Fu'an Palace is located to the northwest of the palace city, and behind it is the harem area. This is also the deepest place where foreign ministers can go.
Because there is a warm spring underground in Fu'an Palace, there is a hot spring to soak in all year round. It was also the emperor's favorite place to stay in winter.
However, Pang Ban had been riding in front of the emperor for nearly fifty years, and he could be counted on one hand the number of times he was directly recruited to Fu'an Palace. Generally speaking, emperors preferred to discuss affairs in Qinzheng Palace rather than Fu'an Palace.
Silently all the way, the eunuch led Pang Ban to the entrance of Fu'an Palace and stood there. After bowing, he went in to report, leaving Pang Ban standing outside.
Looking up, you can see steam rising from behind the tall palace, which is the warm soup inside.
"Master Pangda, your Majesty invites you."
"Please lead the way."
Pang Ban walked with his head lowered the whole time, especially after entering Fu'an Palace, he didn't even look in front of him, he just stared at his feet. He has feelings, so he won't stumble. It's all because there are maids coming and going from time to time in Fu'an Palace, so he needs to be careful to avoid suspicion.
Entering a warm pavilion, Pang Ban saw Yang Jian in a loose robe.
"See Your Majesty."
"Well, let's sit down and talk."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Only then did Pang Ban raise his head, his eyes swept over the emperor, and his heart tightened slightly. He found that the complexion between the other person's brows was much worse than the last time he saw him. Moreover, the emperor's soul seemed to be trembling slightly, instead of being stable as usual.
"Tell me, what's the important thing that requires you to see me twice?"
The emperor's voice was very flat, with no emotion in it, and it was not high-pitched, as if he had no energy.
"Your Majesty, it's about the military."
"Army?" There was a hint of confusion on the emperor's plain face. He didn't understand what important matters could happen to the army that required Pang Ban to come and report.
"It's like this. The cause was a previous rectification operation in Jingxi. A pseudo-evil monk named Ma San was dug out. Then along this line, the Black Flag Battalion under our Xuanqing Guard found out about this Ma San. My next family is the Nanman from the south..."
The only thing that Pang Ban could call "urgent" before the emperor was Jingxi. Originally, he was not prepared to put it in front of the emperor so early because the matter had not made any substantial progress. But in order to determine the emperor's current physical condition, he didn't care so much. Although he was a little hasty, at least he had discovered that the emperor was indeed losing his health.
When Pang Ban mentioned that "the Ministry of War was involved in the case and most likely played the role of the mastermind," the emperor slammed the teacup at his side to the ground, smashing it into pieces.
A eunuch quickly put his head in and took a look before quickly shrinking back.
Pang Ban took advantage of the situation and knelt on the ground silently.
"Is it just a few individuals or is the entire military department rotten? What's going on with the Jingxi Army and the border troops? Is this going to rebel?" The emperor's chest heaved, suppressing his anger and not letting himself roar out.
"Back to Your Majesty, the Ministry of War is currently under strict internal control. It is difficult to find out the clues at any time. We can only look at the platoon from the bottom up. From the current situation, it seems that the whole situation is not ruined."
The emperor's expression, which was still furious just now, has returned to calmness in the blink of an eye, but with a sneer on his lips: "No? Haha, very good, very good! These people are pretending to be pitiful every day, saying that they are filled with indignation at being suppressed by civil servants. Now it seems that it is a mistake. I am afraid that the position of supervisor is just right!
Check it for me! No matter who is found, no one is allowed to be accepted, and the investigation must be carried out to the end! "
How many people died in the war forty years ago? How much food was wasted? How many sleepless nights have you spent? The emperor's memory was still fresh in his mind, and he would never allow the barbarians to the south to rise again, and it was still in this way.
"Wei Chen understands. The current investigation method is from the bottom up in order not to alert the snake. The most powerful front-line Black Flag Battalion dispatched by the Jingxi Town Fushi Yamen is in charge. We have already started to start? I believe it will be revealed later. To make progress.”
"Leave it to the Jingxi Zhenfu Envoy Yamen to handle it? Can't you command the Envoy Yamen to handle it?" The emperor obviously trusted Pang Ban's people more than the Zhenfu Envoy Yamen.
However, Pang Ban also explained: "This case was investigated by the Jingxi Fengri City Black Flag Battalion from the beginning, so naturally they are the most familiar with it. And the person in charge of this case is a genius? His surname is Shen, his name is Hao? He is very capable. ? He was also responsible for the previous case involving the smuggling of arms by the Jingbei Army, as well as the case at the Sword Emperor Tomb, and the case of concealing the report of the plague."
The emperor had a lot of things to do all year round. There were so many big and important things. It was usually difficult for him to keep anything in his mind. But he still had an impression in his heart. Now when Pang Ban mentioned it, he said, "I have some impressions. Since you are so optimistic about this person, then just follow your own method and get the results as soon as possible."
"Wei Chen understands."
"That's it, step back."
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
The emperor took a deep breath and seemed a little impatient. He waved his hand to signal Pang Ban to speak quickly.
"Your Majesty? Recently, several princes have been making moves, and many of them have violated the rules? They even traveled to other places and threatened to visit..."
"Okay. Back off."
"Yes, Your Majesty? I'll take my leave."
Although the last words were interrupted after only the beginning? But Pang Ban's goal has been achieved. He was sure that something was wrong with the emperor's body. Especially later, the emperor seemed anxious, and the fluctuations in his soul were obviously chaotic.
Moreover, in the end, the emperor directly avoided talking about the matters involving the prince, showing obvious signs of connivance.
With these discoveries, Pang Ban quickly left the palace with a heavy heart.
...
"Cough cough cough..."
The violent coughing made the emperor stoop, and a lump of blood the size of a fingernail was coughed from his mouth onto the ground.
"Medicine! Cough cough cough..."
"Your Majesty, Dr. Chen said that you can only take one bowl of this medicine a day. You can't..."
"Half a bowl! Cough cough cough, hurry up, cough cough cough..."
The eunuch looked panicked and could only pour half a bowl of soup from a medicine pot and delivered it to the emperor.
After taking the decoction, the emperor's face turned a little pale, but his violent coughing quickly stopped.
"Carry me back to the warm soup."
"yes."
The emperor was so weak that several eunuchs carried him away to the warm soup behind him. After taking off his loose robe, the emperor sat naked in the warm soup and breathed a sigh of relief. Several eunuchs who had served the emperor all year round always had unbearable flashes in their eyes when they were undressing.
The emperor's skinny body in the warm soup was covered with a black-red web that resembled a spider's web from his back to his chest. It penetrated into the flesh and blood, and seemed to tremble with the emperor's breathing.
Only by soaking in warm soup can these meshes become duller and make the emperor more comfortable.
"Pang Ban is a smart man after all. He should have discovered it."
In the smoke of the warm soup, the emperor smiled and looked at the darkening sky, seeming to be talking to himself.
