Xiao Yan also didn't expect to hear news about the Lu family again, and it was the same Lu Zhinian whose whereabouts were unknown.
He frowned slightly: "Tu Bai said that Ji Rongqing was kind to the Queen of Beiling and had a good rapport with the new emperor of Beiling. In addition, unlike the Wei Dynasty, Beiling had a rule that the prince-in-law did not take real power. Ji Rongqing is now in power. The status of Beiling Court is quite extraordinary."
When Xiao Yan said this, he looked at Tang Ning: "Do you know the composition of the Beiling Court?"
Tang Ning nodded: "I have read some reports from Beiling before. Beiling is different from the Wei Dynasty. It has a vast area, sparsely populated areas, and lack of resources. It is dominated by wandering tribes. The three largest tribes make up today's Beiling Imperial Court."
"Among them, the Zongyan tribe is the tribe of the former Khan King of Beiling. It is also the force behind the new emperor of Beiling. It has the strongest archers and horses and the bravest warriors in Beiling, followed by the Zongyu tribe and the Wanhu tribe. These two The combat power of the tribesmen is slightly inferior to that of the Zongyan tribe, and the leaders of the two tribes were once the most favorable candidates for the position of Beiling Khan."
"Previously, when Dean Shi was in Beiling, he had provoked a dispute between the Wanhu tribe and the Zongyan tribe, and used it to kill several successors of the Zongyan tribe, and almost killed the first king. Beiling was still in chaos because of this. After a while, after Xiahou Ling helped the Zongyan tribe win, the Wanhu tribe was suppressed and its power was greatly reduced, and now it is the weakest among the three tribes in Beiling."
Seeing that Tang Ning knew the situation of the Beiling Dynasty, Xiao Yan whispered: "The rules of Beiling are different from those of the Wei Dynasty. Unless he is a direct son, the successor will not only inherit the power of the previous Khan, but also the tribe, property, and women. The current Queen of Beiling is the first wife of the former Beiling Khan, so she should be the aunt of the new emperor."
Tang Ning's eyes widened. This was the first time she knew this rule: "Then Princess Chuyun..."
Xiao Yan said: "She is the daughter of the First Khan, the cousin of the new Beiling Emperor, and the legitimate daughter of the current Queen Beiling. Behind Queen Beiling is the entire Zongyu tribe."
Xiao Yan's words made Tang Ning feel an overwhelming feeling in her mind for a moment. She frowned tightly, and after a while she said with some difficulty:
"In other words, Princess Chuyun's mother married her cousin, and her original cousin became her... stepfather?!"
Xiao Yan nodded: "Not bad."
Tang Ning: "..."
His face was stiff.
Xiao Yan knew that it would be difficult for people who had been baptized with etiquette, justice and integrity since childhood to understand these "old customs" in Beiling. Let alone Tang Ning, even he was extremely shocked when he first learned about these.
He only mentioned one sentence and then skipped it, and talked about Ji Rongqing again.
"Ji Rongqing saved Queen Beiling and married Princess Chuyun. The entire Zongyu tribe became his backing. Although it was not driven by the sword, it was enough to give him status in the Beiling court. Not bad."
"He and Xiahou Ling had a quarrel and were incompatible with each other. Xiahou Ling controlled the Imperial Prefecture and assisted the new emperor in ascending the throne, holding great power in the court. However, Ji Rongqing had the Zongyu Department who could intervene in the army to check and balance him. Now neither of them can Nothing can be done to anyone."
Tang Ning asked: "What about the new emperor of Beiling?"
Xiao Yan said: "The new emperor of Beiling is afraid of Xia Houling, but he may not trust Ji Rongqing. He probably intends to keep the two of them in check, so he hardly cares about their fights on weekdays."
After listening to Xiao Yan's words, Tang Ning could roughly understand Ji Rongqing's status in Beiling Court. She pursed her lips tightly and pinched her fingertips.
"But Lu Zhinian and I have known each other for many years, and I have never heard that he has a hidden illness. Moreover, it has been less than half a year since he disappeared. From the Wei Dynasty to Beiling, how could he be capable of doing this?"
"This is also where I'm confused."
Xiao Yan frowned slightly.
Lu Zhinian was trained by Lu Chongyuan as his successor, so he certainly had the ability and means. In the past, he lost because he was too smooth and unprepared, and he had never experienced too many intrigues. It is not impossible for him to learn lessons and grow up, but even if No matter how talented he is, just half a year is not enough to turn a person upside down.
The other people in Beiling may be barbaric, vulgar and ignorant of strategy, but Xiahou Ling is not, nor is the new emperor Zong Yanzheng who he single-handedly supported to unify all tribes in Beiling. And when Lu Zhinian disappeared, the Lu family could not be found, which meant that Even the Lu family may not know that he went to Beiling.
If that Ji Rongqing is really Lu Zhinian, then how could he climb to his current position in just half a year without anyone's help, under the noses of Xia Houling and the others?
Seeing that Tang Ning's face was a little pale, Xiao Yan stretched out his hand to hold her cold hand: "Maybe it's just that they are similar, and Ji Rongqing is not Lu Zhinian."
Tang Ning shook his head: "Brother, we can't be careless about this matter. Lu Zhinian was forced into desperation by us and disappeared without a trace. The Lu family was destroyed at our hands. He must hate us deeply."
"I know." Xiao Yan reassured, "I have asked Tu Bai to find a way to lure Song Jinxiu to see Ji Rongqing. If he is really Lu Zhinian, and others can't tell, Song Jinxiu should be able to recognize him."
The two men had been close friends for many years before they turned against each other.
"And I will also have someone reveal this news to Xia Houling. Xia Houling will definitely want to find out the details of Ji Rongqing more than us."
Xiao Yan looked at Tang Ning: "Don't worry, no matter who he is, he will find out sooner or later."
Tangning was still uneasy in her heart. She pursed her lips and remembered the crazy look in Lu Zhinian's eyes the last time she saw him. He held her tightly and refused to let go. He even said that he didn't care about the Lu family. She still clearly remembers those terrifying scarlet eyes.
Memories that had not occurred to him for a long time emerged, including the tragic death in his previous life, and the torture during his imprisonment, which made Tang Ning turn pale.
"Tang Ning, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Yan pulled her.
Tang Ning shook her head and leaned lightly on his shoulder: "It's nothing, I'm just a little tired."
Xiao Yan looked down at her and frowned slightly, Tang Ning seemed to be hiding something on her mind.
Is it because of Lu Zhinian?
Or something else?
He opened his mouth to ask her, but he could see that she was leaning against him with her eyes drooped, her eyelashes trembling slightly as if she was uneasy. When the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back and just held her quietly.
never mind.
When she wants to say something, she will say it naturally.
…
The news that Lu Zhinian might appear again was like a drop of water falling into hot oil, which made Tang Ning uneasy. But no matter how uneasy he was, Ji Rongqing was far away in Beiling. It would not be possible to find out the news overnight. The current affairs in the Wei Dynasty More important.
After meeting Liang Guangyi, Xiao Yan went to the palace to see the prince.
No one knew what the two of them said, except that the prince, who was originally furious, seemed to suddenly wake up and calm down.
Although the arrested people have not been released, there is no more blood at Caishikou.
After the family got the news that Liang Guangyi brought back, they argued several times. They were both angry and unwilling. They scolded Xiao Yan for being shameless, greedy, and evil-hearted. But even if they scolded and made trouble again, they finally gave in.
The Cui family took the lead in agreeing to "ransom" Cui Lin with 260,000 gold, allowing Xiao Yan to let go of his crime of framing him that night. The remaining 540,000 gold would be collected by each of the other six families, who contributed 90,000.
As for the collection of books, the other families were originally unwilling to do so, but the Feng family, Li family, and Fan family were the first to relent, and with the Liang family and Cui family persuading them, and Xiao Yan and the prince putting pressure on the court, the remaining The three families were completely powerless and could only agree reluctantly.
