Qingguan blinked, what the master said made sense.
Shi Minwei added: "Behind King Rui, there are two powerful helpers. The Zhenguo Duke's Mansion and the Queen are one, the old Qi Prince's Mansion is the second, and behind the old Qi King is the Gu Mansion."
"What do you mean, Master?"
"In recent years, the Duke of Zhenguo has relied on the power of the Queen of the Zhonggong and King Rui to spend a lot of time and wine, bully others, and do everything. Just look at Qin Yukun and you will know that he is rotten inside."
Qingguan's color changed slightly, and she immediately understood what Shi Minwei was referring to.
Three months ago, on the day when the emperor was critically ill, Qin Yukun was wandering outside the city when he encountered a carriage stuck in a quagmire and unable to move forward.
When he saw a pair of beautiful women dressed in jasper in the car, he became lustful and ordered his slaves to surround the sisters and forcibly abducted them to another courtyard.
The two sisters surnamed Chen refused to obey, so Qin Yukun pried open their teeth and poured the tea with aphrodisiac into the mouths of the two sisters.
If these two sisters were ordinary people and spent some money to silence their family members, they would be dead. However, their father was a wealthy businessman, and they only had two daughters in the family. How could they agree to comply? A complaint was filed with Shuntian Mansion, asking the official to make decisions for the people.
Qin Yukun refused to do anything and simply took 10,000 taels of silver to bribe Shuntian Fuyi. He found an excuse to put the wealthy businessman and his family in jail, and also robbed them of their property.
Mr. Chen lost all his life and property, and the heaven and the earth were not responding. He was unable to breathe and died in prison. When Mrs. Chen saw that the man was dead, she also swallowed the gold and died.
The Chen family took Qin Yukun's sealing money, dared to be angry but dared not speak out, collected the bodies of four people, and lived a cautious life.
This incident caused an uproar, and the people hated Qin Yukun and gnashed their teeth. However, his arms couldn't twist his thighs, so he only dared to curse a few words behind his back, expressing his inner hatred. Shi Minwei continued: "When the sun is at midday, it is moving, and when the moon is full, it is waning. There are at least a dozen cases of men and women being snatched away from the Zhenguo Palace. Qin Yukun has a villa in the suburbs of Beijing. There are no less than a hundred women in this house. If you want to take action in this house, you can only start with this person, let alone the prince of Zhenguo.
It's all the same stuff. "
Qingguan thought about the two flower-like sisters and sneered again and again, "If you do something wrong, you will not survive. There will always be a day of disaster."
"So, it's easy to handle the affairs of the Zhenguo Palace, but the more difficult ones are the old Qi Prince's Palace and Gu's Palace."
Shi Minwei's voice was low and his eyebrows were furrowed. "I have been living in the capital for all these years, and the reputation of the old Prince Qi's palace is still good. The old Prince Qi is not as good as the old Prince Su, and he has a good reputation among the people. Except for Zhao Tinghai's embezzlement of money last time, there is nothing that makes anyone sick. That's why the emperor can trust even such important matters as spring boudoir.
he. "
"A good name is always for the world to see." Qingguan said softly.
"The lady is right."
Shi Minwei showed his appreciation. After all, the young lady is extremely smart and knows that everything should not be taken at face value.
"The only puzzling thing that Prince Qi has done in these years is to marry Princess Huayang into the Gu Mansion, which blinded everyone." Qian Fu suddenly said from the side.
Qing Guan and Shi Minwei nodded, and the latter added, "As for the Gu family, the two gentlemen of the Gu family were greedy in their official positions, and they did not commit any serious crimes such as murder and arson. For example, the sisters-in-law did not get along, took concubines and played with women, etc. A trivial matter will neither hurt the muscles nor move the bones, and will not cause serious damage to the roots.”
Qingguan's face was filled with color.
What Shi Minwei said was half right. When the water is clear, there will be no fish. There are a few officials who are not greedy. This is why she has been reluctant to take action. Since it can't be uprooted, what's the use of disturbing the Gu family.
"Everything the master said makes sense." Shi Minwei stroked his beard and said: "I know that the young lady will attack these two houses sooner or later. This is the same thing that is swirling in my mind every night. Young lady, I am a scholar and am pedantic in my behavior. , if these two governments were eradicated on unfounded charges, how would this be any different from the slandering of the Qian and Sheng families for their rebellion.
"
As soon as these words came out, Qingguan was shocked, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
"Therefore, if we want to move, we must move in a legitimate manner."
Qing Guan sneered, "Master has the backbone of a scholar, and if he wants to be honest, then the Gu family forcing my mother to death is a serious crime?"
Shi Minwei sighed softly, "So, Minwei thinks that in order to attack the Gu family, we have to start with the death of the second grandmother."
"What do you mean by this?" Qingguan was surprised again.
"It means that the only thing that can make people criticize the Gu family is the death of the second grandmother."
Qingguan felt as if her heart had been soaked in ice water, then poured in boiling water, making it feel like ice and fire.
In the Wanhua Building, there are carved railings and painted buildings.
There are eight pear wood carved screens in the lobby. Several women with pink faces and light clothes are passing through them. Even the peonies on the screen add a bright color.
The door to the private room on the second floor was pushed open.
"Back to the prince, back to the seventh master, the letter has been delivered." A Li's words were simple and expressionless.
Zhao Jingyan's eyebrows moved slightly, she raised her glass to Prince Rui and said, "Come, come, I respect my second brother."
King Rui drank all the wine and said with a smile: "What letter?"
Zhao Jingyan raised her chin towards Jiang Hongwen and said, "It's not a letter from him to his fiancée. I'm embarrassed to send it myself, so I always lend it to me."
Jiang Hongwen sighed feebly and said to Prince Rui: "Let the prince laugh."
Prince Rui laughed loudly, gave Jiang Hongwen a clear look, and said: "Lao Ba, Hongwen is already engaged. Shouldn't you also marry a real concubine so that your father can feel at ease?"
Zhao Jingyan's drunken eyes were slightly dazed, "Second brother, I... ah..."
He hesitates to speak, leaving people with endless reveries. King Rui thought he was worrying about his own health.
"Hongwen's wife is very skilled in medicine. Didn't she take a good look at her?"
Zhao Jingyan was stunned and looked up at Jiang Hongwen, who happened to be looking at him as well. The two of them trembled in unison.
Jiang Hongwen smiled faintly and said: "The prince is joking, how can she know how to treat this disease?"
"Who said I was sick?" Zhao Jingyan put the wine glass down heavily, her handsome face deformed with anger.
"It's not sick, it's not sick."
King Rui hurriedly comforted him, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said, "Old Ba, my mother has chosen someone for you. I wonder what you think?"
"Which family is it? Beautiful or not, docile or not?"
King Rui smiled and said: "She is beautiful, gentle, and has a good family background. She is more than enough to match you."
Zhao Jingyan pretended to be confused, "Oh, tell me quickly."
Prince Rui came closer and said, "Miss Mo from the Zhenguo Palace, Qin Qianju."
"Is it her?" Zhao Jingyan showed a clear look.
"How about it, if you like it, I will ask my mother to help, and our brothers will be more intimate." King Rui was good at tempting.
Zhao Jingyan frowned and said nothing.
"Why, you don't like it."
Jiang Hongwen, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said: "Your Majesty, it's not that Ting Lin doesn't like him, he is afraid that someone will gossip behind his back. Your Majesty also knows that Ting Lin has always been a laid-back person."
The implication is that I don’t want to get involved with the prince who is your legitimate heir.
King Rui's eyes lit up, and he simply took the opportunity to clarify his words, "Laoba, Hongwen, my second brother has been drinking today, let's talk a few words while drinking."
"Second brother, tell me."
King Rui waved his hand, and the attendant drove the beauty in the room out of the door.
"My father is getting older, and his body is not as good as before. To be disrespectful, the legacy must be passed down." King Rui turned his head and looked at Zhao Jingyan.
"To whom?"
"It's either you or me. It's me or him. He's no better than a few of our brothers."
"Pass it to me, my second brother is really good at joking. If this Zhao family's empire is passed into my hands, it will turn the world upside down in less than three years. I still want to live for two more years, that's all." Zhao Jingyan waved her hands repeatedly. .
King Rui smiled even more. I thought this old man was helpless, but unexpectedly he had some self-awareness.
"Since ancient times, most of the heirs to the throne have lived in direct lineage..."
"Ju Chang Ju's direct descendant, aren't you the second brother?" Zhao Jingyan suddenly interrupted.
King Rui picked up the wine glass, filled it for Zhao Jingyan himself, and sighed: "Although I have lived here forever, my father doesn't like it. Apart from you, my father's favorite person is the third child. Last time he secretly When Zhi Mingren led the troops to Beijing, my father handled them with care and even took Su Ziyu with him. "
The candlelight reflected Zhao Jingyan's face, which was a little red. He looked at Jiang Hongwen from the corner of his eyes, with deep meaning flashing in his eyes.
"Lao Ba, you and I are brothers, and you know exactly how the second brother treats you. Don't worry, as long as you support the second brother, the second brother will ensure your prosperity and wealth for the rest of your life."
King Rui threw out the bait at the right time, "So, old man, you should think carefully about this matter of getting married."
Late at night, the heat dissipates.
The noisy Wanhua Building gradually became quiet.
Zhao Jingyan leaned on the railing with a lazy expression.
Jiang Hongwen stepped forward and said: "Prince Rui has already made his words clear. Are you going to accept it?"
"What do you think?" Zhao Jingyan asked without answering.
"I think if I want to hide it from the truth, I have to agree. But I'm afraid of what the emperor has in mind."
Zhao Jingyan smiled knowingly, "I'd better let my father decide on such troublesome matters."
"Qin Qianju is as beautiful as a flower, but she wants to marry a worthless person like you. Queen Qin is willing to do so."
The words were sarcastic, but they were true. In order for King Rui to ascend to the throne, it doesn't matter if he sacrifices a niece.
Zhao Jingyan's face darkened, "Tomorrow morning, I plan to go to the emperor to ask for a bowl of porridge." Jiang Hongwen propped his chin with his hand, "Tinglin, if the emperor agrees to this marriage, what will Gu Liu do?"