GBP Chapter 155 You are very bold
Chapter 155 You are very bold
"Going to Lizhou?"
"Yes." Jin You stood in the center of the Qianqing Palace, meeting Emperor Xuan's suspicious gaze with neither humility nor arrogance. "I have noticed some unusual official transfers in Lizhou, and the prefect, Jin Chengyang, is prominently listed. I am apprehensive, fearing that a good official might be wrongly accused, so I hereby request Your Majesty's permission to visit Lizhou and investigate."
Emperor Xuan pondered for a moment. He was a little afraid that there was not only Jin Chengyang in Lizhou, but also He Qianzhao.
He was a little afraid that He Jinyou would be out of his sight and lose his grip on He Qianzhao, so he would not be able to give an answer immediately.
But... He Jinyou was not the only one who came at this time. There were also Minister of Rites Shen Yi and Minister of Personnel Yu Jiping.
The two men each held the imperial examination papers and files to prove that what Jinyou said was true.
Even if Emperor Xuan had doubts in his heart, he would still believe it halfway.
"Even if you go to Lizhou, can you completely eradicate these bad apples?"
Jin You lifted his robe and knelt down, vowing, "I have a plan. If Jin Chengyang's crime of replacing the examinee is true, then the Dingyuan Marquisate will no longer have a chance to exist."
Emperor Xuan was also a little surprised when he heard this and asked hurriedly, "Oh? Why?"
Jin You said, "Some people from Lizhou and the surrounding prefectures are on the list, but their test papers all show signs of concealing their names. And within the failed papers, I've found handwriting identical to the names of those who did... I reasonably suspect these people, through Jin Chengyang and the Dingyuan Marquisate behind them, are secretly replacing students from humble backgrounds... Even Jin Jinjue, the heir of the Dingyuan Marquisate, may have impersonated someone else and passed the imperial examination."
"How can you be so sure?" Emperor Xuan, ever cautious, did not directly endorse Jinyou's suspicions. "If the truth goes against your assumptions, do you know what the consequences will be?"
"I know!" Jin You bowed deeply. "That's why I requested permission to go to Lizhou, solely to uncover the truth. If the Dingyuan Marquisate is innocent, I will bear the consequences alone. But if... this is true, the Dingyuan Marquisate is the perfect choice for the Emperor to begin his purge of the aristocratic families!"
"Okay!" With Jinyou's assurance, Emperor Xuan stood up excitedly. "Then the Regent Prince will be responsible for this matter. I appoint you as the Imperial Envoy to inspect Lizhou and the surrounding prefectures and counties in disguise on my behalf. You must bring them to justice and give justice to these students!"
Jinyou bowed deeply: "Yes! I obey your command!"
Leaving the Qianqing Palace, the three of them walked out of the palace together. Shen and Yu said auspicious words and congratulated Jinyou: "Congratulations, Prince, for winning the favor of the emperor. After this, Prince has achieved great political achievements!"
"The Crown Prince is young and promising, and it is also a blessing for me, Xuanwu."
Jin You bowed to the two of them and said, "Thank you both for your kind words. I'm afraid I'll be away in Lizhou for over a month. I'll need your care for matters in the capital."
The two of them hurriedly expressed their opinions: "Don't worry, Your Highness, when you return, it will also be the beginning of the purge."
Once Jinyou can find out what's going on in Lizhou, I'm afraid the imperial examinations of the past few years will have to be re-evaluated, and the aristocratic families...
It looks like there's going to be a bloody storm in the capital!
Although Shen and Yu are not from He Qianzhao's faction, they can see that Jinyou will be very successful in the future, so they are willing to show their goodwill to him at this time.
After some polite exchanges between the three of them, Jinyou bid farewell to them and returned to the palace.
Xiao Yunzhen hadn't seen Jinyou for most of the day. It was getting dark, and he had just finished feeding when he asked his wet nurse to hold him in the yard and wait for Jinyou.
Unexpectedly, he ran into Jinyou who was rushing back.
[Jinyou! Why did you come back so late? Did the old emperor give you any trouble?]
Jinyou walked straight to Xiao Yunzhen, took the person over, and then walked towards the study.
"No, they didn't make it difficult for me. After leaving the palace, I went to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites and found some clues."
What clue?
Jinyou didn't answer, but called out, "Yingyi, come to the study."
Ying Yi's skills seemed to have improved a lot. Almost as soon as Jin You finished speaking, he appeared in front of Jin You.
"Master, I am here."
"Order everyone to gather in the study within a quarter of an hour."
Ying Yi was stunned. The last time they gathered was when they discovered the list of official positions being sold. The prince sent everyone out. This was the second time. It seemed that something big was going to happen again.
But the thought only lasted for a moment, and he replied "yes", then walked into the yard and delivered the message in a different way.
[So anxious? What happened? Can you please not keep me in suspense, Jinyou?]
"Don't worry, you'll know soon."
...
In the Lianyan Palace of the palace, Princess Wanqi was still reading a book when she saw Xiao Que'er rushing into the palace.
"Princess, I want to go back."
Wanqi was stunned and stood up hurriedly, accidentally dropping the books while standing up.
"But what happened? You won't be with me anymore?"
Xiao Que'er shook her head: "The prince didn't say anything, and I don't know exactly what happened. But for the time being, I have to go back to the palace. If I'm not here, I will ask someone to protect you."
Wanqi was the only woman in the palace now. Mu Zhuojing and Songyi had no status and could not accompany Wanqi into the palace, so they rushed to the marriage ceremony on the day Wanqi entered the palace.
If Xiao Que'er hadn't been there to protect her, she would have been a little scared, after all, the people around her were not very trustworthy.
But after hearing what Xiao Que'er said, she felt relieved: "Okay, I'll wait for you to come back." She didn't trust anyone except Xiao Que'er.
Xiao Que'er nodded, and then found a way to leave the palace.
In the Dali Temple, Si Tong, who was rolling dice with several Jinyiwei, suddenly put down the dice in his hand.
He threw the dice onto the table and clapped his hands. "It's too boring if I always win. I'm not going to play anymore. You guys play."
"Hey! You won so much money from us, why don't you play anymore?"
"I'm not going to play anymore. I'm going to the bathroom!"
This immediately caused several people to groan and feel sorry for the money they had lost.
Si Tong walked around the courtyard and came to the toilet. He disappeared and left the Dali Temple.
...
A quarter of an hour later, everyone was present in the study, including Pei Qingfan and Ge Pumu.
But Pei Qingfan had a gloomy face, and it was written all over his face that said "keep away from strangers".
It seems that the ancestor's body has not been found yet.
After not seeing Aque for a few days, there was a hint of fatigue on his face, and Ayue, his little tail, was following him.
Han Du was still wearing his tattered hat, leaning against the door frame like a gatekeeper.
Jinyou's eyes swept across everyone's faces. "Okay, now that everyone is here, let's talk about the recent research results. Si Tong, you go first."
Si Tong had never thought that his name would be called first. He shuddered and stood straight: "My mission is to stir up trouble... I lead the Jinyiwei to gamble every day... As for the case... Lord Ji and I have the same idea."
In other words, he didn't investigate the case at all and was just busy having fun.
Jin You was so angry that he laughed, "You don't know how to restrain your temper. You should follow me on this trip to Lizhou."
"? What trip to Lizhou?"
Unfortunately, Jinyou didn't answer him, but pointed at Handu again: "How is the situation over there, Lord Wang?"
Han Du shook his head: "Lord Wang still goes to the Shangshufang to teach those children on time, and he doesn't interact too much with other officials. Everything is normal."
Jinyou was lost in thought. He had initially suspected that Lord Wang from the Secretariat was Lin Yue's (the one who cheated on the Emperor) teacher, and that perhaps he could learn information about the Southern Territory from him. However, this man had no flaws, and perhaps he truly didn't know about Lin Yue's collusion with the Southern Territory.
He said, "Let's put it aside for now. There's no rush. Call the people back."
"Yes."
"Aque, how are you doing?"
Aque sighed, seeming to be even more haggard.
She said: "The children all have good physiques and are quick to learn martial arts. In another six months, the first batch of children will be able to start second-level training."
"Isn't that good? Why do you look so haggard?" Jinyou was puzzled.
It's no exaggeration to call Ah Que a martial arts fanatic. The children's good roots only excite her more, but looking at her current state, she looks as if her essence and blood have been drained away. There's a faint sense of deadness, a lack of interest in anything in the world.
"Prince..." Ah Que pursed his lips and spoke with difficulty, "Can you transfer that chatterbox Ling Tian away? He's really too talkative! He's making so much noise that it's really annoying! Although he's very skilled in martial arts and is dedicated to guiding the children, it would be perfect if he couldn't talk!"
Aque was so angry that he vented all his anger at being tortured by Ling Tian.
Jinyou knew he was in the wrong, so he smiled awkwardly and changed the subject.
"How long will it take for these children to be able to go on missions?"
Ah Que swallowed all his complaints and said seriously, "The first batch can carry out simple tasks before the end of this year, but if we strictly follow the standards of death squads, I'm afraid we won't be able to reach that level yet."
Xiao Yunzhen nestled in Jinyou's arms, feeling almost drowsy from the crowds in the study and the warmth of the charcoal fire. When he heard the conversation between the master and servant, his eyes widened.
【???????????? Death warriors?????? Jinyou, how much have you hidden from me?! In your last life, were those death warriors who appeared out of nowhere your own? Hmm? Speak up!】
Jinyou patted his little body helplessly. The reason why he brought Xiao Yunzhen to the study was that he gradually hoped that he could accept everything he was doing.
I just didn't expect that the kid seemed to be a little stressed...
There were so many people watching, Jinyou blocked out the little ones' shouting and said to Aque, "Half a year is fine, we'll talk about it then. We don't need them right now."
"Okay...it's just the prince, Ling Tian..."
Jin You turned his head away and interrupted, speaking quickly and urgently, "The current clues to the sale of official positions have been traced to Jin Chengyang, the governor of Lizhou. Jin Chengyang is a student who took the imperial examination this spring, a Jinshi, and the nephew of Dingyuan Hou.
I have already requested permission from the Emperor to lead my men to Lizhou for an investigation tomorrow when the city gates open."
Everyone instantly put away their lazy expressions and cheered up.
Then he heard Jinyou say, "The Emperor intends to use this opportunity to weaken the noble families, and Dingyuan Marquis Mansion will bear the brunt of the attack, so this trip will be full of dangers."
When Xiao Yunzhen heard that it was Marquis Dingyuan, his heart tightened.
[Jinyou, Marquis Dingyuan is not as simple as you think. His power is comparable to He Qianzhao's. A marquis who has survived the previous dynasty and has not been stripped of his title must have some extraordinary qualities...]
Jinyou certainly knew this, but who made the first person to discover the abnormality be the nephew of Marquis Dingyuan?
"How many men does the prince plan to bring?" asked Aque.
"Thirty to fifty people," Jinyou said, "They can disguise themselves as escort agents from the escort agency and escort the convoy through Lizhou."
This would also give us the opportunity to bring the shadow guards and secret guards over.
"That's fine, but if the prince gets hurt..."
Before Ah Que finished speaking, he heard Qing Fei and Pei Qingfan say in unison: "I'll go."
The two looked at each other and then turned their heads away.
Jinyou looked at the two of them with some confusion.
It was Xiao Yunzhen who spoke up appropriately to clear up Jinyou's confusion.
[I remember now, the Pei family is from Lanze County, which is under the jurisdiction of Lizhou... Maybe they are just homesick.]
Jinyou was silent for a moment, "Then let's all go. You two are not the only two in the mansion who know medicine. If all else fails, there is Xin'er (Qing Fei's half-disciple, female secret guard)."
Although Xin'er didn't like medicine, she had been taught a lot of pharmacology by rote learning after following Qingfei for a few years. How could someone who was good at poisoning not know medicine?
"Thank you, Prince!" The two were overjoyed. They thought that the prince would leave one person to guard the palace.
Qing Fei and Jin You breathed a sigh of relief, and Jin You also arranged the next course of action.
"The Imperial Examination Hall will open tomorrow. After the first exam, Yingyi, send someone to Zuichunxuan to find a student named Xun. He might be with Miss Yanxi, and he might be the one to replace Jin Jinjue. You can secretly ask him about his past with Jin Jinjue."
"Yes!"
Then Jinyou looked at Xiao Que'er and said, "Que'er, you should go back to the palace and stay by Princess Wanqi's side. If the Second Prince Xiao Mingyi goes to the Emperor to plead for Chu Lingle, let her go. She will know what to do next."
Xiao Que'er puffed up her cheeks and said "yes" reluctantly. She thought the prince would take her out to play!
[??? What kind of drama is this?] The baby's voice was still ignored by Jinyou.
"Si Tong will accompany me to Lizhou. Bai Mo will guard the palace and be responsible for discussing the case with Lord Ji. Ten shadow guards and ten secret guards will be sent, and the rest will be made up by the imperial guards. This is an incognito visit for the emperor, and the journey is bound to be difficult. Everyone, this is no different from a last-ditch effort. This prince believes that you will be safe and sound!"
"I am willing to go through fire and water for the prince!"
Regardless of whether the trip to Lizhou succeeds or not, it will make the family enemies. However, if it succeeds, it will dispel Emperor Xuan's fears and even allow them to rise again by relying on Emperor Xuan!
If it doesn’t work... No, it won’t work!
Jinyou looked at the people who were expressing their determination at this moment, and his eyes gradually became resolute. He was no longer a homeless beggar, and he was no longer alone.
Behind him is the entire Regent's Palace and all those who support him!
【Wow~ I'm so touched! 】
Unfortunately, there are always some little brats who ruin the atmosphere.
"Okay, go down and get ready. The city gates are wide open, so we're going to leave the city."
"Yes!" Everyone retreated, each arranging their own personnel or returning to where they should go.
The study was empty, as if the warmth had gone out again.
Xiao Yunzhen trembled and twisted his body uneasily.
【It suddenly became cold.】
Jinyou stuffed the still warm hand warmer into his little quilt and asked him, "Don't you have anything to ask?"
[A little bit, but I suddenly felt that there was no point in asking you. I guessed it.]
"What?" Jinyou was surprised: "What did you guess?"
Xiao Yunzhen thought to himself.
I've asked you before about what happened at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, but you never said anything. Now, I have a guess. You must have put a Gu on them, right? Was it Ge Pu Mu who gave it to them? So, many seemingly irrational things suddenly seem to make sense.
Just like when the uncle returned from his duties, the emperor still hadn't reclaimed his military power. For example, the emperor's sudden obsession with Wanqi and his disgust for his mother, perhaps they were all manipulated and confused...
I have to say, He Jinyou, you are very bold. 】
Jinyou nodded silently, "Yes, you guessed right, it was me who sent Wanqi into the palace, and it was me who asked Ge Pu Mu for the poisonous insect for Wanqi..." Then Jinyou told Xiao Yunzhen about his plan, which shocked Xiao Yunzhen completely.
[What about the military power in my uncle's hands? ]
Jinyou said, "Give it to Xiao Mingcheng. The timing is not right yet, so this matter is not under consideration."
He paused and said, "I will take you with me on this trip to Lizhou."