strategizing
After Qi Yan left, Nangong Jingnu sat alone on the bunk bed, lost in thought.
Although Qiyan still felt lost because she couldn't understand her painstaking efforts, Nangong Jingnv calmed down and thought about it: Qi Yan is not an unreasonable person, and the other party did say that entering the heavenly prison was part of his plan.
As for the content of the plan, it may be the reason for Qi Yan's lack of energy these days, but he did not disclose it.
At this point, Nangong Jingnu knew that it was useless to fight, so she could only wait patiently.
Most of the detainees in Dali Temple are courtiers and royal relatives who have made mistakes, and the conditions of the cells are naturally much better than those in the prisons of the Ministry of Punishment.
Qi Yan lived in a separate suite with three walls and one railing. Inside, there were: a desk, four treasures of the study, an oil lamp and a half pot of lamp oil, a futon behind the desk, and some straw scattered on the ground.
There is also a small room inside, which is only half the size of the outer room. On the left is a wooden bed, a thick wooden board is placed in the middle as a screen, and on the other side is a grain reincarnation bucket and a washbasin.
The jailer greeted him with a smile, walked in front of him with a waist all the way, took Qi Yan to the innermost cell, and opened the big lock: "Master Consort, please come inside."
Qi Yan: "Thank you."
After entering the cell, the jailer locked the lock again, and smiled through the railing: "I feel sorry for you to stay here for less time. The cells around you are empty and clean. If you have any orders, just pull it over there. Children's rope, connected to the bell to the lobby, we heard the bell and came right away."
Qi Yan: "I know."
Jailer: "Then you won't disturb your rest if you are young."
Qi Yan: "Please."
The environment in the cell was even better than Qi Yan imagined. She sat cross-legged on the futon after sizing up. The only fly in the ointment was that she didn't have a few books to pass the time...
Another hour later, a conversation was heard outside the cell, and the jailer said, "Why did Auntie come in person? You can send someone to speak, and we'll go get it."
Qiu Ju: "You and I each perform our duties, where is the trouble? Where is the concubine? Do you two want to check?"
Jailer: "How dare you, we don't worry about the things that aunt personally sent, please come here."
Qi Yan stood up, the jailer led Qiu Ju, followed by two servants, two palace maids, five people stopped outside across the railing, and gave Qi Yan a palace salute: " See Consort."
Qi Yan: "Why is Sister Qiuju here?"
Qiu Ju: "His Royal Highness sent slaves to deliver something to the concubine. The environment here is simple. Please let the concubine be wronged for a few days."
Qi Yan: "Thank you, Your Highness, on my behalf."
The jailer bowed and invited five people in. Today, Qiu Ju was wearing the palace attire of the female official in charge, and the rank was clear at a glance. Usually, apart from accompanying Nangong Jingnv to the palace banquet, Qiu Ju rarely dresses so formally.
Qi Yan's heart is as bright as a mirror: Nangong Jingnv was afraid that she would be wronged, so if she couldn't come in person, she asked Qiu Ju to walk for her to deter the jailer.
This move was indeed effective. I saw the jailer standing in the corner with his waist bent, his eyes wandering, and he already had a balance in his heart.
The officials of Dali Temple are the most observant. Whether the people who come in are really losing their power, or just stand, you can tell at a glance.
A palace maid came out of the room and reported, "Auntie, is the original bedding laid underneath or lost?"
Qiu Ju glanced at the palace maid: "Of course I lost it, and I lost it far away."
Maid: "Yes."
The other two servants worked together to carry a box, chose a place to put it, and took out the contents.
Qiu Ju: "These are the clothes that His Highness personally prepared for the concubine, as well as some books and bamboo slips, the four treasures of the study, the copper stove and kettle for making tea, the tea set and saucer, the hand stove and the mother-in-law who warms the quilt. They are all here. By the way, this is The two boxes of dried melons, vegetables and fruits are all my father’s favorites. I’m tired of reading and eat some. There are some omissions when I come here in a hurry, and I also ask the concubine to use it first.”
Qi Yan: "Your Highness has a heart."
Qiu Ju: "My concubine's three meals a day will be delivered by the servants in person. If there is any lack of servants, I will bring them to the prince. Later, there will be a servant who will deliver the cooked silver charcoal brazier. Master put Mrs. Tang in the bed ahead of time."
Qi Yan: "I know."
After a few people's care, the prison cell, which had a good environment, has been raised to a new level.
Even the jailer was stunned: I am a good boy, there are many dignitaries who have lived in this cell, and the second prince also stayed here before he was convicted, and I have never seen it like this.
His Highness Zhen Zhen really loved this concubine to the bottom of his heart, completely disregarding the opinions of others.
After everyone left, Qi Yan picked up a book and read it. At night, Qiu Ju came to deliver meals, and she really brought a few servants with a charcoal basin.
Qiu Ju: "Please take the medicine first and then have dinner."
Qi Yan: "Sister Qiu Ju has to preside over the affairs of the Weiming Palace during the day. It will be cold in a few days, and it will be even more difficult if it snows. From now on, don't run away in person, just send someone to deliver it. "
Qiu Ju looked back and saw that the jailer had already retreated with interest. She waved her hand to let the servants go out and wait. She knelt down beside Qi Yan and said in a low voice, "My concubine, Your Highness said that you will have to change the clothes that she brought. Change a set every day, and when you’re done, it’s time to go out.”
Qi Yan was silent for a moment: "Understood, you can go back when it's late."
Qiu Ju: "The slaves retire."
After dinner, Qi Yan read two more pages of the book and went to sleep in the inner room.
In the morning three days later, it was the time when the morning court was over, and the chatter between the jailer and others came from the corridor again.
Qi Yan closed the scroll in her hand, if she was not mistaken, it should be him.
Jailer: "Please see Lord Shangshu for the lower official."
Gongyanghuai: "Give me the key."
Jailer: "This... little one, take the Lord Shangshu over there, right?"
Gongyanghuai: "Dali Temple's cell is so solid that we are afraid that we won't be able to fly away? This official will not embarrass you. It's only half an hour, and no one should disturb you."
After a sound of metal collision, after a dozen more breaths, Gong Yanghuai, Minister of Rites, appeared outside the cell.
Qi Yan: "Baishi, you are here."
Gongyanghuai opened the lock in silence, Qi Yan pulled out a mattress from under the desk and spread it to the side: "Sit down."
Gongyanghuai sat cross-legged beside Qi Yan, raised his eyes, looked around and looked at Qi Yan for a while, and said with confidence: "I knew you would not be wronged."
Qi Yan hooked the corner of her mouth: "Thanks to His Highness."
Gongyanghuai put his arm on the desk, leaned over, lowered his voice and said, "You can go out soon."
Qi Yan: "Oh?"
Gongyanghuai sighed with emotion, with a look of envy in his eyes: "Not only does His Highness Zhen Zhen protect you, I really didn't expect you to accumulate such prestige in the court."
Qi Yan: "What's wrong?"
Gongyanghuai: "In the early morning today, Li Qiaoshan, a member of the Ministry of Works, presented a joint memorial in the court, asking His Majesty to show mercy and treat you lightly."
Qi Yan: "Li Qiaoshan? I don't seem to be friends with him for no reason."
Gongyanghuai patted Qi Yan's arm and explained in a low voice, "Do you know who is the joint name in the memorial?"
Qi Yan: "I don't know."
Gongyanghuai: "Students from Jinzhou, a total of fifty-three people jointly plead for mercy."
Qi Yan raised her eyebrows: "Why so many?!" Since Jinzhou suffered the first year of Jingjia's calamity, no students have ever entered the palace exam. Although Jinzhou has been brilliant this year, there are only ten candidates for the gold list. The number of people, fifty-three, greatly exceeded Qi Yan's expectations.
Gongyanghuai said with a smile: "This time, there are 86 Jinzhou students who have passed the Qiuqi Township Examination, 10 of whom have been awarded the title of Gold List and have stayed in Beijing, and 43 have stayed in the capital as scholars or jurors. I'm doing 'Shi Brown' to deliver articles to various prefectures and waiting for recommendation. Did Yuan Jun forget? Every time after the list is released and the next big exam starts, students who fail the list can stay in Beijing and recommend themselves. In previous years, there would not be so many people. However, the ten Jinzhou students who made the gold list this year have all stayed in the capital, and you are the chief examiner of Jinzhou nationality. The qualifications of the upper court, when I heard that you had an accident, they were very anxious and rushed to tell each other. I heard Li Qiaoshan say: These people originally planned to hand over the book before the will of punishing the crime was issued, hey... They were suffering from no way. In the end, This year's second-ranked student from Jinzhou: Qin De, I found the champion of this scientific examination, Yuwenjin, the young son of the Minister of War. Yuwenjin can be regarded as your protégé, but about you he My father is one of the impeachers. Yuwenjin did not dare to openly disobey his father, so he secretly found Li Qiaoshan, a foreign minister of the Ministry of Works, and handed the book to him. Li Qiaoshan admires what you did when you were the minister of the Ministry of Engineering. brought it up."
So far, Qi Yan's first purpose of being imprisoned on her own has been achieved.
She has cultivated many Jinzhou students, but she does not know who is truly loyal to herself. Although they can't fully judge this time, as long as they sign the book, it will be difficult for them to go to the sky if they want to worship other mountain gates in the future.
That's what Qi Yan wants. She doesn't care how much they give up, as long as they have no backers other than themselves.
Jinzhou's veins are connected with the same qi. Qi Yan, as Jinzhou's highest official rank in the court, the more Jinzhou people in the imperial court, the more stable her status will be;
Gongyanghuai: "Although these people have the highest rank only from the fifth rank, they are very young, and the eldest is only twenty-five years old. Within ten years, the humerus pillar of the imperial court will appear among them, so Even His Majesty should consider it carefully."
Gongyanghuai sighed and patted Qi Yan's shoulder: "As the saying goes, sow melons to gain melons, and benevolence to benevolence. You can be regarded as a blessing in disguise. Looking at the whole court, there are people with higher prestige than you, but you can get it. You are the only one supported by so many young people. Even when Master Xing was as old as you, he didn't have the ability."
Seeing that Qi Yan was silent, Gongyang Huai leaned over to Qi Yan again and said, "Although you have no official position now, you still have the status of a royal family, and with this letter, you should be able to go out soon. It won't take long for you to be reactivated based on your ability. It may be difficult to restore the official position, but it is more than enough to be a servant. If you say damn it... until the new emperor ascends the throne... "
Qi Yan: "Baishi!"
Gongyanghuai covered his mouth: "I know I know."
Qi Yan took a deep breath, took the writing brush and the cut rice paper, and wrote: I ask you, you, your ram, are you loyal to the king or to the Fifth Highness
Gongyanghuai's eyes widened, looked at Qi Yan suspiciously, pondered for a moment and wrote truthfully: Judging from the current situation, being loyal to the Fifth Highness is equivalent to being loyal to the monarch.
Qi Yan grabbed the piece of paper, balled it into a ball, and threw it into the brazier.
Continue to write: If I tell you that there is another candidate for the new king, what should I do
Gongyanghuai was horrified, trembling with the tip of his pen, and wrote: "Don't dare to make this joke, you...
Qi Yan: Your Majesty already has a candidate for the crown prince in his heart, and has left me a secret decree, ordering me to fully assist the future crown prince to ascend the throne. How can such a big thing be child's play
Gongyanghuai held the piece of paper written by Qi Yan in front of him and looked at it for a long time, then looked back with a guilty conscience, seeing that no one behind him threw it into the brazier, and watched the piece of paper burn to ashes Only then took his eyes back, his throat moved and swallowed, but he opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
Qi Yan continued to write: If Your Majesty is interested in the Fifth Highness, why has he been the Prince of the Supervising Kingdom for many years and has not made any progress? Tell me today, whether you and your Gongyang clan are loyal to the monarch or to the Fifth Highness.
Gongyanghuai grabbed the wrist holding the pen, the tip of the pen still shaking uncontrollably.
Today's "conversation" between him and Qi Yan in the cell is related to the life and death of the entire Gongyang clan. Gongyanghuai really can't think of who the "Prince" written by Qi Yan is. The prince of the lord, and there is no one who stands out from Nangongda.
However, "loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness" is something that is engraved in the bones of every scholar in the Wei Kingdom. In ancient times, there was a "clothing and belt edict". In the face of a puppet emperor, countless people swear allegiance to the death, not to mention that Nangong asked the emperor who held real power. Woolen cloth
Although Nangong Rang has been in poor health over the past few years and rarely shows up, as long as the throne is not passed on to others, Nangong Rang is still the object of most officials' swearing allegiance.
Finally, Gongyanghuai started writing and wrote on the paper: "Loyalty".
Qi Yan also burned this piece of paper and wrote: The secret decree given to me by Your Majesty will be shown to you at an opportunity. Your Majesty intends to let the "three-five" party fight and support the future crown prince to secretly become bigger, but it is a pity that people are not as good as heaven. , Prince Rui's death broke the balance, and I didn't have much time left. I must help the prince to stabilize his position as soon as possible.
Gongyanghuai: What do you want me to do
Now that the choice has been made, Gongyanghuai decided to contribute to the new emperor, one is to protect the Gongyang family, and the other is to accumulate enough merits, and when the new emperor ascends the throne, he can make further progress.
Although the current situation Nangong is in full swing, Gongyanghuai is very clear: all these rays of light are given by His Majesty, and taking it back is also a matter of reconciliation.
Moreover, as long as Nangong Dayi is not the prince, even if His Majesty dies, the candidates for the new emperor must follow the edict.
Qi Yan: Stay with Nangongda for the time being and don’t expose it. Report his developments to me. As for Nangongda’s orders, Gongyang Mansion had better work without effort.
Gongyanghuai: Good.
Qi Yan: To be honest, I have already recommended you to the crown prince as the new captain, but there is still some transition.
Gongyanghuai: Is this true? !
Taiwei, the top military attache, and Zhongshuling's status in the court are on a par with each other. The real one is under ten thousand people, and it is the goal of countless military attaches throughout their lives.
Gongyanghuai: I came from a civil servant background, how can I be a Taiwei
Qi Yan: That's why you need a little transition. If necessary, you can ask the Fifth Highness to help you.
Gongyanghuai: Understood.
Gongyanghuai: Yuanjun... Could you tell Your Majesty who your Highness is looking for
Qi Yan: You will know when the time is right.
…
Gongyanghuai watched Qi Yan throw all their conversations into the brazier and turned them into ashes.
He stood up and clasped his fists, and gave Qiyan a bow: "Everything is in silence, Yuan-jun... I will keep all the white stones in my heart in mind, take care."
Qi Yan returned a salute and watched Gongyang Huai Luosuo leave.
So far, Qi Yan's second purpose of being imprisoned on her own has been achieved.
How could Nangong Jingnu think that in just three days, Qi Yan first pulled all the Jinzhou students who stayed in the capital onto the warship, and then pulled the support of the Gongyang clan for her.
There is the last piece left, and Qi Yan himself is not fully sure.
However, it is always more convenient to talk to Princess Zhen Zhen here than in the Weiming Palace, Qi Yan is also convinced that there must be that person's influence in the imperial court and even the inner court...
Qi Yan came to the corner and opened the wooden box that was placed there, and there were two piles of changed clothes neatly stacked inside.
Qi Yan put her hand in and touched it twice from bottom to top. There were still twenty-seven sets left in the box.
In other words, Nangong Jingnu will let herself stay here for twenty-seven days at most, and I don't know if this time is enough
…
On the other side, Nangong Jingnu was sitting upright in the study, with the memorial in front of Jinzhou students' petition jointly named Qi Yan on the desk in front of her.
There are a total of fifty-three names on it, of which the oldest is twenty-five years old, and the highest rank is only from the fifth grade.
Judging from the current situation, these people together did not have any weight among those who impeached Qi Yan.
Looking at this earnestly worded memorial, Nangong Jingnu finally understood Qi Yan's painstaking efforts. The other party provided himself with a list, a list from which he could choose to cultivate his cronies.
Nangongda has already let go, and the joint memorial was presented at the right time. Nangong Jingnv almost ordered Qi Yan to be released in court, but she did not know if Qi Yan had any other moves. She was worried that it would disrupt Qi Yan's deployment, so she held back and did not let him go. .
Right now, the only thing Nangong Jingnv can do is to send Qiu Ju to visit Qi Yan from time to time to see what the other party lacks and what to bring back.
In this way, Nangong Jingnu endured the torment for more than 20 days. The so-called three-chamber trial was only a passing trial. It was only arraigned once, and she politely asked a few non-painful questions. The painting is over.
During this time, the news of the concubine’s imprisonment also came out of the capital. Ding You, who was still in Gyeonggi madly researching the prescription of suspended animation, heard the news in the teahouse, and packed his bags and flew back to Beijing that day.
Ding You: Didn't Qi Yan say that there are still three months? How can it be so fast? But... the fake death drug has not been developed yet, what should I do
Ding You is not stupid. He went to the capital to secretly inquire about the reason why Qi Yan was imprisoned. If the other party was exposed because of his gender, he would not be able to go back.
As a result, Ding You breathed a sigh of relief. He returned to the palace to find Dean Wang and dismissed the fake. Seeing the other party's meaningful gaze, he felt a little uneasy.
In the afternoon, Qiu Ju was ordered to deliver dinner to Qi Yan. Before entering the cell, Qiu Ju shoved a piece of silver into the jailer's hand, and the other party found a reason to leave.
Qiu Ju knelt beside Qi Yan and asked in a low voice, "His Royal Highness ordered the servants to ask, do you have enough clothes to change?"
Qi Yan thought about it and replied, "It seems that there are not many left. I'll send a few more pieces tomorrow."
Qiu Ju: "How many?"
Qi Yan: "Ten pieces."
Qiu Ju: "Yes."