White smoke curled up from the tea in the cup, and the room was silent.
Ji Yanran leaned back on the back of the chair, and sighed almost inaudibly.
Zhou Ming and Zhou Jiuxiao have not yet found the mastermind behind the theft of the Buddhist beads and relics, and now it involves the diversion of Baihe seventeen years ago. The contradiction between China, or more precisely, the contradiction between military power and imperial power.
A splitting headache.
Yun Yifeng exited the guest room, and gently closed the door for him.
Wu Suosi was standing outside the door. He came to deliver a letter. Today, the post office in the city just received a report from the border, saying that the Ge Teng tribe who had been entrenched in the northeastern part of the desert, for some unknown reason, unexpectedly After taking the initiative, I withdrew to my lair. Although it seemed like a good thing, the cessation came too easily, but it made people feel that the rain was about to come, and my heart became more and more uncertain.
"Master Yunmen, what's the matter?" He lowered his voice, "The guards at the door didn't dare to show their air, and they kept waving their hands to tell me not to go in. Something happened to the Xu family again?"
"Yes." Yun Yifeng glanced behind him, "Go to your room and talk."
Although the secret hidden behind this matter is huge and has nine twists and turns, it is simple to say, and can be explained in a few sentences. Wu Suosi didn't expect that this matter would be related to Baihe's diversion. The thing he was most worried about before finally happened. The reason why the other party wanted to make a storm this time was probably only one-third to avenge the Xu family. The remaining seven points belong to Ji Yanran.
Yun Yifeng said: "I have already persuaded the prince, if it is really related to Baihe, it will be useless to investigate more, and it will be in the hands of the mastermind behind the scenes."
Wu Suosi hurriedly asked, "Where is the prince, what did he say?"
"He didn't say anything, he should still be hesitating." Yun Yifeng said, "Actually, Mrs. Xu's rhetoric of the Guandong bandit gang was to keep the descendants of the Xu family on the one hand, and on the other hand, it also indirectly gave the prince a step. As long as the crime is punished according to the law, the matter can be stopped here, and the people who died unjustly can be comforted. But if the investigation continues and it is really proved that this matter is related to the emperor, then what should be done, what can be done?"
The past is over, and the world is in splendid peace at this time. No ruler would be willing to be exposed to this kind of past events, and the concealment has nothing to do with personal feelings. A flaw in the emperor's conduct is tantamount to handing a knife to someone with ulterior motives, even if it is just for the stability of the country. Ji Yanran, as a military commander who holds great power, should absolutely safeguard the decency and perfection of the royal family. In particular, Li Jing is still a good emperor at the moment, trying his best to govern the country and manage the country in an orderly manner.
Wu Suosi sighed: "My lord is also aware of this point. If we dig further, there will only be disadvantages, no benefits, so he hesitates."
Yun Yifeng frowned: "I don't understand."
Wu Suosi got up and made a pot of tea for him: "Does Master Yunmen know about General Liao?"
Yun Yifeng nodded.
The veteran of the two dynasties, the well-known undefeated general Liao Rushan, who fought east and west for many years and made immortal military exploits for Daliang, died of illness just a few years ago.
"General Liao had a son when he was old. He had a single seedling named Liao Han. He was sent to the palace to accompany him when he was ten years old. He had a very good relationship with the emperor and the prince. The three of them often practiced literature and martial arts together. They were like brothers. "Wu Suosi said, "The prince was naughty when he was a child, and he often caused troubles. He was punished to kneel down and copy articles. Every time, the general went to the emperor to intercede, and sometimes he slipped out of the palace to play. a meal."
Ji Yanran regards General Liao as a teacher and a father, and respects and adores Liao Han, who is nine years older than him, as if he were his own brother. He followed him from the time he could walk until he was eight years old.
Wu Suosi said: "That year, Young Master Liao just turned seventeen."
Li Jing was ordered to supervise the diversion of the Baihe River, and Liao Han also left the palace, and led his troops to each village in person, escorting the people to leave their homeland in batches and move to their new homes. At that time, the various factions in the court were divided. Although Li Jing was highly valued by the emperor, it was not certain whether he would become the crown prince in the future. In addition, everyone had their own thoughts, and the matter of diverting the Baihe River was pushed forward, and it was even more restricted everywhere. Not enough either. In the early days, in order to reassure Li Jing, Liao Han called a bunch of his brothers to run around. It was common for him to stay awake for days and nights. General Liao helped in many ways, and the prospects gradually became clear.
Wu Suosi sighed: "Seeing that the matter is about to be finished, Young Master Liao... At that time, he said that he was tired, sick and dizzy, and he insisted on resettling the last batch of people, but when the flood came, he stumbled and fell. Hillside, gone."
Liao Rushan was deeply affected by this, and fell into a serious illness. Although he managed to cure it later, it hurt his heart, and he became thinner and aging day by day. .
Yun Yifeng probed: "Then Liao Han's accident..."
"My lord has never believed it. He suspected that a traitor was plotting against him. He knocked Master Liao unconscious and pushed him into the water, so he kept investigating. Even after he was sent to the northwest, he never gave up looking for the truth." Wu Suosi said, "The old concubine told me all of this. Later, he actually found some clues. The military doctor at the time said that Young Master Liao was not sick at all. Before leaving, he and his brothers caught a few wild pheasants. They were full of energy. .”
Scroll down further, and the whole thing becomes more and more strange. According to the roster registration, the soldiers and horses that Liao Han took out that night were suddenly sent to the southwest after the incident, but they were all killed when a rock collapsed on the way.
In the past ten years, Ji Yanran has searched almost all the ministers in the court one by one, trying to find out the culprit behind the scenes, but has not gained much. Afterwards, Old General Liao also left. The General's Mansion, which used to be crowded with people, finally lost its last trace of vitality. It was covered with cobwebs everywhere, and dust was everywhere. Those good memories of playing together in the palace, those companionship and laughter, and the tenderness and tenderness of being as close as family members have also been completely sealed in the memory.
Yun Yifeng asked: "After Liao Han's accident, has anyone seen the soldiers he led that night?"
Wu Suosi shook his head: "No, this is really abnormal. Even if you want to go to the southwest, you must at least go back to the station to pack your bags, right? So the prince has always believed that they were pushed into the water on the same night."
But now it seems that maybe no one pushed at all, but there was no time to evacuate.
"My lord has been looking for the truth for so many years, and many trivial people have gone to investigate." Wu Suosi sighed, "but there is no..."
"The only thing that never doubted the emperor." Yun Yifeng said.
"Not only is there no doubt, the prince has also dragged the emperor to investigate the past many times, often staying in the palace, analyzing all possible murderers all night without sleep." The more Wu Suosi thought about it, the more he had a headache, "Oh!"
If Liao Han's accidental death was really caused by Li Jing's negligence, then what are all these years and so many things
Yun Yifeng asked: "The prince and the emperor sound like they have a good relationship?"
"At least it's not like folk rumors." Wu Suosi said, "Ordinary people, brothers will fight openly and secretly, let alone born in the royal family, stumbling is inevitable. But these years, there have been suspicions and temptations between the emperor and the prince. It is true that there is brotherhood, and if there is any rare and good thing, the emperor wants to send it to the northwest."
"I understand." Yun Yifeng nodded, and said again, "Then you go and persuade the prince, at most we can interrogate Xu's father and son again, if it is really related to Baihe's diversion, then treat them as Jiangyang thieves and sentence them to death Make a decision, the whole thing ends here."
Wu Suosi quickly declined: "I still won't go."
Yun Yifeng: "..."
Wu Suosi lowered his voice: "I found that as long as the prince sees the sect master, he will be in a particularly good mood, why not go to the sect master."
After finishing speaking, he urged: "Change into new clothes."
Yun Yifeng said: "Add more money."
Old Wu readily agreed that he could add as much as he wanted, as long as he could pull the prince out of the horns and dig out the wind and rain doors of the palace!
In the next room, Ji Yanran still maintained the previous posture, motionless.
Yun Yifeng pushed the door open and came in, pulled out the chair and sat opposite him.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a trace of moonlight, Ji Yanran sat up straight suspiciously, and looked him up and down: "Did you go change your clothes just now?"
"Old Wu hired me to change it." Yun Yifeng opened his arms, "He said that he is dressed like this, and the prince is in a good mood."
Ji Yanran: "..."
Ji Yanran didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and slumped back on the chair again: "He told you all?"
Yun Yifeng moved the chair to his side: "I asked Lao Wu to go to the prison to mention Xu Qiuyi. No matter what, I have to take him to the inn."
"What if it's really Brother Huang?" Ji Yanran turned to look at him.
"If it's really the emperor, the mistake has already been made, so what can we do?" Yun Yifeng said, "Follow the will of the person behind the scenes, raise troops to rebel, kill the king and usurp the throne, avenge old friends, and the common people?"
Ji Yanran had a toothache when she heard it: "You are really... outspoken."
"My lord is about to rebel, I said a few words what's wrong, and I didn't go out and shout on the street." Yun Yifeng was confident.
Ji Yanran was annoyed by him: "If it's really related to Baihe's diversion, then I shouldn't investigate anymore."
"All the things now are actually just our guesses, without evidence." Yun Yifeng said, "Is it true that the big knot that has been there for more than ten years is no longer solved? What if all this has nothing to do with the emperor?"
Ji Yanran closed her eyes: "What if all this is not only related to the emperor, but also unintentional?"
Yun Yifeng frowned slightly.
"It was already the last few days of the entire diversion project." Ji Yanran said, "Those who can be delayed until that time will definitely rather die than leave their homeland. Some of them want to guard their ancestral graves, and some are too greedy and want more resettlement. Money, some are instigated by villains, or some are for other reasons, in short, they are all brains that cannot be persuaded."
Liao Han is kind and gentle, so he must go door to door to persuade him, but if he can't be persuaded, and Li Jing's military orders issued by civil and military officials are imminent, what will happen
Ji Yanran said: "Brother Huang's methods, I know."
Yun Yifeng followed him and said: "So you suspect that seventeen years ago, the emperor, knowing that there were still people who had not evacuated and that Liao Han people were still in the village, still ordered the gates to be opened to release water, just because he could deliver on time? "
Ji Yanran remained silent.
It may be just a small village, and there are only a dozen or dozens of households left in it. Compared with the whole project, this number is not worth mentioning. It's easy to fool around.
Yun Yifeng picked up the teacup, feeling a little worried.
If Xu Qiuyi can really confess what happened back then, and it is confirmed that the emperor gave the order to open the gate, then that's all. But if he is just a young man who has received orders from his superiors in a daze, and does not know who made the higher decisions, how will he settle this messy debt
If it is traced, it will inevitably uncover the past, which seems to be in the hands of the mastermind behind the scenes.
If you don't check, the knot in Ji Yanran's heart will never be resolved, and her feelings for that imperial brother will inevitably become more subtle.
"And even if I stop now, I can't wash it off anymore." Ji Yanran reached out and pulled his hair, "I've been checking Shiba Villa for so long, Brother Huang always thought I was looking into the Red Crow Sect. Even if in the end they are sentenced to death for the crime of killing and stealing goods, what if someone reveals the real identity of the Xu family father and son in front of the emperor? Will he believe my words and believe that I have not found out anything? Or will he decide? I have learned the truth back then, but deliberately concealed it?"
Yun Yifeng asked: "Then what is the prince's plan?"
"Confused." Ji Yanran straightened her legs, leaned back stiffly, and said with a wry smile, "After so many years of running rampant, looking for the murderer everywhere, it's good now, not to mention avenging the old general and brother, I can't even tell the truth again." checked."
Yun Yifeng stared at him for a while, then suddenly asked: "How much money does Prince Xiao's mansion have?"
Ji Yanran was puzzled: "Huh?"
"I'll do the math. If the numbers are about the same, then Fengyumen will take over the business."
Ji Yanran sat up straight: "Will you check for me?"
"Even if you want to have a talk with the emperor, you must first know the truth, so as not to be deceived by others." Yun Yifeng said, "I will do it myself, and I will never leak any rumors. Don't worry, my lord."
Ji Yanran looked at him: "You..."
"I haven't said it yet, your family property in Prince Xiao's Mansion." Yun Yifeng raised his eyebrows, "If it's only one thousand eight hundred taels, then forget it, I won't do business at a loss."
"The property of Prince Xiao's Mansion is in the hands of my mother and Lao Wu." Ji Yanran smiled, "My mother already belonged to you last time, now Lao Wu also belongs to you, how about it?"
Wu Suosi sneezed blankly next door.
Yun Yifeng nodded: "Okay, deal!"