"Grain account book?"
Emperor An's eyes darkened, and the young eunuch guarding the palace quickly stepped forward, took the account book from Qian Baokun's hand, and sent it to Emperor An.
After An Di looked through it for a moment, he couldn't quite understand the accounts above. He raised his eyes and looked at the kneeling person below. Qian Baokun seemed to have known that the emperor was not good at this, and took the initiative before An Di asked. Explained:
"At first glance, there is nothing wrong with this account book. The transactions are recorded in detail. However, Wei Chen is in charge of the accounts department and knows a lot about the money and food prices in various places."
"Before last year's flood, the price of rice in Jiangnan was fifteen cents per dou. After the flood in July, the price of food soared to two hundred cents. However, at the beginning of this year, it was more than a thousand cents per dou. Calculated, a dou was nearly a hundred cents. It is unusual. For a strong man, the sun rises twice and the moon rises six times, but the official record is dozens of times higher..."
Qian Baokun spoke eloquently about the unreasonable things in the account book. Although he had only glanced at it briefly, his many years of accounting experience had made him familiar with the problems in the account book.
And Emperor An, who didn't understand much at first, followed what he said and noticed something was wrong in the account book.
Qian Baokun said: "Your Majesty only looked at the largest rice and grain transactions. The prices were all above the market price, and the grains stored in the warehouse did not match the money paid."
"These are the favorite methods of the people below to cheat the accounts. Just from what is recorded in this half of the account book, the shortage of money due to the exchange of money and grain is already hundreds of thousands, not to mention the shortage at the back of this account book. I still don’t know how much I’ve lost…”
Qian Baokun talked about the problems in the account book, and the expression on Emperor An's face kept changing.
"Quanzi Qingran was going back to Beijing for business. He came across this account book on the way and felt that it was troublesome. He was also afraid that someone wanted to use my Qian family's help to frame Lu Zhongshu and others, so he just planned to investigate in secret and get the results before reporting to His Majesty. But who would have thought that today Sanlang of the Lu family was bullying my little girl, he was so angry that he let it slip, and Wei Chen only found out about it."
Qian Baokun knelt on the ground and whispered the words he had thought of earlier:
"Only because Wei Chen was in charge of the Ministry of Accounts because of Mu Sheng's grace, and knowing that the food supply matter was of great importance, did he approach Governor Xiao. Governor Xiao learned that Wei Chen had this account book in his hand, and suspected that he had lost it. Half of the account books were secretly hidden by the Lu family, and then they used the dog to cause mischief and broke into the Lu family on the pretext that the Lu family had insulted the lord of Yiyang County and his daughter."
"Wei Chen knows that this move is reckless and can easily attract criticism. However, if you miss this opportunity and want to enter the Lu family again, it will be difficult to get into heaven. If they know about the account book and destroy the evidence, it will be even more troublesome, so I agreed. Together with Governor Xiao."
Having said this, Qian Baokun kowtowed heavily:
"Wei Chen is good at making opinions and embarrass Your Majesty. Wei Chen is willing to take the blame and please be punished by Your Majesty."
He has always been an extremely cautious person and has never caused any trouble.
When Emperor An saw the account book, his attitude had actually softened. Later, when he heard that he had taken the initiative to find Xiao Yan, and that the two of them were searching for evidence of grain-grabbing crimes, his little anger dissipated: "Then what happened this time?" Is there any gain?”
"There are some."
Qian Baokun took out some more things, but this time the "physical evidence" was not given to him by Xiao Yan: "These are all things related to the Lu family, and they are all related to the court. Please take a look at them."
An Di looked at the things that were presented, lowered his head and flipped through them. When he saw clearly what was written on them, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his face instantly became cold.
"Are these things real?"
"A humble minister dare not deceive the king."
Emperor An's eyes became darker, and he felt frightened when his eyes fell on the bloody string of people's names that had been crossed out.
Most of these names are people from the court, with varying official positions, but without exception they are all people who have had various accidents in the past five years.
Either he died, he was demoted, or he left the court for various reasons...
Emperor An still remembers some of the names among them. They were people who were demoted for being involved in counter-cases. He had long known that the Lu family was not clean in the court, and it was common for them to exclude dissidents, but he never expected that they had reached this level. The situation...
Emperor An's sense of crisis suddenly increased for a moment. Is this court really still his court?
If the aristocratic family is not eliminated, will he end up in this situation one day?
"Your Majesty, Governor Xiao wants to see you."
Suddenly someone came to report from outside.
An Di's tone was filled with urgency: "Let him come in."
…
Outside the main hall of the palace, Lu Chongyuan and others were kneeling on the steps. At first they were full of anger and decried Xiao Yan, but later they were too hot to kneel down.
As May approaches, the sun has begun to burn, and those veterans are already getting older.
They originally thought that by joining forces and begging, Emperor An would be forced to show up soon, but who knew that Emperor An inside had not summoned them for a long time and did not even send someone to persuade them to get up.
Lu Chongyuan had been suffering from fainting and vomiting blood before, but now his face was white from the sun and his eyes were dark.
The elderly Grand Master Liang also had sweat on his forehead. He even wanted to retreat for a moment when his figure was swaying, but he saw everyone around him kneeling, and he also knew that if he retreated this time, the family would probably become a big joke. , so gritted his teeth and gritted his teeth.
"Director Xiao, Your Majesty is waiting for you inside."
Just at this moment, someone's voice came from behind.
All the courtiers on the steps turned around and saw the eunuch whom they had denounced walking calmly from the white jade platform.
When he saw them, the dog thief raised his eyebrows condescendingly: "What are you doing kneeling here, basking in the sun?"
"Xiao Yan!" The eager person was immediately furious: "You still dare to enter the palace?!"
Xiao Yan tilted his head and said, "Why don't I dare to enter the palace?"
"How dare you say that!" The man glared angrily, "You led people to sneak into the Lu family, humiliated Zhongshu Ling, ignored the court's laws and acted wantonly. We must seek justice from His Majesty today so that you, a thief, can no longer cause trouble. Court!"
Xiao Yan was not annoyed at all when he heard this. Instead, he chuckled: "Lin Fengshi said this as if the governor broke into your Lin family. Although he knew that the Lin family had been in recession in recent years and most of the heirs and sons were trash, An Guo was When the Duke was still alive, the Lin family's situation was so dangerous that even Lu Zhongshu's father had to bow his head and bow to him when he saw him, but now..."
He tsked softly,
"The Lin family seems to have become the Lu family's dogs, trying their best to impress the governor."
"you!!"
The courtier who was from the Lin family suddenly turned pale with anger.
Xiao Yan didn't pay any attention to his burning eyes, and only raised his eyes to scan the other houses:
"The Lu family has a prince who needs support. He has always been at the head of the family and said that he will advance and retreat with you. However, the governor only sees that you are constantly cleaning up the mess for the Lu family. Lu Zhongshu can fool you with his mouth open and not even a hint of benefit. Stand up for him, I really admire your magnanimity."
He looked at the oldest Master Liang: "Master Liang is almost seventy this year. You are the only pillar of the Liang family. If you kneel down in this palace, what will happen to the Liang family?"
"The law of the jungle is a strong one for the aristocratic family. The Liang family will not follow in the footsteps of the He family."
Taishi Liang's face suddenly turned cold: "Don't try to provoke me!"
"It's just the truth, why are you provoking it? Grand Master Liang has done his best for the Lu family and wants Lu Zhongshu to inherit your position as Grand Master so that he can protect the descendants of the Liang family a hundred years from now. But you are sure that he can really remember your support." Affection?"
Xiao Yan's voice was slightly cold: "With just one mistake, he was able to sacrifice the grandson he once valued most and preserve the future of the Lu family. If one day we really encounter a crisis, do you think the entire Liang family will be protected by the Lu family? Or become his pawn in the charge to protect the Lu family..."
"Xiao Yan!"
Seeing Grand Master Liang's expression change, Lu Chongyuan shouted angrily.
Seeing his angry look, Xiao Yan laughed: "Master Liang, you should think about it carefully. Don't spend all your efforts to raise a man-eating wolf. In vain, you will use the Liang family's century-old foundation as a wedding dress for someone else, and become a member of the Lu family." The stepping stone for the emperor to chase the deer.”
After Xiao Yan finished speaking, he stopped talking. He plucked his sleeves and said, "The governor still has to go in to meet the saint. Please kneel down slowly. You guys, go and cover Taishi Liang from the cold and fan him. Don't let him get really hurt." Body."
After saying that, he turned around and said, "Song Dalangjun, let's go."
Song Jinxiu stepped forward silently.
Lu Chongyuan and the others were shocked when they heard the word "Song", and then they realized that the man following Xiao Yan looked familiar. After a closer look, it turned out to be the eldest son of the Duke of Song who had been sent to prison.
He lost a lot of weight and became pale. His face was not as gentle as before, but instead had a touch of coldness and gloominess.
Song Jinxiu just lowered his eyes slightly and followed Xiao Yan, not paying attention to the surrounding gazes at all. His green robe was hanging somewhat empty on his body. When he passed by everyone, he did not stop at all. The two people walked straight into the palace. Lu Chongyuan's heart skipped a beat.
"Isn't Song Jinxiu supposed to be in prison? Why did Xiao Yan bring him to the palace?" The Lin family courtier asked immediately.
Another person next to him also said anxiously: "Mr. Lu, the Song family used to be the closest to your Lu family. The eldest son of the Song family was also close to the third son of your family. Xiao Yan might not have good intentions when he brings him into the palace now." …”
Lu Chongyuan instantly thought of the "criminal evidence" that Xiao Yan led people to search for Lu Zhinian. His face suddenly darkened, and he felt a little uneasy in his heart.
He turned around to tell Grand Master Liang to ask someone to kowtow to His Majesty again, but he saw Grand Master Liang looking at the door of Yuzheng Palace with heavy eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.
"Mr. Liang?" Lu Chongyuan whispered, "Do you really believe what Xiao Yan said..."
"Of course I won't." Taishi Liang's eyes flashed slightly.
He knew that Xiao Yan's words were intended to sow discord between the aristocratic families and divide his relationship with the Lu family, but those words were still rooted in his heart like seeds.
He tried his best to support Lu Zhinian, even let the Lu and Liang families marry, and let the Liang family and the Lu family be tied to death. Was it right?
The Lu family has been having troubles one after another recently. Lu Qin lost his leg. His favorite Sanlang of the Lu family has also fallen into this situation, and now his whereabouts are unknown. He risked his life to help the Lu family. If something really happened, then Liang Home……
Grand Master Liang said that he had never listened to Xiao Yan's instigation and comforted Lu Chongyuan, but he did not refuse the little eunuch who stepped forward to fan him to keep him cool.
Lu Chongyuan's face turned gloomy after seeing this, and he pursed his lips tightly to hate Xiao Yan.
That dog thief actually caused this old guy from the Liang family to have a problem with him...
…
When Xiao Yan led Song Jinxiu to meet Emperor An, Emperor An had a small pile of things given to him by Qian Baokun in his hand.
Qian Baokun had already received the pardon and stood up to wait. When he saw that Xiao Yan actually brought Song Jinxiu with him, he couldn't help showing surprise on his face.
Emperor An originally wanted to scold Xiao Yan, but when he saw Song Jinxiu, he frowned: "Why is he here?"
Xiao Yan said: "Wei Chen originally wanted to go to the palace to plead guilty, but on the way, he received news from the imperial edict, saying that Master Xiao Song had something important to do and wanted to see His Majesty, so Wei Chen brought him into the palace together. "
When Emperor An heard this, he glanced at him: "Do you still know that you are guilty?"
Xiao Yan looked respectful: "Trespassing to Zhongshu Ling's mansion without permission is a big mistake. A humble minister made his own decisions and led people to search the Lu family without receiving the holy orders. He also implicated Qian Shangshu and the three gentlemen in his mansion. Although your majesty is generous, , but you can’t let others talk about your partiality for the sake of a minor official, who will go to the Criminal Division to receive his punishment later.”
Emperor An looked calmly: "Do you know what you deserved for what you committed today?"
"The following offender will receive an eighty-year rod and a six-year sentence."
When Xiao Yan spoke, it was as if the person he wanted to blame was not himself, and he was extremely calm:
"Although what I did today is excusable, I can't go unpunished if I offend Zhongshu's order and act arbitrarily. If Your Majesty is still willing to keep me to continue doing errands, I will go to the Criminal Division to receive an eighty-year rod as a warning." By following your example, Your Majesty can also use this to appease the noble family's courtiers and give them an explanation."
When Emperor An heard this, his expression suddenly turned cold: "Presumptuous!!"
He wasn't that angry at first, but Xiao Yan's words were like poking his trachea, and his anger suddenly boiled upward. He grabbed the tea cup and threw it at Xiao Yan out of anger: "You bastard!" , I am the emperor, what should I give them?"
Those people are just ministers, so what if they are from aristocratic families? Why should he, the majestic emperor, bow his head and compromise with them? !
The tea cup was smashed half a step in front of Xiao Yan and fell into pieces. Emperor An's face was filled with frost and coldness: "They colluded with the Nandi Prefecture and embezzled grain funds, causing floods in Nandi and causing countless casualties and riots. People from the Lu family even assassinated court officials and massacred them. Alien, why are you guilty of searching the Lu family for me?!"
Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment: "Assassinating court officials?"
He subconsciously looked at Qian Baokun not far away, and saw Qian Baokun winking at him. Qian Baokun said: "Master Xiao, when we went to the Lu family before, we didn't find some things. I just handed them over." I gave it to Your Majesty, together with the account book that Quanzi obtained."
Xiao Yan opened his mouth: "Qian Shangshu, that account book..."
"Although the account book was found by the dog, it would be difficult to find these incriminating evidences if Governor Xiao had not led people to search the Lu family."
Qian Baokun was afraid that Xiao Yan would spill the beans, so he quickly interrupted him, "Your Majesty knows that you led the black-armored guards to break into the Lu family because of my invitation and in order to eliminate the beetles in the court. Your Majesty is wise and will definitely I won’t blame Governor Xiao for this.”
Xiao Yan frowned and moved his lips as if he wanted to say something. After being stopped by Qian Baokun, a look of guilt appeared in his eyes.
Qian Baokun felt more and more that Xiao Yan was not as despicable as the rumors said. As expected, people only know their true nature through contact, and he did not help the wrong person.
