Within a few days, the censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate began to collectively write a letter, impeaching Prime Minister Lin Ruofu to seize other people's property and murder the lives of the people. As soon as this incident happened, the government and the public were shocked, but since Wu Bo'an himself wore the hat of a Northern Qi spy, generally speaking, public opinion still tended to favor the prime minister.
However, on the way for Mrs. Wu to enter the Dali Temple to make a confession, she encountered an assassination for no reason. I don't know whether it was due to Mrs. Wu's fate or the poor fate of the prime minister. At that time, the second prince was traveling with Prince Jing's son In the street, he was rescued just in time.
As a result, the flavor of things began to change a little.
It is rumored that in the deep palace, His Majesty the Emperor once asked the crown prince and the second prince how to deal with the matter. After the prince was silent, he said that the evidence was insufficient, and that the prime minister had made meritorious service to the country. , and still maintain a silent attitude like the younger brother of the prince.
After all, the prime minister is the head of all officials, no matter how he handles it, it will cause an uproar.
It's just that when King Ye Jing heard about this from his son, he was furious, and very rarely entered the palace to have a long night's talk with his brother, but no one knew exactly what they talked about. His Majesty the Emperor rummaged through the memorials of the past ten years that night, looked at the money in the household department, and looked at the political achievements made by the prime ministers. He was silent and could only sigh.
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"Peng Tingsheng, governor of Shandong Road... hey, he was elected eleven years ago. At that time, I first became a minister, and I thought this student was very obedient." Thinking of how obedient he is, you should be clear that I did not ask Peng Tingsheng to do these things. Wu Boan is dead, if I really want to take revenge on his family, it will not be so simple."
"Perhaps Mr. Peng secretly figured out what Xiangye was thinking, so he did this stupid thing." Yuan Hongdao, Lin Ruofu's confidant, frowned slightly.
"Oh?" Lin Ruofu glanced at him with a half-smile, and said softly, "But Tingzhu Peng is not a fool. If it wasn't for the order from the prime minister, he would never bet on his official voice. What's more, the day before yesterday in Beijing Killing people in the street, who did it? Why did you find out about the Xiangfu?"
Yuan Hongdao's expression was a little numb. He stroked his long beard under his chin lightly, and said, "He Zongwei is from the Eastern Palace, but he is just a pawn. He probably doesn't have the guts to do this. There must be someone behind him, but I don't know who it is." The queen is still the eldest princess."
"It's Yun Rui." The Prime Minister smiled and said, "Most of her power in the court is in the Metropolitan Procuratorate. This is her revenge on this old man."
"Revenge for what?"
"Revenge... a lot." The prime minister sighed, "Including the matter of Chen'er, the matter of the son-in-law, and the matter between me and her."
"Actually..." Yuan Hongdao hesitated to speak.
"Say it."
Yuan Hongdao said with a slight smile: "Actually, it depends on what His Majesty wants. If His Majesty doesn't believe it, the position of the Prime Minister will naturally be as stable as Mount Tai."
"Such a clumsy method, the Holy Majesty will definitely see it clearly." The Prime Minister smiled and said: "But the question is whether His Majesty is willing to see it clearly."
"Why did Xiangye say that?"
"So many Beijing officials died a few days ago. As the head of the civil servants, I should be responsible." The prime minister closed his eyes and analyzed: "The most important thing is that His Majesty does not want me to continue to be the prime minister."
Yuan Hongdao replied respectfully: "Master, in fact, there is still a chance that things will turn around. Please let Fan Shangshu speak. The Fan Mansion has a close relationship with the Overwatch Council. If Master Chen Pingping is willing to stand by the Lord, then no matter what No matter how much the court struggles, His Majesty will firmly stand by your side."
Lin Ruofu shook his head: "Your Majesty just wants me to get out of the way."
"Get out of the way for whom?"
"To the crown prince, or to say, to the future majesty." Lin Ruofu thoughtfully, "Fan Xian's momentum is too strong. If I were still in the court, he would manage the Overwatch Council with one hand and the inner treasury with the other. With the truth behind him, this kind of power, I am afraid that even the prince can't match it. I said to Fan Xian a few days ago that a tree is beautiful in the forest, but the wind will destroy it..."
"Your Majesty's meaning is very clear. He wants to train Fan Xian to be a good minister, so that he can assist the prince who will sit on the dragon chair in the future...Since Fan Xian is going to take the throne, Truth will naturally step down." Lin Ruofu smiled and said: "If Truth As long as he is still alive, Fan Xian is in danger."
Yuan Hongdao was slightly startled, but out of the corner of his eyes, he found a faint smile on the corner of Xiangye's lips, as if he was laughing at something.
The sound of Dabao playing in the water came from outside the window, and the prime minister's expression softened. He stood up and walked to the window to look out. Looking at his silly and silly eldest son, he frowned slightly and said softly: "Tomorrow I will Let Wan'er come and take Dabao to Fan Mansion."
Yuan Hongdao waited for Xiangye's next words.
"I will enter the palace to resign. I believe His Majesty will give this old man a more stable old age for the sake of these years of hard work."
Yuan Hongdao was about to say something, but the prime minister waved his hand coldly to stop him, and looked back at him quietly.
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After a very long silence, Lin Ruofu's words were slightly sad: "You wrote the letter to Peng Tingsheng."
The study room suddenly became quiet, and after a long time, Yuan Hongdao responded in a low voice: "Exactly, even this assassination in Beijing was done by the guards of the Prime Minister's Mansion."
"Why?" The prime minister frowned, seeming distressed, "Since I became an official in the court, I have only had you as a friend. I ask myself that I respect you very much on weekdays. Why did you hold back for so many years, and suddenly made a move, and as soon as you made a move? Won't you leave the old man with a way out?"
Yuan Hongdao and the Prime Minister have known each other for half their lives. They are really lifelong friends. It is actually this person who arranged all these things and pushed the Prime Minister into such an embarrassing situation. Framed, even Lin Ruofu had no choice but to back down for a while!
He looked at the prime minister's old face, and said with a trace of apology: "Everyone's existence has his purpose and intention. Old friend, I have been hiding in your study for so many years, in fact, it is for today .I promised someone that I would be there for him when he needed you to step down."
Lin Ruofu looked at the old friend in front of him, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly: "How many benefits did Yunrui promise you, to make you sell your friends for glory."
Yuan Hongdao shook his head and said: "It's not about selling friends, nor seeking glory... It's just that His Majesty needs you to return to his old age, the eldest princess also needs you, and the court needs you to leave the capital. As for seeking glory..." He smiled wryly, "I thought... if you didn't notice me Whatever you do, I will accompany you to your hometown and spend your old age together."
Lin Ruofu was slightly surprised, and it became increasingly unclear what was going on in the heart of this counselor who had followed him for many years.
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In the night-shrouded capital, Yuan Hongdao, accompanied by the bookboy, packed his bags. Feeling a little bit disappointed, he looked back at the closed gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion, sighed softly, and got into a carriage.
On the carriage, a censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate was looking at him indifferently: "Mr. Yuan, when can I go to Dali Temple to testify?"
Yuan Hongdao didn't even look at the middle-aged man, he gently stroked the long beard under his chin with his right hand, and said lightly after a long while: "No need, the Prime Minister will enter the palace tomorrow to resign, and His Majesty will terminate the investigation of this case." .”
Hearing this, the censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate furiously reprimanded: "The evidence is all there, Your Majesty will definitely take the traitor to prison! If you dare not testify in court, be careful that you will not be able to get away with it. You follow the traitor." After so many years, how can you be clean?"
Yuan Hongdao gave him a cold look. This counselor, who was always known for his elegance, had an incomparably cold gaze at this time, like two sharp knives, which made the censor feel a little scared.
"I only obey orders from Xinyang." Yuan Hongdao looked at the poor censor in front of him, and said indifferently, "When will it be your turn to arrange for me to do things?"
The censor turned pale with shock, and only then did he understand why the prime minister's confidant scribe would turn against him at the most critical moment. It turns out...the other party is also the eldest princess's man!
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In the early morning, a horse-drawn carriage left the west city gate just as the city gate first opened, and went on the official road without stopping, heading towards Xinyang.
Yuan Hongdao pressed the sharp sword hidden in the handle of the umbrella, frowned slightly, thinking about how the somewhat crazy princess would arrange herself, a chess piece that had been lurking for many years, when she arrived in Xinyang.
In the depths of his heart, he inevitably feels a little guilty towards Prime Minister Lin Ruofu. After all, they are old friends for decades, and the time they spend together is even more than that with their family. After hiding in the prime minister's mansion for so many years, he finally fulfilled the promise of the year. In the process of the prime minister stepping down, Yuan Hongdao played the most disgraceful and also the most important role. Lin Ruofu didn't kill him, which in itself is something Yuan Hongdao should be grateful for.
He had dismissed the book boy who was following him, and besides him, there was only the coachman in front of him in this carriage. Yuan Hongdao looked coldly at the coachman swinging his whip, and found that the other man's wrist was extremely flexible, obviously possessing extremely superb martial arts.
After a long time, the vehicle passed Shibali Post Station and entered the deserted mountain road. At this moment, the carriage stopped slowly, and the driver turned his head and looked coldly at Yuan Hongdao with extremely unusual and sharp eyes.
After a little silence, the coachman suddenly said: "The dean ordered the subordinates to express their gratitude to the sir." He paused for a moment, and then said in a deep voice: "Please allow me to express my admiration to the sir in private."
Yuan Hongdao said with a touch of sadness: "I don't admire myself... Let's talk about Xinyang's plan. I believe that after this incident, the eldest princess will believe me."
He was a nail, a nail that Chen Pingping had placed beside the prime minister many years ago.