If Xiao Yan had accepted what he said calmly, Qian Baokun might have hesitated, but now that Xiao Yan learned that he had taken care of the account book on the Qian family, his face was full of frowns and guilt, and he even wanted to defend him. What little hesitation he had left was gone.
"Today I was the one who dragged Governor Xiao down and made you guilty of a taboo. But it would be difficult to find these criminal evidences without a surprise search of the Lu family."
Qian Baokun knelt down not far from Xiao Yan again and kowtowed to Emperor An: "Master Xiao is dedicated to running errands for His Majesty. In order to stabilize the court, he knew that he had committed a serious crime of arrogance and did not hesitate at all. He should not be blamed by His Majesty because of the threat of a noble family. If Your Majesty wants to punish Governor Xiao, he will ask Wei Chen to accept the punishment for him, and Wei Chen is willing to give up his position in the Household Department to appease the resentment of the family."
"Shang Shu Qian." Xiao Yan said anxiously, "This matter has nothing to do with you, everything was done by this governor."
His calm face since entering the palace was stained with a bit of urgency:
"Your Majesty, the household department is an important position and must not be moved easily, let alone handing over such important positions to those outside."
"Qian Shangshu is an honest official and has never sought personal gain. In recent years, he has been in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, which has brought great wealth to the state treasury. There have always been many people in the court who coveted the position of Shangshu of the Ministry of Hubu. If Your Majesty really punishes Qian Shangshu's crimes, will you? It’s not about handing over the power of the Ministry of Revenue to those who seek personal gain.”
"If your majesty wants to punish you, just punish the ministers. Qian Shangshu is devoted to your majesty. I ask your majesty to tell you clearly."
Qian Baokun never expected that a smart person like Xiao Yan would take the blame even though he knew he could escape the blame. He immediately became anxious.
This Xiao Yan is usually so shrewd, why did he suddenly act stupid now? !
He was sure that with the evidence in hand, Emperor An would never hand over the position of the household department to others. Moreover, the imperial power was already threatened by the courtiers of the aristocratic family who were eyeing him.
Even if Emperor An wanted to secure his throne and control the court, he would not easily place heavy responsibilities on him, allowing people from aristocratic families to gain power over the Ministry of Revenue and hold financial power over the court.
But Xiao Yan was different. Although he was a close minister of Emperor An and seemed to have great power, in the end he was just a eunuch's servant. All the status he gained now was because of Emperor An's trust and favor.
Once he loses the emperor's heart, Qingyun Peak will fall into the quagmire. Without the emperor's partiality and respect, how can the people of the aristocratic family let him go?
Qian Baokun couldn't help but glare at Xiao Yan: "Your Majesty, don't listen to his nonsense. This matter is Wei Chen's fault, and Wei Chen is willing to accept the punishment."
"Qian Shangshu, please don't talk nonsense. This matter was done by me alone." Xiao Yan frowned: "Your Majesty, it is my fault. I made my own decisions and broke into the Lu family. It has nothing to do with Qian Shangshu."
Qian Baokun was angry: "Why did you deceive Your Majesty? My son got the account book, and it was I who came to ask for your help..."
He tried his best to hint to Xiao Yan, telling him to shut up and go down the steps, but Xiao Yan was stubborn: "I got the account book, it has nothing to do with Qian Shangshu!"
"You..." Qian Baokun was angry, annoyed and helpless. He just thought how could this person be so honest?
Qian Baokun still wanted to speak, but Emperor An suddenly shouted coldly: "Have you said enough?"
He looked at the two people below who were supposed to be blaming each other, but instead they changed from normal and fought to take the blame. Neither of them was willing to let the other take responsibility, and their words had the intention of asking him to use himself to appease the people of the family.
Emperor An's face became more and more gloomy, and after a moment he suddenly shouted: "Do you think this is a good thing that is so shocking that you still have to snatch it away?"
Qian Baokun and Xiao Yan both shut up.
Emperor An's eyes were condensed: "With the way you were just now, even if Liang Chunrong and the others said that you two were colluding, it would be a slight."
"What kind of crime are you guilty of? Breaking into Zhongshu Ling's mansion without authorization and deposing court officials. You actually want to rush forward to claim the crime. Do you want to rush forward with your head in mind for the grave crime of beheading and exile?"
"I don't dare." They both bowed their heads.
An Dihan said in a cold voice: "I don't think you have anything to dare to do. Others are rushing to shirk the blame, so you should rush to plead guilty. Who did I say I would punish?"
After saying this, several people in the palace were stunned.
Qian Baokun couldn't help but raise his head: "Your Majesty?" He hesitated: "You won't punish us?"
"No!"
Xiao Yan was also stunned for a moment, and after he came to his senses, he couldn't help but said urgently: "Your Majesty, the family will not let go of what happened today easily. If you insist on protecting Wei Chen and Qian Shangshu, they will definitely not let it go easily." Let's give it up..."
"You were ordered to search the Lu family, and Qian Baokun checked the accounts for me. What right do they have to stop?"
Qian Baokun and Xiao Yan couldn't help but widen their eyes. They looked like they didn't expect that Emperor An would confront the family because of them. Moreover, it seemed that Emperor An accidentally took over the affairs of the Lu family. Not only did he not punish him, but he And excuse them.
Both of them were shocked at first, and then moved their faces. Qian Baokun had red eyes, wishing he could retaliate.
"His Majesty……"
"Do you think that I can't even protect you two?"
The two people quickly said: "I don't dare."
Song Jinxiu stood aside and looked at Emperor An who was still furious in silence. After being fooled by the two of them in a few words, he took the initiative to excuse the two who should have been responsible. Not only did he not hold the two accountable for their faults, but he used the imperial edict to cover up their faults, and even Taking the initiative to take over today's affairs, I suddenly realized that I had been so naive and ridiculous in the past.
He originally thought that he was no different from the people in the court, and that he was not inferior to anyone in terms of intelligence. What he lost to these veterans was only age and political performance.
If he could have been born twenty years earlier, he would have been able to go higher and further than them, and even become the humerus in the court, making His Majesty look upon him with special regard.
But now, looking at how Xiao Yan and Qian Baokun easily figured out the fate of Emperor An, and took advantage of the emperor's desire to tolerate the aristocratic family, angered him and the aristocratic family, and completely tied the two of them to the interests of the imperial power. They shared the same hatred for the aristocratic family, and easily resolved it. crisis.
Only then did Song Jinxiu realize how naive his previous conceitedness was.
Qian Baokun was fine, but Xiao Yan was about the same age as him. He could easily manipulate the emperor's heart, and it never relied on what outsiders considered flattery and luck.
Compared to this person, he is much more immature, and losing to him is really not unfair at all.
And Tang Ning can be protected by this person. Having such a brother by his side is far better than staying with him, a mentally unclear person.
Song Jinxiu suddenly stepped forward and knelt on the ground, kowtowed to Emperor An and said: "What happened today was not the fault of Governor Xiao and Minister Qian. The Lu family embezzled grain, murdered important officials in the court, and used various means to prevent the Privy Council from investigating the case. The guilty ministers and The sons of the Lu family are familiar with each other and have been in and out of the Lu family many times, so they knew the inside story. In order to make amends for the crime and report it to the Lu family, His Majesty ordered Governor Xiao and the two to investigate."
"Governor Xiao and the others were ordered to search the Lu family. Lu Zhongshu and the others gathered the important officials of the court to kneel down in front of the palace to intimidate His Majesty. This is truly a disrespectful act. Your Majesty is wise, how can you compromise on this?"
Song Jinxiu was thin and pale, but his words made Emperor An look sideways:
"Supervisor Xiao and Minister Qian are the leaders of the court. They should not be a threat to the family. The guilty minister is already a guilty person. I am willing to share your worries for Your Majesty."
Emperor An narrowed his eyes slightly: "Song Jinxiu, do you know what you are talking about?"
Song Jinxiu looked calm: "The account book was obtained by Wei Chen from the hands of Sanlang of the Lu family. The assassination of important officials in the court by the Lu family was also heard by Wei Chen from Lu Zhinian's mouth."
"Governor Xiao and Minister Qian were ordered to search the Lu family. It was the guilty minister who reported the Lu family, which led to today's incident. The guilty minister is willing to serve as your Majesty's spearhead and testify against the Lu family."
Qian Baokun couldn't help but glance at Song Jinxiu in surprise, and then looked at Xiao Yan.
What happened to the son of the Song family?
…
The courtiers outside the hall had no idea what was going on inside the hall. They only knew that after Xiao Yan led Song Jinxiu inside, there seemed to be no movement in the Yuzheng Hall.
Although Taishi Liang, who had been begging Emperor An to punish Xiao Yan severely before, did not leave, he did not shout loudly again. Although the other courtiers from the aristocratic families continued to loudly beg for permission, their mouths gradually became dry as time passed and they were burned by the sun. Dizziness.
Seeing a young eunuch carrying tea inside, they couldn't help but roll their throats. They felt that the thirst was getting worse, and it was like a knife was pulling at their throats, which was unbearable.
Some people suddenly remembered what Xiao Yan said before.
Lu Chongyuan had to beg for the Lu family. He had a queen and a fourth prince, and he would never let the Lu family be humiliated and the reputation of the middle palace be affected. But what about them? Why are they working so hard for the Lu family?
The family is one, sharing weal and woe.
Lu Chongyuan often used these words to ask them to come forward for the Lu family, but if they were humiliated today, would Lu Chongyuan stand up for them just like they stood up for the Lu family?
He knew clearly that he was provoking words, and he also knew that Xiao Yan had bad intentions when he said those words before, but once resentment arises about something, it is like a tree sprouting and taking root in the heart, and as long as there is a little wind and rain, it can block out the sky and the sun.
Mr. Lin, who had been ridiculed by Xiao Yan before, turned his head with a pale face: "Mr. Lu, your Majesty has never summoned us to beg like this. Xiao Yan is so favored by His Majesty that I'm afraid he won't be punished so easily by Your Majesty, not to mention today. The Lu family was at fault first, Lu Zhinian has not been recovered by you until now, and Qian Baokun was offended by him and favored Xiao Yan."
"If His Majesty is really coaxed by Xiao Yan, even if we kneel down here and die, it will be useless. We might as well go back first and impeach him at court tomorrow morning..."
There were courtiers beside him who had already been unable to kneel and said, "What Mr. Lin is saying is that Xiao Yan is treacherous and cunning, and Qian Baokun is not easy to provoke. Why don't we go back and think of a way to see if we can appease Qian Baokun and bring him to justice?" If you win over them first, you won't have to give the help of the household department to that thief Xiao Yan in vain..."
The people of the aristocratic family seem to be united, but in fact they are not of the same mind. Only when interests are entangled can they advance together and retreat together, but secretly they all have their own plans.
When Lu Chongyuan heard that these people actually flinched, his face instantly turned ugly. He said in a deep voice, "I know what you are thinking. If there is even the slightest possibility of winning over Qian Baokun, I will never stay with him like this. But today, he has been with Xiao Yan Together, it has been made clear that there is no possibility of reconciliation with us."
"That's because your Lu family's son first insulted the Qian family's daughter..."
"Sanlang would never do such a despicable thing!"
Lu Chongyuan's face was filled with anger. He was indeed a little disappointed with Lu Zhinian, and he was also angry that he had caused troubles one after another recently, which had caused constant trouble for the Lu family. However, the child was brought up by him, and he knew Lu Zhinian's character very well. I will never bully a girl from the Qian family.
He had already asked Lu Zhao about the previous incident. Lu Zhinian was clearly going for Song Tangning. Mrs. Qian and Song Tangning were on the same road. Lu Zhinian was afraid that there was an unintentional collision, which would be used as an excuse by the Qian family.
Lu Chongyuan looked at the people around him: "Sanlang has indeed made mistakes recently, but he is also someone you have watched grow up. Do you think he would really do such shameless things as humiliating women?"
"The Lu family did make a mistake today. The mistake was that they failed to control Saburo, allowing him to cause trouble and Xiao Yan found an excuse. However, Xiao Yan broke into the Lu family without permission and bullied not just the Lu family's face."
"You should be very clear about what His Majesty wants. The conflict between Xiao Yan and us is even more irreconcilable. If you all retreat today, the nobility and inoffensiveness of the family will become a joke. From now on, everyone can ride on you. Overhead, how could there ever be a place for us to stand in this court?"
"If Xiao Yan doesn't get rid of this beast, the family will never have peace."
The faces of those people showed signs of wavering, and Master Liang also had a solemn look on his face, pursed his lips and did not speak.
Feng Qiuli was staying quietly aside. He did not directly refuse to enter the palace like the Cui family. Instead, he "attached" to the Lu family's request without any sense of presence. At this time, he suddenly spoke:
"If we want to get rid of Xiao Yan, we are naturally willing to help. The Feng family is also willing to advance and retreat with the Lu family. But there is one thing I want Mr. Lu to tell us truthfully. Xiao Yan brought people into the Lu Mansion today. Did anyone find anything? What shouldn’t be found?”
Lu Chongyuan said solemnly: "Of course not."
Xiao Yan and the others entered the house suddenly today, but the Lu family is not stupid, and those shameful things cannot be placed in a conspicuous place.
What's more, Xiao Yan didn't dare to stay in the Lu family for a long time. It only took less than half an hour before and after the black-armored guards entered the house, and then they left in a hurry because others came. Even if they really took something away from the Lu family, There won't be anything that can break the Lu family's muscles and bones.
Although he was panicked for a while when Xiao Yan brought the black-armored guards into the mansion, after he came to his senses, Lu Chongyuan had already personally checked several secret rooms and secret cells in the mansion, and found that there were no missing important things.
Feng Qiuli raised his eyes: "What about Lu Zhinian? He knows a lot about the family..."
"He will not betray the Lu family!" Lu Chongyuan said flatly.
Feng Qiuli raised his eyes and looked at him: "Mr. Lu, are you sure?"
"I..."
Lu Chongyuan was just about to say that of course he was sure that Lu Zhinian would never betray the Lu family, but the door of the Royal Palace that had been closed suddenly opened, and Emperor An's attendants walked out.
Lu Chongyuan's words disappeared immediately, and he turned to look over there. The courtiers who had their own thoughts before also fell silent.
Grand Master Liang avoided the shadow beside him and said quickly: "Eunuch Feng, has your Majesty summoned us?"
"Don't worry, Grand Master Liang. Your Majesty is currently discussing matters with Governor Xiao and Minister Qian. I will naturally summon you all when you have time."
Grandmaster Liang's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.
In the past, Emperor An hated the aristocratic family, but when faced with their "coercion", he would mostly compromise for the sake of the overall situation, but this time his attitude was so tough.
The most important thing is that the door of the Royal Palace opened without being summoned. Master Liang felt uneasy in his heart, and Lu Chongyuan's expression also changed.
Sure enough, the next moment, the servant Feng suddenly spoke: "Your Majesty has decreed that Lu Zhao, the minister of civil affairs, colluded with the officials in the south, embezzled grain, ignored the laws and regulations of the court, and sent him to prison for severe trial."
"Zhongshu ordered Lu Chongyuan to teach his son badly and the Qi family was uneasy. He was banned from the house until the incident involving Lu Zhao was found out before dealing with him."
Everyone kneeling in front of the hall was extremely quiet.
Lu Chongyuan felt like he was struck by thunder, and felt a roar in his ears.
