The light rain sprinkled on the bluestone roads in Kyoto. After a few days of rain, it returned to Kyoto today. The rainy weather made Kyoto look more solemn and gloomy.
It has been two days since Wuhuan died, and Xue Poye still hasn't recovered from the thrilling duel.
A young man in his prime, possessing excellent swordsmanship beyond his age, but blood splashed on the long street in front of Kyoto Prefecture, all his future was wiped out in an instant.
"How many people return from the wind and rain in the capital!" Xue Poye groaned secretly.
Wuhuan was beheaded, but Prince Yin did not launch a counterattack immediately.
The only episode was that two hours after Wu Huan's death, two documents were quickly submitted to the imperial study.
One was presented by Prince Yin, and the content was very simple. It just talked about Wuhuan being killed in front of the capital without any evidence to prove that he was the murderer, and the one who killed Wuhuan was An irrelevant non-law enforcement officer is nothing more than requesting His Majesty the emperor to issue a decree to put the "lunatic" in the sky prison, interrogate him after hearing, and punish him for the crime of mass murder.
Another excerpt flew into the imperial study almost at the same time. It clearly stated that Wu Huan was fighting against the law in the Kyoto Prefecture, and was fierce and ineffective, attacking officials. It happened that a lunatic passed by. To punish the murderer in the street, I implore His Majesty the Emperor to reward him.
His Majesty the Emperor just glanced at it, and threw the two folds into the stove in front of him. In just a moment, the two folds were reduced to ashes.
Kyoto seems to be business as usual, calm and solemn.
However, Xue Poye could feel that Kyoto was shrouded in a breathless tense atmosphere. The usually cold streets were full of cars in these two days. These were the cars of the officials in Kyoto. Back and forth, it seems to be in a hurry.
It's an omen.
Xue Poye, who is the deputy general guard of Fenghuo Camp, got more news about this omen, because Habayashi Guard is the imperial guard, so he always gets more news than others.
Xue Poye got a report from his subordinates. In the past two days, not only many officials gathered to discuss, but also a group of secret agents were operating around the capital. The targets of these secret agents are the officials in the capital. Family officials were stolen, some officials sneaked into the thief, and even some officials' homes were haunted.
In the capital, officials of all sizes were in a state of panic for a while. Of course, they knew that this was no accident. These various actions made them feel a burst of panic.
Taipusi Shaoqing is an important official in charge of horse affairs. Although Da Chu Liangju is not as strong as Beihu, he still has a peerless BMW.
The Shaoqing of Taipusi is also a person who loves horses very much. The "Scorching Sun" official horse is one of his favorite horses. "It also disappeared from the roster of official horses.
And this "scorching sun" has become the private horse of Taipusi Shaoqing. Does Mr. Shaoqing take a walk and a run, leisurely and happy.
For a young minister of Taipusi, embezzling a few BMWs is really nothing.
What's more, this matter was done without anyone noticing it, Mr. Shaoqing will definitely not have anyone know about these secret things he did, not to mention that many of the BMWs he seized were given to the Fourth Highness Liu Zi Talisman, protected by the Four Highnesses, everything looks very comfortable.
However, several censors from the Yushitai submitted notes, and even handed in conclusive evidence.
Date of birth, place of birth, where was "Scorching Sun" transported to Taipusi Racecourse, what year, month, day and when did Master Shaoqing wave his pen, and in what way was "Scorching Sun" transported out of Taipusi Racecourse? Where to place it, how many times Sir Shaoqing walks the horse, how long each time the horse walks, all the physical evidence in the course of the incident, even including the ink brush that outlines the "scorching sun", are all placed in front of His Majesty the Emperor. .
His Majesty the Emperor was naturally as everyone imagined, even more severe than imagined. Tianwei was so angry that he dragged him down and punished him with fifty sticks. When he was dying, the whole family was dispatched to the northern border.
This is just the beginning. In the following days, the forces under Prince Fu and Prince Yin will be dragged out one by one. In front of His Majesty the Emperor.
These officials involved a wide range, and the longer the time, the more officials were pulled out, and the wider the scope of coverage, in the end, except for Habayashi Ying and the Metropolitan Procuratorate, there were people dragged out from almost every place. Officials, big or small, are all convicted of crimes.
Even King Yan Wang's Kyoto government office, one of the dark institutions, also found a few people from it, but these people were marginal figures and did not touch the core of the Kyoto government.
Even so, Wei Shantai, governor of the capital, also made an apology, expressing his guilt of knowing people and ignoring the holy grace. For this reason, His Majesty the Emperor fined him one month's salary.
But many people know that Jing Yan Wang is like a fox, and like a slippery loach. Those few fringe characters, Jing Yan Wang may have known that there is a problem, and they have not done anything. I am afraid it is just that the time has not come.
Wei Shantai is a trusted minister of His Majesty the Emperor, and the fine of one month's salary is just a posturing.
And during this period, Prince Yin and Prince Fu seemed to have exerted all their strength, spouting anger, fighting to the death without any scruples.
Those spies secretly investigating each other's evidence fought secretly from time to time, causing many casualties.
It's just that the spies on both sides encountered strange problems, because when they were deadlocked in finding evidence and could not proceed, there was always a group of experts secretly pointing them out, leading them to find evidence smoothly.
This group of experts amazed the spies on both sides, but at this moment of fierce struggle, everyone's only goal was to find as many criminal evidence as possible. Regarding the appearance of this group of experts, when the criminal evidence was found, the spies It was quickly forgotten.
For the leaders of both sides, Prince Yin and Prince Fu, they were alert to the appearance of this group of experts. After all, they also knew the story of "the snipe and the clam fight, and the fisherman reaps the benefits". When fighting to the end, a profitable fisherman appeared.
In their minds, it is now an open shame. If this is the case, then there will be a real power showdown. As long as they get the other party, they will be the most likely future heir. As long as you can become the crown prince, it is worth it.
The forces they have cultivated over the years, using Wu Huan's death as gunpowder, began to fight in an all-round way.
These officials are spread widely, and can be said to be the cornerstone of the court of the Great Chu Kingdom. Although everyone knows that the political competition between the Yin faction and the Fu faction will definitely hurt the vitality of both sides, many people think that so many officials If they really want to clear them all, I am afraid that the foundation of the Great Chu Dynasty will be shaken. Maybe His Majesty the Emperor will lighten his sentence after killing a chicken to show the monkeys.
But His Majesty the Emperor is the Son of Heaven, and the power of heaven is unpredictable. His Majesty the Emperor seems to be very angry about such things. He severely punishes every courtier who has been convicted, whether he is assigned, beheaded, imprisoned, expelled, placed under house arrest, or exterminated. ...!
His Majesty's anger shocked everyone.
The Hanlin scholars headed by Lan Wuqing are admonishing the court. Although many officials have misbehavior, corrupt the law, and form cliques for personal gain, after all, the court still needs talents. If it is dealt with, I am afraid that there will be no staff and no officials. On the contrary, it will delay the affairs of the court and the people's livelihood.
His Majesty the Emperor didn't seem to listen to such advice at all. He looked like he was rectifying the officials. After the two princes pulled out each other's nails one by one, His Majesty the Emperor was still sternly rectifying these nails.
This round of wind and rain in the capital actually lasted for more than a month. Hundreds of important officials were sacrificed in this struggle, and the remaining ministers were also trembling, and they might be dragged down in Qianlin Hall at any time.
This battle without gunpowder has seriously injured Prince Yin and Prince Fu, and they are on the verge of collapse. The power they have accumulated over the years will almost be squandered in more than a month.
The two factions sighed sadly, and there were many casualties, but the officials of the other factions gloated at their misfortune.
At least the princelings are laughing.
After the prince was placed under house arrest, the princelings have been living in trepidation and anxiety, and even have the feeling of bowing their heads. But after all the storms, the princelings can finally laugh out loud.
Who said that His Majesty the Emperor wants to abolish the crown prince? The facts in front of him prove that His Majesty the Emperor is eliminating the power of the two princes. While the two princes were fighting each other, they quietly abolished their support and foundation.
Kyoto is precarious, but it is as stable as a mountain amidst the chaos.
The Kyoto garrison camp and the three major battalions of Yulin are all ready to fight. Xue Poye is in charge of the Fenghuo camp. The camp was in awe.
Just when many ministers were worried that officials would be dismissed and their positions would be empty, His Majesty the Emperor filled the vacant yamen with a large number of officials at an extremely fast speed.
Except for a large part of this group of officials who were transferred from the Hanlin Academy, many of them were transferred from the lower-level officials. Everything is in good order. If you are prepared, after taking the stage, follow His Majesty's instructions and immediately start running errands.
This move made many ministers break out in cold sweat.
Everyone has already seen that His Majesty the Emperor has been prepared for a long time. These officials may have been secretly trained. The new officials of the Imperial Academy had no great stake in compiling Du Xiu in the Imperial Academy before, so they have never been part of the party. The object of the focus is to win, although the Imperial Academy has also implicated many people in this political turmoil, but in general, the Imperial Academy is still one of the places with the least sewage, so this group of newly appointed officials, from a certain point of view He said that the foundation is still very clean, and being able to enter the Hanlin Academy requires some skills. Even if it takes time to adapt to a new position, fortunately, he can still withstand it.
As for the lower-level officials, the ministers only now understood why His Majesty the Emperor has frequently sent imperial envoys to inspect these places in recent years. Could it be to investigate these officials
If this is the case, then it can only be said that His Majesty the Emperor knew that there would be such a turmoil in the capital, or that the supreme man had been waiting for this day, waiting for his son to confront him in the open. Then use it to cleanse the party in the court.
This man is really terrible!
This supreme man is currently drinking in the imperial garden.
He was wearing loose clothes and looked like a rich man at home. Although he looked majestic, he had a very faint smile at this time, and he looked very happy.
Winter is approaching, and of course the imperial garden is not as fragrant and colorful as in spring, but fortunately, with the support of plum, orchid, chrysanthemum and bamboo from the "Four Gentlemen", the most luxurious garden in the world does not appear dull.
Not far away, the glamorous and noble queen is playing games with a group of concubines. Although there are not too many entertainment programs in the palace, this group of women has their own playful items.
"Come, drink this cup with me!" Emperor Deqing raised his glass with a faint smile.
In front of him, was sitting an old man in a black robe with a respectful expression, but it was Tan Ziqing, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Tan Ziqing showed enough humility and flatteredness, raised his glass and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Old man, I have said many times that drinking is about the word 'taste'. If you drink like this, it is a 'cow drink'. How can you taste the true meaning of wine." Emperor Deqing laughed.
Tan Ziqing chuckled, and said: "My lord, I just feel that what the sage bestows must be good things, whether it's tasting or drinking, it's the gracious grace of the sage, what I drink is not wine, but the kindness of the sage. "
Emperor Deqing laughed and pointed at Tan Ziqing and said, "I always thought you were a loyal person, I never thought you could say such nice words."
Tan Ziqing said seriously: "What I say comes from the bottom of my heart!"
Emperor Deqing waved his hands and said with a smile: "That's all, let's not talk about this." After a pause, he said in a deep voice: "You did a good job this time. The things I entrusted to you were really well done."
"The Holy Majesty once asked me to closely monitor the movements of the officials, and to obtain evidence that they were corrupt and violated the law and violated the official voice. This time it really came in handy." Tan Ziqing praised: "The Holy Majesty is wise and far-sighted, and I admire him very much."
Emperor Deqing sighed: "I would rather they follow the rules and treat me loyally than today."
Tan Ziqing's expression was solemn, and he said after a while: "My lord, I ordered people to lead the spies of the Second Highness and the Fourth Highness in secret to find evidence. I'm afraid they can't hide this matter from them."
Emperor Deqing's face was immediately filled with hostility, and he said in a cold voice: "Even if they knew, there is nothing they can do now. If it wasn't for the fact that I want to expose each other through the two of them, and see who is theirs, these two boys I have deposed them a long time ago." Clenching his fists, he continued in a cold voice: "I really never imagined that they would gather so many courtiers and involve such a wide range of people. I really underestimated them. I have always treated them like children, But forget that they are not children anymore, they have been possessed by the heart of power."
Tan Ziqing sat quietly, not daring to speak.
"These courtiers keep saying that they want to be loyal to me and want me to live to be ten thousand years old." Emperor Deqing said solemnly: "Secretly, they are colluding with the prince, forming a party for personal gain, and they are thinking about making me die early and letting their master Assuming the throne, I want to let them know who is their master and who is the one who controls their destiny!"
He coughed violently, so violently that he seemed to be coughing out his lungs. He took out the yellow scarf and wiped the corners of his mouth, which was stained with blood.
Tan Ziqing got up immediately, knelt down on the ground, kowtowed in fear and trepidation: "My lord takes care of the dragon's body, my lord takes care of the dragon's body, my minister is guilty, my minister is guilty!"
Emperor Deqing stood up and raised his hand, and said calmly: "Get up!"
Tan Ziqing stood up in trepidation, and Emperor Deqing said calmly: "I'm not talking about you, I've seen your loyalty to me, so you don't have to worry about it."
Tan Ziqing sat down opposite, and Emperor Deqing calmly said: "I punished those officials in prison, you should pay attention, don't let them die suddenly in prison because of party disputes, these people still have some ability, let them calm down , you will still need to use it in the future, as for the people who are expelled from the capital, you should also send someone to keep an eye on them for a while, if they are honest, then that’s all, otherwise... you should know what to do!"
Tan Ziqing respectfully said: "I understand!" Only then did I understand why some officials were killed for crimes that did not warrant death, and why some officials deserved to be executed but were imprisoned. It turned out that His Majesty the Emperor gave targeted punishments.
He is the emperor's confidant, and he does everything according to the emperor's will. Today, Tan Ziqing feels more and more that the emperor is so unfathomable. Rao has lived for so many years and experienced countless storms. But still don't know what His Majesty's purpose is.
His Majesty the Emperor ordered him to go to Hangzhou to destroy the prince's foreign treasury. Only then did he discover the character Xue Poye, and now he is attacking the fourth prince and the second prince without mercy. To a certain extent, His Majesty the Emperor is silently It is shocking to attack the forces of the princes, and to use the princes to attack the intricate forces around them.
Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor is going to pass the throne to the third prince, otherwise why would he attack the foundation of power of the prince and the two princes in this way
Tan Ziqing didn't dare to think too much, he knew that the more he thought about some things, the more chaotic they would become.
"By the way, that apprentice of yours is very courageous." Emperor Deqing changed the subject, and suddenly said with a smile: "I heard that he did a good job in the Fenghuo camp, and he integrated into the Fenghuo camp in a short period of time."
Tan Ziqing immediately said: "That's all a compliment from the Holy One." After a pause, he continued: "However, I think that Xue Poye is indeed a talented person, he... is very spiritual!"
"Spirituality?" Emperor Deqing smiled and said, "I'm afraid there are more bad qualities than spirituality. But that's fine, I was worried that he wasn't brave enough, but now it seems that I was overthinking."
Tan Ziqing pondered for a while, and said cautiously: "My lord, do you need guards from the Third Iron Battalion to enter the palace, so as to ensure the safety of my lord!"
Emperor Deqing said with a sneer at the corner of his mouth: "Do you think there is anyone else in this world who can hurt me? Who else dares to hurt me?"
"My minister made a slip of the tongue!" Tan Ziqing said hastily.
Emperor Deqing waved his hand and said calmly: "Habayashi guards are enough!" He stood up and said slowly: "You go down first and pay attention to the movements of those officials." After speaking, he put his hands behind his back and turned to the queen Went over there.
Tan Ziqing stood up, knelt down, and looked at Emperor Deqing's broad back. Fear flashed in the dark leader's eyes.
Liu Ziqian, who was in Wuyan Palace, was extremely excited by the huge political storm caused by Rouji's assassination.
This was a result he had never expected. He never thought that Prince Fu would dare to send a lunatic to kill Prince Yin's love general, Wuhuan, in the street in front of the Yamen in the capital for the sake of Rou Ji.
The series of political storms that followed were never expected by Liu Ziqian.
Like a hunter watching two colorful tigers fighting to the death, almost exhausted, Liu Ziqian's whole body was filled with pleasure from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
In the deserted Wuyan Palace, Liu Ziqian was dancing in the side hall, wearing white and clean loose clothes with long hair loose.
He danced the dance of Tianluo, which was feminine and graceful.
This strange and wondrous dance of the sky actually covered up his incompleteness. During his dancing, it looked like a peerless beauty dancing the dance of neon clothes in the sky.