yu followed Huang Fei into the palace to meet the saint, and the two of them did not dare to delay at all.
Fortunately, horses were prepared early, so traveling was very convenient.
Along the way, Qi Yu began to make insinuations and probed into Huang Fei's words to clear up his confusion.
Therefore, Mr. Qi came up with a series of questions.
His Majesty suddenly summoned me. Could it be that he had doubts about the origin of the one hundred thousand taels of silver?
If not, why secretly announce yourself?
To this, Huang Fei answered frankly that he really didn't know, and he swore to God.
However, he did tell some news about the court that he learned for Qi Yu's reference.
He said that since the emperor returned to Beijing, he has not gone to court, and government affairs are still handled by the cabinet ministers themselves.
In response to this, the ministers not only raised no objections, but also expressed their understanding thoughtfully.
Of course you have to understand!
You know, the emperor is in the prime of life. This expedition lasted more than a year, but not even a female fly flew beside him. Who can bear this?
You've waited so long for the moment to show off, why don't you have to fight with all your strength in the harem?
What?
Your Majesty is so indulgent?
Huang Fei shook his head and directly denied this statement.
Qi Yu started to encourage and test again.
Huang Fei really didn't have the guts to talk about the king behind his back.
However, he still replied in a very cryptic way: "It is true that the ministers all guessed wrong. In the past few days, the emperor has been fighting quail every day to relieve his boredom. He has never set foot in the harem. How could he be overly indulgent?" explain?"
To relieve boredom? What's the relief?
Could it be that he is still worried about how to deal with King Yan?
Well, that seems to be the only thing.
…
In the Hall of Cultivation of the Heart, the emperor with melancholy eyes was looking at three paintings in a daze.
He was silent and seemed to be thinking about something.
These three paintings are none other than the complete set of "Three Friends of Suihan" that Qi Yu painted when he was in Yongchuan.
From the perspective of changing owners, this painting is quite legendary.
At first, it was brought to Beijing by Wu Deli, the father of Wu Wanrong. Unexpectedly, he was murdered by the Emperor Worship Cult on the way. Therefore, these three paintings fell into the possession of King Yan again. in hand.
After King Yan surrendered, the emperor confiscated his residence. Naturally, these three paintings fell into the hands of the emperor again.
Is the emperor admiring this?
Not really!
You must know that the emperor is a master of painting, and his attainments in painting are completely higher than Qi Yu. Therefore, the painters of these three paintings cannot attract him. What he pays attention to is the three seals on the paintings. .
Those chapters are: King Yan, King Zhao, and King Yong.
The strange thing lies in King Yong.
Why do you say that?
The fiefdom of King Yong is quite far away. It is located in Yangcheng Mansion in the land of Nanyue. How can he have contact with the two kings of Lu and Yu who are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers?
Something's wrong!
How about sending someone over to check?
Yes, never let it go!
The emperor was thinking hard when he suddenly heard a report outside the door: Qi Yu asked to see him.
Announcement!
"See you, humble minister..."
"No, no, please sit down."
"Here!"
After sitting down, Qi Yu slowly raised his head and saw his three works at first glance. When he noticed the three seals, he fell into confusion and confusion like the emperor. .
The emperor also glanced at the painting, and then said with a smile: "I really didn't expect that Qi Aiqing has a great fate with the vassal king."
Well……
This is not a good sign!
We need to get rid of the suspicion quickly.
Qi Yu hurriedly used the facts to defend himself and said: "Your Majesty has misunderstood. When I painted these three paintings, I was just a scholar. How can I reach the lintel of the prince?"
Too!
The emperor had no doubts at all, and he was naturally more relieved after hearing this.
This is just a coincidence.
After clearing up his doubts, the emperor did not hide anything and asked directly: "Seeing the Zhao Wangzhang in this painting, I suddenly remembered something and wanted to ask Aiqing."
Qi Yu hurriedly replied: "Then please give me your Majesty's instructions."
"Hmm! I have never understood the secret that King Zhao gave Zhang Chengdong one hundred thousand taels of silver. How did you know about it?" Seeing Qi Yu in a daze, the emperor explained in a gentle tone: "My dear, don't misunderstand me. , I do not doubt your loyalty, but this matter is really puzzling, and the more I think about it, the more confused I become, so I summoned you to ask."
It turned out to be because of this!
Regarding Yao's eavesdropping on Zhang Yanei, only his own family members knew about it. Even Huang Fei did not know the reason. Therefore, even if the emperor asked him, he couldn't figure out the reason.
However, this phenomenon happens to illustrate the problem.
Just imagine, the internal guards who are known for being well-informed did not get the news, but they actually had a way to know it. How could the emperor not be suspicious?
Fortunately, the emperor asked him openly, otherwise, he might have been secretly investigated behind his back.
Do you want to tell the truth?
Of course not!
There is a huge connection here, and there are even some inaccurate potential crises. How can I push my cousin-in-law into this whirlpool?
However, if Yao is not mentioned, this matter cannot be reconciled. What should we do?
While he was struggling, he suddenly remembered Meng Lanshan's message that Governor Lu Boxuan had conveyed to him, saying that if you encounter something difficult that cannot be avoided, blame him (Meng Lanshan) for the cause and effect.
Qi Yu knew very well that this was his husband expressing his guilt.
Back then, because of some of his motives, he was accidentally involved in the King of Yongchuan incident. For this reason, he was willing to protect himself and bear some consequences.
At present, the emperor asked that there was no argument for this fact, so he had no choice but to use his husband to block it.
So, Qi Yu said: "Your Majesty, the reason for this matter comes from the instructions given by my master Meng Lanshan before leaving. He once said that Zhang Chengdong, the Minister of War, has a close relationship with King Zhao, and there may be something hidden in it. An ulterior secret. Therefore, Wei Chen was alert early. After His Majesty left the capital in person, I asked Ding Tong Yanhuo, a skilled martial artist in the mansion, to secretly observe the movements of the Zhang Mansion, but unexpectedly he actually discovered something."
The emperor suddenly understood and nodded solemnly.
Back then, Meng Lanshan was arranged by the late emperor to lurk in Yongchuan Mansion under the pretense of inviting Ding You. He himself knew about this, and his purpose was to monitor the vassal kings. Since King Zhao and King Yongchuan belong to the same faction, it is reasonable for him to notice King Zhao's movements in secret.
This is believable!
Thinking of this, the emperor sighed rather complicatedly and said: "I didn't expect that this corpse minister of his would be so loyal. Anyway, for the sake of these one hundred thousand taels of silver, I will forgive him."
forgive?
Although this word is derogatory, the connotation is reassuring and gratifying. Generally speaking, this is a great good thing.
Unexpectedly, by unintentionally shifting the blame, I happened to help my husband.
After a moment of silence, the emperor smiled, changed the subject and said, "I've made you a fourth-grade official, are you satisfied?"
Looking at the question, who dares to say no?
Rather than asking like this, it is better to say that the one hundred thousand taels of silver are not worthy of this fourth-grade official.
But if you think about it and talk about it, don't lose your good-looking face.
Qi Yu hurriedly said: "I will definitely remember His Majesty's grace for a long time, and I will work even harder in the future to solve His Majesty's worries."
Solving problems?
The emperor's first reaction was to think of silver!
It seems true!
Thinking of this, the monarch and his minister couldn't help but glance at each other, and at the same time put on a tacit smile.
After chatting for a while, the topic of King Yan finally came up.
Of course, this was caused by Qi Yu's deliberate guidance. In his mind, if he didn't punish the culprit, he would feel really aggrieved.
This time, the emperor chose to face it calmly and did not avoid the topic again.
Yes, he has already thought of a countermeasure.
"I plan to build him a 'Thanksgiving Residence' where he can eat well, drink well, sleep well, and even respond to his requests and satisfy his requests infinitely!"
Grateful residence?
Isn't this deliberately mocking him?
Qi Yu finally understood. The emperor deliberately acted like repaying evil with kindness in order to silence everyone. As for the truth, I believe anyone with a discerning eye can see it.
However, Qi Yu did not object and was even a little happy.
why?
Let's put it this way, if King Yan is demoted to a commoner, he may still have a way to live; if he is just raised like this, he will definitely not live long, because the emperor is a wise king who dares to openly call out those three things. It is impossible for him to be a coward.
Qi Yu came to this conclusion after thinking about it in private.
In order to get a closer look, Qi Yu took the opportunity to ask: "Your Majesty, after the construction of the Gratitude Residence is completed, I would like to take a look inside and see what the legendary Prince Yan looks like."
Unexpectedly, this sentence played into the emperor's heart. He just heard him say: "Not only you, I also want to go and visit him. In this case, you can accompany me when the time comes."
Qi Yu was overjoyed and said, "Thank you so much, Your Majesty!"
