The queen took the confession from the palace maid that Lu Zhaolin had sworn before he was released. She looked carefully and saw the detailed whereabouts of Lu Zhaolin after he arrived in Chang'an. !”
Zhou Xing, who was kneeling on the ground, was overjoyed when he heard the queen's scolding. Of course, he knew that the "rats" mentioned by the queen were not referring to Lu Zhaolin, but the people Lu Zhaolin had met in his confession. The queen had already approved his meeting with Lu Zhaolin. Through the idea of linking these nobles to the later public criticism of the errors in "Thirty Years of Spring and Autumn" and defining it as a political act, with this, he was already in an invincible position.
"You did a good job!" The queen put the confession away, put it on several cases, and asked: "But there is no relationship between Lu Zhaolin and Wang Wenzuo in this confession. Why do you think Wang Wenzuo is the person behind the scenes?"
"Your Majesty the Queen!" Zhou Xing kowtowed: "When Lu Zhaolin wrote this confession, Duke Zhou was still well, so I naturally did not have the idea that Wang Wenzuo was the person behind the scenes. But something happened later, which made me think like this idea!”
"Oh? Say it!"
"According to the order!" Zhou Xing kowtowed again: "When Zhou Guogong died suddenly, I was shocked. The case of Lu Zhaolin was originally handled under the order of Zhou Guogong, but the old man died suddenly, and he didn't leave a word. Explain that I was in a dilemma at the time, and that Lu Zhaolin was not an ordinary scholar. He had quite a literary reputation. The reason why he was imprisoned in the first place was not very justified, and there were some arguments from outsiders. I simply let him go, thinking He wants to see who is behind him and play hard to get!"
"Play hard to get? This move is really wonderful!" The Queen nodded with satisfaction: "Then what? Then who came to find Lu Zhaolin after he was released from prison?"
"Reporting to the queen, after Lu Zhaolin was released from prison, he was welcomed into the house of a wealthy businessman named Cao. The wealthy businessman surnamed Cao was a foreigner from the Western Regions. He mainly engaged in business in Haidong. He had a nephew named Cao Sennu. Work under Wang Wenzuo!"
"Cao Sengnu? Working under Wang Wenzuo?" A cold light flashed in the queen's eyes: "Where is Lu Zhaolin now? Why don't you go and get it?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty the Queen, Lu Zhaolin has already left Chang'an. I don't know where he is now!"
"Her Majesty the Queen has met thousands of miles away!" Zhou Xing hurriedly kowtowed again and asked carefully: "Those people behind him-"
"Your Majesty!" Yijilianbod whispered: "There is news from Zhou Xing!"
"Shang Shudu Shi?" Wang Wenzuo frowned. Shangshu Dushi is an official in the Shangshu Province who handles daily affairs. He is responsible for sending and receiving documents, inspecting deficiencies, supervising the supply of paper and pen for printing, etc. Shangshu Province is the most important of the three provinces of the Tang Dynasty. Compared with the original Wannian County Magistrate, he has naturally risen to the top. There is certainly no reason for such a big promotion. Moreover, the palace would not just summon a ten thousand year magistrate, let alone reward him.
"What? Wang Wenzuo wants to see me?" Liu Yuanzhen looked at the man in front of him, with an uncertain look on his face: "Is there something wrong with your master?"
"Your Majesty wanted to see me, probably because he wanted to ask about Zhou Xing, right? I went in that day and was repelled by Her Majesty the Queen without saying a few words. I don't know what happened next!" Liu Yuanzhen said in a low voice, In fact, he has already given in. Hearing this, Yijirenbod felt calm and said with a smile: "Why do you, my lord, see you? How do you know, my subordinates? It's up to you whether you see me or not. I'm just a messenger!"
The long-awaited voice finally appeared in his ears. Zhou Xing knelt on the ground and said loudly: "Thank you, Your Majesty the Queen, for your kindness!"
"Liu Yuanzhen is the internal historian, and his official position is much higher than that of Zhou Xing! If these two people entered the palace together, Liu Yuanzhen should have brought Zhou Xing, and Zhou Xing was the one who was recommended, or just the one who was brought to testify!" Wang Wenzuo twirled his chin With his beard, he said to himself: "Liu Yuanzhen left first, Zhou Xing left after him, Liu Yuanzhen looked gloomy, and Zhou Xing was rewarded and promoted. What happened at that time must be very interesting!"
"You can take Prince Deng Li Jiong and Dongtai Minister Hao Chujun into custody and interrogate them strictly! As for Wang Wenzuo -" the queen paused for a moment: "Now is not the time!"
Liu Yuanzhen snorted coldly. Of course he didn't believe Ijilenbode's lies. It was true that Wang Wenzuo and he were old acquaintances. But the problem was that as Wang Wenzuo's official position rose rapidly, their political lines gradually diverged. He was a close minister of the queen. He is a close confidant of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Even if we cannot say that they are mortal enemies, we can say that differences are not mutually beneficial. What is there to see from this side?
"That's not necessary!" Liu Yuanzhen laughed twice: "There is no airtight wall in the world. Even if we meet in private, it won't be known to others. If word spreads, it will attract suspicion. Let's do it this way ! If General Wang comes to visit, I will rush to greet you. If not, forget it!"
"Oh? What's the matter?" Wang Wenzuo put down the quill in his hand and asked.
"As you command!"
"Isn't it time yet?" Zhou Xing trembled slightly when he heard this. In his opinion, Deng Wang Li Jiong and Dongtai Minister Hao Chujun had insufficient evidence, while Wang Wenzuo had solid evidence. He should first capture Wang Wenzuo and torture him severely, and then go after him. Bite Deng Wang Li Jiong and Dongtai Minister Hao Chujun and others to wipe out this potential conspiracy group. But the queen's intention was to do the opposite, start with Deng Wang Li Jiong and Dongtai Minister Hao Chujun, and get enough evidence from these people to deal with Wang Wenzuo.
Facing Liu Yuanzhen's rejection, Yiji Lianbode's expression remained unchanged: "My master is upright and aboveboard, so why would he not be willing to pay a visit? This meeting with Mr. Liu was not for anything else, but to resolve a misunderstanding. Yesterday Mr. Liu The Duke and Wannian County Magistrate Zhou Xing entered the palace and met the Queen. Afterwards, Duke Liu left first in a depressed mood. It's okay if Duke Liu doesn't want to see my master, can you explain it to me?"
The next day, there was a slight difference at noon. Xuanhuafang, Li’s old store.
"My lord, we've already checked it out, and there's no one watching around!" Li Bo said in a low voice.
Thinking of this, Liu Yuanzhen hesitated. Wang Wenzuo was okay, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince behind him was another matter. Since ancient times, when the emperor is old, the attitude of the ministers towards the prince has been very subtle. Even the ministers, no matter how upright they are, cannot be tough in front of the prince. To put it bluntly, the world belongs to others sooner or later. Even if you are not afraid, won’t your descendants be afraid? If you offend the prince here, even if they are magnanimous and don't attack you, as long as your descendants are included in another book, all your decades of hard work will be in vain after your death. There are many men who are mighty and unyielding, rich and not promiscuous, but there are really not many tough guys who don't even consider the future of their descendants.
Judging from his experience, this method of setting up large prisons to clean up political opponents usually starts with small figures on the fringes, follows the clues, accumulates evidence bit by bit, and finally takes down the core targets that the higher-ups want to deal with. In the Queen's view, Wang Wenzuo is the core target of this prison, while high-ranking figures such as Deng Wang Li Jiong and Dongtai Minister Hao Chujun are just marginal figures. They can be detained and interrogated at will, in order to finally attack Wang Wenzuo. prepare for.
"He went to the palace yesterday afternoon, and when he came back he was packed heavily. He must have received some kind of reward, and today he was promoted and went to the Shangshu Province to become the Minister of Finance!"
"Iji Lianbode, please find a way to let Liu Yuanzhen and I meet in private!" Wang Wenzuo whispered.
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The nephew discovered the clues to this conspiracy. Just as he was about to send someone to investigate strictly, he was framed and died. Yes, this can explain why Yang Sijian sacrificed his daughter. Yes, for the final victory, what does it mean to sacrifice one or two children? This old thing, okay, okay, one day I will let him know the consequences of cheating on me!
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"Tomorrow at noon, I'll be at Li's old store in Xuanhuafang. I'll remember it!" Yiji Lianbod bowed and said, "Goodbye!"
"You should inquire clearly about Zhou Xing's entry into the palace, especially the details, and don't be stingy with money!" Wang Wenzuo said.
Facing Yiji Lianbode's pressing step by step, Liu Yuanzhen finally nodded: "Well, I haven't seen him for many years, and I miss him a little, so let's go to the Li family's old store in Xuanhuafang tomorrow at noon!"
"Do you know what you are talking about? Wang Wenzuo is so bold that he placed spies in the palace to spy on His Majesty and the ministers!"
"There is a gorgeous banquet in the court, elegant guests frequently pour Jingu wine, green tea is cooked in the garden, and distinguished friends gather at Tamagawa's house!" Wang Wenzuo looked at the couplets hanging on the door of the building. The wooden board with the couplets written on it has been stained by time. It's purple in color and has obviously been around for a long time.
Zhou Xing has left, and the smile on the queen's face has disappeared. She is sitting by the window. The shadow outside the window casts a shadow on her fair face, half black and half white, which looks quite penetrating. The words Zhou Xing just said weighed on her heart like dark clouds outside the window. Another conspiracy, a conspiracy against herself. In the queen's heart, her rich imagination and Zhou Xing's report have been combined to describe a huge web of conspiracy: against herself and herself again and again. After the failure of Pheasant Nu's conspiracy, another new conspiracy gradually brewed and matured in Chang'an City. What is different from the past is that this time the wolf-hearted conspirators also involved Wang Wenzuo, a military general who was deeply trusted by the emperor. In this way, they could use the name of the prince and Wang Wenzuo's force to launch a military coup and force the emperor to The slave abdicated and became the Supreme Emperor, allowing the Crown Prince to ascend the throne as the new emperor. With Hong'er's immature nature, she was no match for them and Wang Wenzuo, so she could only be at their mercy.
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"Mr. Liu's words are serious!" Yiji Lianbode smiled: "My master and you are old acquaintances. You don't know what kind of character he is? How could he do such a thing?"
While Queen Wu was immersed in the fantasy she had spun, Wang Wenzuo was preparing for the upcoming hunt. Although the five hundred followers who came to Chang'an with him were all top-notch archers, he did not intend to let them participate - the reason was simple. The goal of this hunt was not the birds and beasts in the imperial garden, but to test the jurisdiction of the East Palace. He already knew the strength of the army and the capabilities of the followers who came to Chang'an with him. He didn't need to look at it anymore. On the contrary, he knew nothing about which people in the East Palace Ten Commands could be used and which people were useless. If he wants to make a difference in Chang'an next, he will definitely have to rely on these people, not his five hundred personal followers.
"My master and Mr. Liu are old acquaintances!" Yijilianbode said with a smile: "After he returned to Chang'an, he wanted to visit him, but he didn't want outsiders to make irresponsible remarks and bring trouble to Mr. Liu, so he had to invite Liu Gong decides on the next place and time!"
East Palace.
Hearing Zhou Xing say that Lu Zhaolin had left Chang'an, the queen looked cold. Zhou Xing lowered his head subconsciously and avoided looking at her. After a while, he heard the queen's voice: "In this case, let's tell the world first The prefecture and county issued a document to apprehend Lu Zhaolin!"
"As you command!"
"You——!" Liu Yuanzhen's face changed drastically. He did not expect that Wang Wenzuo would know about the fact that he brought Zhou Xing into the palace to meet the queen yesterday. From what he said, he must not know so much. Obviously the other party has his own spies in the palace, and he is really daring to the extreme.
"Yes, Wang Wenzuo is a trusted person of the Prince of the East Palace. How can he be taken down casually without solid evidence?" The queen said with a half-smile on her face: "Zhou Xing, you did a good job this time! I How about I reward you with five hundred pieces of silk, and first promote you to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Finance, and then, when I capture Wang Wenzuo, I will promote you to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Justice?"
It didn't take long for Igilian Bode to bring back detailed news in the evening. The person who entered the palace with Zhou Xing was Liu Yuanzhen, an old acquaintance of Wang Wenzuo. When leaving, Liu Yuanzhen left first, and his face was on his face when he left the palace. She was sullen and obviously unhappy.
Liu Yuanzhen snorted coldly and stopped talking. Based on his past memories of Wang Wenzuo, he was indeed not such a bold and reckless person. There was only one explanation for what happened yesterday - he did all of this under orders, and even the person he sent today People come not for themselves, but to represent His Highness the Crown Prince behind them.
"Okay!" Wang Wenzuo nodded and went upstairs. Yiji Lianbod had already booked a box. He led Wang Wenzuo up to the third floor and walked through the stairs to a secluded place at the corner of the building. The gauze curtain opened and Wang Wenzuo came in. He saw a square table by the window and a person sitting next to it, it was Liu Yuanzhen.
"Liu Neifu, I haven't seen you for many years, but your style is still the same! I am really envious of you!" Wang Wenzuo smiled and cupped his hands to the other party, but Liu Yuanzhen's face was complicated. He returned the greeting with some reluctance: "Sanlang, you are already here now. He is the prince's confidant. After the prince ascends the throne, he has all the power in the world. I can't compare with you! Your men were so majestic yesterday that I couldn't even force myself to see you!"
"Is there such a thing?" Wang Wenzuo looked back at Yijilianbode and shouted: "Mr. Yi, how can you do this? Liu Neifu is an old acquaintance of mine. When I was in Baekje, without his support , How can I be where I am today?”
There have been a lot of things lately, and amateur coding is just like that. I just hope that the quality of the book will not drop too much. , please bear with me.
(End of chapter)
