Chapter 383 Opening (I)

Now that the palace has become a place of wrongdoing, no foreign ministers are allowed to enter the palace, and the imperial sons and daughters of the palace, as well as the concubines, are naturally unable to summon foreign ministers.

So Princess Huaiqing has something to say to me? Xu Qi’an immediately followed the head of the guards, mounted his beloved filly, and rushed to the Huaiqing Mansion.

Huaiqing Mansion was in the highest lot and most heavily defended area of the Imperial City.

This area, with the residences of the royal clansmen and the residences of the imperial sons and daughters such as Lin An, was an important place second only to the imperial palace.

“I am at least the organizing official of the Chuzhou case, although now not in the center of the storm, but also one of the main people involved, Huaiqing at this time to find what I do, definitely not too long to see me, miss the tight ………”

In all seriousness, it was Xu Qi’an’s first time coming to Huaiqing Mansion, on the contrary, it was the Second Princess’s mansion that he had been to many times, and if not for too many eyeballs and irregularities, Xu Qi’an would have been able to ask for an exclusive guest room in Lin’an Mansion.

The layout of Huaiqing Mansion is the same as Lin’an Mansion, but the overall tendency is to be cold and plain, from the plants in the courtyard to the furnishings, all of them are permeated with a sense of aloofness.

In the spacious and bright parlor, Xu Qi’an met the long-lost Huaiqing, a woman as elegant as a snow lotus.

She wore a plain palace dress with a light yellow light veil over it, simple but not plain, her dark hair was half draped and half coiled up in a bun, with a jasper hairpin and a gold stepping stone.

Her features were beautiful and stunning without losing their three-dimensionality, her eyebrows were exquisitely long and straight, and her eyes were large, bright, and both deep, just like a clear pool after an autumn day.

“Your Highness!”

Xu Qi’an clasped his fists, wanting to smile and ask her if she liked the seal he had given her, but when the words came to his lips, he lost his interest in teasing and took his seat under Huaiqing’s gesture.

“Speak with me about the details of the northern border.” Huaiqing’s face was bland, his brows slightly grave and pensive, and he didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk or laugh.

Xu Qi’an then told the details of what had happened in Chuzhou.

After hearing this, Huaiqing was silent for a long time, her stunningly beautiful face was not seen to be happy or angry, and she softly said, “Accompany me to the courtyard for a walk.”

The back garden of the princess’s mansion was large, and the two of them walked side by side without speaking, but the atmosphere was not awkward, and there was a sense of togetherness as the years passed and the old people met.

“Father is wrong, King Huai is first and foremost a Prince, and secondly a martial artist. In life, the higher the status, the more you have to consider first, is the position you sit in. This is the basis of standing.”

After a long time, Huaiqing sighed, “Therefore, King Huai deserved to die, even though Da Feng lost a peak martial artist because of it.”

What about your father? Did he deserve to die, too?

Xu Qi’an said softly, “Your Highness is righteous.”

Huaiqing shook her head, her beautiful and elegant face appeared frustrated, and said softly, “What does this have to do with righteousness? It’s just that the blood is not yet cold. I …… am very disappointed in my father.”

Xu Qi’an was about to speak when he suddenly received a transmission from Huaiqing, “Father’s closure of the palace is not cowardice, but rather his strategy.”

The cultivation of Princess Huaiqing is not shallow ah, if you want to pass the voice, you must reach the Refined God Realm to be able to do it, she has been biding her time ……… Xu Qi an heart was taken aback, and passed the voice to ask a rhetorical question:

“Strategy?”

Huaiqing slowly nodded his head and transmitted his voice to explain, “Have you ever noticed that during these three days, among the civil officials blocking the palace gate, who has left, who has come, and who is just watching the fun?”

Xu Qi’an was dumbfounded.

Glancing at him, Huaiqing continued his transmission:

“The matter of King Huai’s massacre spread back to the capital, no matter whether it was a traitorous minister or a good minister, no matter whether it was an outrageous outcry or for the sake of gaining fame, but all the people who read books could not possibly be without a reaction. At this time, the group is the most ferocious of the waves. That’s why Father avoided the front line and stayed out of the palace.

“However, once a drum is drummed up, it fails again, and then it fails three times. When the princes have calmed down, when some of them have achieved their goal of making a name for themselves, and when other voices appear in the official arena, only then will Father truly come down to wrestle with the princes. And that day won’t be too far away, this palace promises, within three days.”

Finished, she also “heh” a sound, like a mockery like disdain: “Now the capital rumors, the people are surprised and angry, all classes are discussing, at first glance is the rolling momentum. However, Father’s real opponent, only in the courtroom. And not those peddlers.”

Xu Qi’an frowned tightly and said in a deep voice, “But King Huai finally massacred the city, and he must give an explanation to the princes and to the world.”

Huaiqing, however, sighed pessimistically, “Let’s see how Chief Minister Wang and Duke Wei make their moves.”

In the heavy atmosphere, Xu Qi’an changed the topic, “Your Highness has studied at the Yunlu Academy, have you heard of a book called ‘Gleanings from the Great Zhou’?”

Huaiqing recalled carefully and shook his head, “Unheard of.”

………..

On this day, the civil officials, who were filled with righteous indignation, still failed to break into the palace or see Emperor Yuan Jing. After dusk, each dispersed.

But the civil officials did not give up on this, and agreed to come back tomorrow and paralyze the entire court if Emperor Yuan Jing did not give an explanation.

It was also on this day that different voices did appear in the official circles.

Someone worriedly raised a question, “The slaughter of the city by the King of Zhenbei has become well known, where is the majesty of the court? The people of the world, to the royal family, to the court, I’m afraid that they are beyond disappointed.”

The King of Zhenbei is His Majesty’s sibling, a titular prince, not an ordinary prince.

At the same time, he is also the Dabong military god and the guardian of the North in the hearts of the people.

Such a man, for his own selfishness, slaughtered the city!

The aftermath of this incident was that the people lost their trust in the court, and it was a disgrace to the royal family and a loss of public confidence.

Can the phrase “the King of Zhenbei has been executed” really erase the trauma in the hearts of the people?

That’s not the same thing as executing corrupt officials.

In the past twenty years, the image of the King of Zhenbei was magnificent and tall, a military god, a guardian of the North, and a generation of princes.

Is it comparable to a corrupt official? Killing corrupt officials will only show the majesty of the court and the majesty of the royal family.

But if the royal family had committed such atrocious acts, would the people have applauded as if they had killed corrupt officials? No, their faith would collapse and they would lose trust in the royal family and the court.

It turns out that the King of Zhenbei, whom we glorify and love, is such a character.

Even greater overreactions can occur.

Also on this day, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, was assassinated in his chambers after dusk.

That night, the palace doors were closed, and the forbidden army searched the palace for the assassin, to no avail.

The next day, the four gates of the capital were closed, and the chief ministers, Wang Zhenwen and Wei Yuan, mobilized the five guards of the capital, the constables of the prefectural magistracy, and the night watchmen, to search for the assassin all over the city.

Door to door.

The entire capital city is in a state of panic.

………….

“What does the Crown Prince have to do with this? How come he suffered an assassination for no reason, is it a coincidence, or is it a part of the game? If it’s the latter, that’s too tragic.”

Early in the morning, Xu Qi’an, who had heard about this, immediately went to see Wei Yuan, but Wei Yuan did not see him.

He had no choice but to turn around and go to the post, intending to discuss it with Zheng Xinghuai.

“Lord Zheng has gone out and is not at the post.”

Li Han, who was carrying an ox-horn bow, greeted Xu Qi’an as he entered the room and said in a deep voice:

“Recently there have been more different voices in the official circles, saying that the case of the King of Zhenbei’s massacre is very tricky, and that it concerns the prestige of the imperial court, as well as the hearts and minds of the people all over the country, and that it needs to be handled with care.

“Lord Zheng was so angry that he went out this morning, seemingly to preach at the State Prison.”

Those are the old emperor’s water army ah ………. Xu Qi’an sighed tersely, but she had a few moments of admiration for Emperor Yuan Jing, who had played with power for so many years, and although he was an incompetent emperor, he was not dim-witted.

Together with Li Han, he rode to the State Prison.

From a distance, he saw Zheng Buzheng standing outside the State Prince’s Palace, emotional and impassioned.

“The sages say that the people are the most important thing and the king is the least important thing ……..”

“Zhenbei King with the body of the Prince, slaughtering the people, treating the people like livestock and lambs, is really the common enemy of my readers ………”

“My generation of readers, when the people and the people’s lives for the welfare of the people, to establish virtue and merit and speech, so I returned to the capital, vowed to Chuzhou City 380,000 people to ask for a fair ……..”

Did it work for him?

It certainly works, and some of the newer rising great scholars (academic great scholars), before they have made a name for themselves, like to preach at places like the State Scholarship Academy.

Disseminate your academic ideas.

If it could be recognized by the scholars and make a name for itself, then starting a sect would not be a problem.

Zheng Xinghuai was not spreading ideas, he was criticizing the King of Zhenbei and calling on students to join the army of critics.

The effect is very good, the readers, especially young scholars, a strong ambition, hot blood has not been cold, far more than the officialdom of the old oil is much more pure.

From time immemorial, it has been mostly young people who have caused trouble and marched.

“No one came to stop it?” Xu Qi’an asked.

Li Han shook his head.

This is unreasonable …….. Xu Qi’an frowned.

He patiently waited by the side of the road until Zheng Xinghuai finished spitting out the anger in his chest and returned with Shentu Baili and the other guards, and only then did Xu Qi’an welcome him.

“This is not the place to talk, Xu Yinluo follow me back to the post.” Zheng Xinghuai’s face was ancient and serious as he nodded slightly.

Returning to the post, Zheng Xinghuai guided Xu Qi’an into the study, and after Li Han served tea, this scholar with great ups and downs in his life, looked at Xu Qi’an and said:

“Is it for today’s official rumors?”

“This is only one of them, the rumors were spread by him, yet they are not without merit, one has to be on guard.” Xu Qi’an sighed and said:

“I am mainly for the case of the Prince’s assassination.”

Zheng Xinghuai mused, “Who has been the most active in this case?”

Xu Qi’an froze, “Duke Wei and Chief Minister Wang.”

Zheng Xinghuai sat upright, nodded his head and said, “This matter is mostly plotted by Duke Wei and Chief Minister Wang, as to what the purpose is, I would not know.”

What? Duke Wei and Minister Wang want to assassinate the Crown Prince?

What is the reason, does the crown prince have anything to do with this case ………. This answer was something Xu Qi’an couldn’t imagine in any way.

After deliberating for a long time, Zheng Xinghuai looked at the water leak in the room and said in a deep voice, “I still have to visit my old friends in the capital and move around, so I won’t leave Xu Yinluo behind.”

Xu Qi’an rose obediently, and when he reached the threshold, Zheng Xinghuai’s voice came from behind him, “Xu Yinluo ……..”

He looked back.

This scholar with a gradually stooping spine straightened his hair, which was gray at the temples, and made a bow:

“A man’s promise weighs a thousand pieces of gold, I like Xu Yinluo’s half of the lyrics, that day I promised the 300,000 people who died in vain at the head of the city that I would seek justice for them, and since I have already made a promise, I will have no complaints and no regrets.

“After this matter, Zheng will resign from his post and return to his hometown, and I fear that I will never see you again in this life; therefore, this official would like to thank you in advance.”

Xu Qi’an turned around, his face serious and meticulous as he returned the salute.

He opened the door to his room, stepped out of the threshold, and after a few steps, the sound of Zheng Xinghuai’s chanting came from the room behind him:

“Young man’s chivalry, making friends with Wudu Xiong. Liver and guts. Hair shrugged. In the middle of the conversation. Death and life are the same. A promise weighs a thousand pieces of gold. ………”

The world s affairs are chaotic and noisy, if you can accomplish your work and retire, you can only stay in a seat of leisure and ease, idyllic and pastoral, which is not bad ……… Xu Qi an smiled.

……….

The Imperial Palace.

Emperor Yuan Jing sat on a futon, his eyes half-closed, and faintly said, “Has the assassin been caught yet?”

The old eunuch shook his head and respectfully said, “No news has come in.”

“If you can’t catch it, you don’t need to catch it.”

Emperor Yuan Jing opened his eyes, his smile was cold, but it was a tone of emotion, “Above this courtroom, it’s just Wei Yuan and Wang Zhenwen that are a bit interesting, everyone else is worse.”

The old eunuch lowered his head, not commenting and not daring to comment.

Emperor Yuan Jing continued, “Send someone out of the palace to bring word to those on the list that there’s no need to be flashy, but there’s no need to be careful either.”

After a pause, he continued, “Notify the Cabinet, I tomorrow in the Imperial Study Room, convene all the public deliberations. Discuss the Chuzhou case.”

The old eunuch breathed in sharply and said, “Yes!”

…………

PS: You can support the filly in the “Discover” section of the app, in the Activity Center, the first place is him/her. The filly’s highest moment in her life.