After dinner, Xiao Liu had no intention of leaving. Compared to the deserted prince's mansion, he wanted to stay with his master. There were always many people around his master, a lot of delicious food, and a lot of laughter. It seemed that even the air around his master was warm.
Hua Zhi didn't rush him, but instead began to ponder, "In your opinion, is Wei Congwen surrendering or setting up a trap?"
"I kept thinking about it on the way here, and I felt that both were possible." Xiao Liu expressed his feelings. "You were assassinated shortly after the New Year, and when it was traced to Wei Congwen, you stopped the assassination and let the matter go. Wei Congwen is a smart man, and it is impossible for him not to see that it would not benefit him whether it succeeded or not. If it succeeded, Brother Yan Xi would definitely not let him go, and if it failed, he would be the one to take the blame. The Fourth Prince has always treated him as an abandoned child, and the two of them must have had a grudge. Even if the Fourth Prince really becomes more powerful than ten thousand people in the future, it will not be of any benefit to Wei Congwen. For himself and for the Wei family, he must find another way out, and I am his choice, so he is willing to surrender to me."
Xiaoliu looked at his master, not knowing if what he said was right.
Hua Zhi lowered her head and picked up the teacup, "Continue."
"Yes." Xiao Liu reorganized his thoughts. "It's a 50% chance that this is a setup. After all, Wei Congwen is now a well-known member of the Fourth Prince's party. It makes sense that he set up a setup for the Fourth Prince to harm me. But because of the reason I mentioned earlier, he knew that he wouldn't get any benefits from the Fourth Prince and probably wouldn't do anything for him intentionally. So even if this address is really a setup, he must have left us clues to break it."
Hua Zhi stroked the teacup, "Do you dare to use such a person?"
"dare."
"oh?"
Xiao Liu pursed his lips and said, "I have checked Wei Congwen. Although he has always been suppressed by Mr. Hua, he is also a capable person. It's just that he is too eager for quick success and always wants to take shortcuts. Such a person can be used but needs to be suppressed."
Hua Zhi smiled. The child's progress was really astonishing, especially after not seeing him for a while. "I used to hear grandfather talk about the affairs of the court when we were chatting. Occasionally, when he mentioned Wei Congwen, he would shake his head and say it was a pity. As far as I know, he has an old mother who is confused. His wife is the old lady's niece, and her temperament is exactly the same as the old lady. His son is okay, although he is short-sighted and useless. He can rely on the blessing of the Wei family to get a stable official position and survive. But his only grandson has been spoiled by those two women. The Wei family has no successor, so how can he not be anxious? Putting aside these external factors, he can actually be considered a half-capable official."
After a pause, Hua Zhi continued, "This is what my grandfather said about him."
Xiao Liu smiled, "Master Hua is really broad-minded. Master Wei has done many things against him."
Hua Zhi shook her head and chuckled. It was true that her grandfather was broad-minded and didn't bother with the Wei family, but she also criticized him privately for his bad family traditions. She didn't say anything that would damage her grandfather's image. "The situation can't continue like this. We are too passive. We will only make mistakes when they are anxious and confused. We can't let them sit back and relax."
"yes."
As he was speaking, Chen Qing came running back, gasping for breath, which showed how anxious he was.
Hua Zhi stood up and asked, "How is it?"
"The room is full of food and weapons, even the emperor's crown and clothes are ready!"
It turned out to be true. Hua Zhi was not surprised at all. When she saw the address, she had guessed it in her heart. Although the other party was in the upper hand and had the emperor in their hands, they could not keep the emperor from showing up all the time. The court officials would not do that. Even if they really used the name of clearing the court of evil officials and saving the emperor, they could not get away with it. But they were also sure that the other party could not find any fault, so the other party could only create a fault for them.
"Did you see anyone when you went there?"
"Yes, I also saw someone useful around the Fourth Prince."
Hua Zhi frowned and thought for a while, "If I let you decide, what should you do now?"
Chen Qing said without thinking: "Of course I will take people to catch them all!"
Hua Zhi's eyes lit up. She knew what the other party wanted to do. "Report to the police immediately."
Chen Qing was puzzled, "Report to the police? But they haven't been caught yet, and reporting to the police won't hurt them at all, right?"
"We can't catch him. If we take people over now, we will fall into their trap. They will cry thief, saying that we prepared those things to rebel. We will use their tricks against them. The emperor has not appeared for a long time, and the officials are worried. If we uncover these things now, they will be more eager to see the emperor and will become suspicious."
Hua Zhi's eyes sparkled. "They will suspect someone is up to something. The less the emperor shows up, the more they will suspect that something bad has happened to him. Then..."
Chen Qing still had something he didn't understand, so he clasped his fists and said, "I'll arrange it right away."
"Remember to find people who have nothing to do with us. We can't let them throw dirty water on us."
"yes."
Hua Zhi walked to the candle, took off the cover and adjusted the wick to make the light brighter, then took out Wei Congwen's note again and examined it carefully. Her idea was the same as Xiao Liu's. Since he had already left her heart, Wei Congwen would not go all the way to the end.
When she touched something hard and smooth, she felt relieved. It was dark at the time and she was careless.
"Master, what did you find?"
Hua Zhi touched the spot and motioned for him to look. Xiao Liu touched it and asked, "Wax?"
"Like wax."
Xiaoliu gently scraped off the wax with his fingernails, leaving a thin layer covering two words written in charcoal pencil: It's a fraud!
"Lord Wei is indeed willing to surrender. If we ask him about his fourth brother, he will tell us."
"Since you have already left your heart, even if you know, it is limited. But knowing a little is good. Come, go and call Chen Qing."
Someone responded and left.
Chen Qing was arranging matters nearby, and when he heard the call he came immediately without delay.
"Please go to the Wei family and tell them that the Sixth Prince has received his reminder. Also ask him if he has anything else to tell us. Wei Congwen knows you, and he might not trust anyone else."
"Yes, I will go right away."
The rain still didn't stop. Hua Zhi walked to the door, and the wind blew up her skirt. "The Spring Examination will be here soon."
Xiaoliu took the cloak and walked forward to put it on the master's shoulders. "Do you think it can be held as scheduled this year?"
"It's not my decision. It's fine if the emperor is happy, but if..."
In the silence, Xiaoliu spoke up, "Students have already arrived in Beijing one after another."
"You can discuss this matter with the ministers." Hua Zhi turned to look at the young man who was as tall as a poplar. "Go back, cheer up, and don't be impulsive."
"Yes." Xiaoliu bowed, "You have worked too hard, please take a good rest and let your brain rest."
"I know."
PS: It was already dinner when I got home. I am a little proud that I can publish one chapter at my speed... The plot is progressing, and the girls can put it aside for a few days before reading it, but it is almost finished. Also, I have good news for you all. Kong Kong won the Popular Author Award, the most important award. It was the girls who pushed me to that position. Thank you all, and please continue to love me in the days to come. I will continue to write seriously to repay you all. I love you, just as you love me.