The wooden barrel was filled with steam. Xue Bai washed away the dust and dust all over his body. He closed his eyes and squinted for a while, as if he was about to fall asleep.
A pair of soft hands pressed on his shoulders, squeezing gently.
"Did your Majesty really meet Wu Lang first?" Du Jin asked, standing behind him.
"yes."
Xue Bai took Du Jin's hand and said, "Compared to you, Wu Lang is easier to find and doesn't attract anyone's attention."
Having said that, he may secretly feel that Du Jin is more ambitious, so he trusts Du Wulang more.
Du Jin said: "I'm afraid someone with care has noticed it. I guess someone followed Wu Lang. I guessed that you and Wu Lang arrived at Du's house together and took my carriage into the imperial city the next day, so they arranged this assassination."
Xue Bai asked: "Who?"
Du Jin did not answer immediately. She washed Xue Bai's hair and said, "If I said it was someone you trust very much, would you be angry?"
"Won't."
After hearing this answer, Du Jin was about to speak out her analysis when Xue Bai added another sentence.
"But I may not believe it."
"What if there is conclusive evidence?" Du Jin asked.
"Then let's wait until we see the evidence." Xue Bai said.
Du Jin said: "Some people don't want you to return to the palace right now. Even if you go back, it is not safe. You have been out on patrol for so long. I don't know how many people in the palace and imperial guards have been bribed."
"I know, so I came to find you." Xue Bai said, "I plan to send a letter to Wang Nan, Li Sheng, Yan Wu, Xue Xin and others. In addition, I will call Lao Liang and Jiang Hai to the east capital."
"Raise troops?"
Du Jin was a little surprised, knowing that this would be an open break with the conservatives who opposed the reform.
This was a situation that Yan Zhenqing had been trying to avoid, but Xue Bai made this decision without hesitation as soon as he came back.
"It doesn't matter if we raise troops. The worst outcome is that I will start my own business again."
"Starting a business again? This is a new word." Du Jin said, "You are already the supreme emperor, what else do you want to create?"
"The emperor is just a position, and will be subject to various shackles. If I cannot achieve my ambitions in this position, I should continue to improve. I have to be me, and I am more important than the emperor."
Even Du Jin couldn't fully sympathize with these words. She could only feel the man's ambition to keep making progress and never be satisfied.
It is precisely because of this ambition that he always has surging vitality and can keep her fascinated.
Unknowingly, she was pulled into the tub by him.
The two of them were a little anxious, and her clothes were completely soaked, making it even more difficult to take them off.
So, the water in the bucket swayed for a long time, and the two of them rubbed their ears and temples until they were out of breath, but they still couldn't finish the clothes.
"Xue Bai."
Du Jin urged anxiously and unconsciously called Xue Bai's original name.
"Do you believe me?" she asked.
She is an extremely perceptive person and seems to have noticed that Xue Bai does not trust her as much as Du Wulang.
Even if it's just a small difference, she still wants to fight for it.
~~
Everyone knows that the emperor has an organization in the hands of Du Erniang that can collect information for him. He collects information from all over the world through banks, inns, wine shops, teahouses, and newspapers.
Therefore, when Xue Bai arrived at Du Jin's place, he could understand the basic overall situation.
The chaos in Zhengzhou became even more serious. The rioters blocked water transportation and also blocked the return route of the "royal driver";
In Luoyang, just two days after Du Jin was assassinated, Prince Yijia and all the officials left the west gate of Luoyang and began to return west.
Xue Bai did not immediately rush back to Ziwei Palace to stop it, but waited patiently.
"Your Majesty, don't you believe it yet?"
Du Jin rushed to see Xue Bai as soon as possible. This time she no longer avoided taboos and said directly: "Yan Zhenqing took the prince and returned to the west. This move is no different from treason."
Xue Bai said: "I will ask him clearly in person."
"If he didn't know that you had returned to Luoyang, he should have recruited troops to attack the rebels in Zhengzhou; but if he knew that you had returned to Luoyang, and instead of sending someone to pick you up, instead of immediately taking the prince away, his evil intentions would be even more obvious.
"
"What was Guo Ziyi's reaction?"
"Good question." Du Jin said: "Guo Ziyi has led his troops from Longyou back to Chang'an. He must provide military support for Li Zuo's ascension to the throne."
Even though she was already trying to restrain herself, this kind of news still strengthened her judgment on the situation.
"I am 80% certain that Yan Zhenqing and Guo Ziyi have conspired to support Li Zuo."
Xue Bai said: "These two people have always been committed to maintaining the stability of the world."
Du Jin said: "But they betrayed you."
"Don't rush to a conclusion." Xue Bai said, "How is the investigation of the assassination going?"
Du Jin shook his head, his expression looked a little helpless, not because he couldn't find out the identity, but because Xue Bai wouldn't believe him even if he told the truth.
Besides Yan Zhenqing, who else is capable of arranging this assassination?
~~
Xin'anyi.
Yan Zhenqing looked up, saw the flags fluttering in front of him, and sighed slightly unnoticed. Not long after, a general arrived in front of him, got off his horse, folded his hands and saluted.
"I've met Mr. Yan."
"Why is General Liang here?"
"I have been ordered by His Majesty to escort the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Capital." Lao Liang was a calm man, with a relaxed smile on his face.
Then let the prince return to Chang'an to avoid the chaos."
Yan Zhenqing said: "We are returning to the capital as the crown prince, not to avoid chaos, but to ensure the stability of the country."
"Yes, but now His Majesty has a decree. Why doesn't Duke Yan follow the decree and return to the Eastern Capital?"
"The prince is on his way with hundreds of officials, so it is not appropriate to go back and forth." Yan Zhenqing said, "Let me write a memorial and explain the whole story to your majesty. Perhaps your majesty will issue a new decree to allow the prince to return to the capital?"
Lao Liang sighed and said, "Is Mr. Yan just trying to get rid of me?"
"I will never lie to the general."
"no."
Lao Liang already looks old-fashioned, but when he is in trouble, deep wrinkles appear on his forehead.
He took a few steps closer, leaned into Yan Zhenqing's ear and said: "Tell the truth to Mr. Yan. His Majesty asked me to intercept Mr. Yan from returning to Chang'an because someone accused Mr. Yan of betraying Your Majesty. Go back and explain a few words, otherwise Your Majesty will ask
Get up, I have to tell Mr. Yan that you don’t want to return."
Yan Zhenqing said: "What about this? Let the prince and all the officials stay at Xin'an Yi, and I will go back with the general to report to your majesty."
"Why is Mr. Yan so stubborn?"
“I really don’t want to waste manpower and material resources in vain.”
"Okay." Lao Liang said, "Please arrange it, Mr. Yan."
Yan Zhenqing recruited Yan Quanming.
The uncle and nephew avoided Lao Liang and walked aside.
"I will go back to Dongdu to see His Majesty." Yan Zhenqing said, "You can leave all the officials behind and escort the prince back to Chang'an overnight."
After that, he handed over a letter.
"Give this letter to Guo Ziyi and tell him that the stability of the country is your top priority."
"uncle."
"Don't worry," Yan Zhenqing said, "I will convince your Majesty."
Yan Quanming had no choice but to accept the letter, and he and all the officials followed the prince's ceremonial drive to station at Xin'an Yi.
Lao Liang left most of his troops to guard him, and he personally followed Yan Zhenqing eastward.
After Lao Liang left, Yan Quanming summoned his close guards and asked Li Zuo to change his clothes, and the group quietly headed west.
However, after walking more than ten miles, they saw flags fluttering in front and soldiers and horses lining up. It was Jiang Hai and his men who had blocked the official road and had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing that Yan Quanming had indeed arrived, Jiang Hai did not look proud, but instead let out a long sigh.
He knew that His Majesty did not want to believe that the Yan family was also involved in the rebellion, but this time, he was indeed caught red-handed.
~~
Two days later, Luoyang.
There is also snow on the Luoshui River, and the broken bridge has not yet been repaired. If you want to get to the north bank, you can only go through the further Xinzhong Bridge for the time being.
Ziwei Palace still stands majestically on the north bank, but it seems a little deserted due to the departure of all the officials.
The guards guarding the palace gate were standing still, a little drowsy, when they suddenly saw a group of people riding horses in front of them. It was Guo Qianli and Zhang Xiaojing who were riding side by side in front, and they quickly cheered up.
"You haven't been bribed recently, have you?" Guo Qianli suddenly asked.
Zhang Xiaojing was stunned and asked: "Who bribed you?"
"I can't tell." Guo Qianli looked a little troubled and hesitated, then said: "As you know, I was born in the Guo family of Taiyuan, and my ancestors were also prominent."
"The general is indeed extraordinary."
"Don't flatter useless people." Guo Qianli said: "What I am saying is that there are many hidden households in my clan, which must have exceeded the imperial quota. In the words of those reformists, there are also those who destroyed the land equalization system of the Tang Dynasty.
One share for my people.”
"It's inevitable." Zhang Xiaojing consoled him, "Just hand over Yin Tian. It won't affect the general's future."
"That's what I said."
Guo Qianli glanced around, mysteriously pulled Zhang Xiaojing's reins, and moved closer, wanting to climb onto Zhang Xiaojing's saddle.
"You know what they said to me?"
"What?"
"The new law provoked a civil uprising, and His Majesty was assassinated and died in Zhengzhou. Duke Yan did not announce his funeral secretly, and couldn't wait to take the Crown Prince back to Chang'an."
Zhang Xiaojing immediately frowned, shook his head and said, "I don't believe it."
"I don't believe it either, but someone actually told me that His Majesty is definitely not in the escort team."
"Why are you sure?"
"Does this need to be said?" Guo Qianli said, "But this news is not simple. I'm afraid they are testing me."
"Test?"
"Hmm." Guo Qianli seemed to be nagging, "I suspect that many people in the Forbidden Army have been bribed and are preparing to make this thing happen."
Zhang Xiaojing said: "General, is it... assassination?"
Guo Qianli then glanced at Zhang Xiaojing suspiciously and said, "You haven't heard anything at all? I don't believe no one tested you."
Zhang Xiaojing could only say: "Indeed not."
Guo Qianli touched his chin with his hand, becoming increasingly suspicious of Zhang Xiaojing, and murmured: "Pretending not to know is just a cover-up."
Zhang Xiaojing couldn't do anything to him, so he simply didn't explain. He just wondered: "If it is as the general said, why doesn't Mr. Yan take us back to Chang'an?"
"Leave us here to greet His Majesty."
"But just now you said that His Majesty is in Zhengzhou..."
At this time, several figures in the distance caught Zhang Xiaojing's attention.
They were five people who got off the merchant ship by Luoshui River. The leader was tall, with four guards behind him, and he was walking in their direction.
"Your Majesty?" Zhang Xiaojing murmured.
Guo Qianli followed his gaze, was surprised, and said: "It does look a bit similar."
The two men immediately drove their horses to meet him.
At this moment, a sudden change occurred.
A group of Uighur merchants were driven out of Chengfu Square. They were so large that there were probably more than twenty people.
He rushed directly towards the five people, shouting incessantly.
"Eat dog intestines and pay back your debts!"
The Uighur merchant rushed closer, with the shining knife in his hand, and swung it at the five people mercilessly.
"Stop them!" Guo Qianli ordered quickly.
Zhang Xiaojing also quickly drew his bow and drew an arrow, then galloped forward to rescue him.
It was too late, those Uighur merchants were very vigorous, and in a moment they chopped down the five people in a pool of blood, and scattered them like birds and beasts.
"Don't leave!"
Zhang Xiaojing was furious and shot several arrows one after another, shooting down three people.
He rushed to the crime scene, dismounted, and looked at the body lying in a pool of blood.
Nervously, Zhang Xiaojing turned the man over, and an unfamiliar face came into view. To be honest, Zhang Xiaojing breathed a sigh of relief, glad that it was not His Majesty who was assassinated.
He stood up, walked over and kicked down a Uighur businessman who fell to the ground after being shot in the thigh, and shouted: "Who told you to kill people?!"
"If he doesn't repay the money he owes us, he will pay with his life!"
This matter seems to be an ordinary business dispute.
But Zhang Xiaojing had a hunch in his heart that things were definitely not that simple.
Looking at him, it looked more like someone was ambushing around the palace and wanted to assassinate the emperor.
Recalling what Guo Qianli had just said, he turned to look at the Forbidden Army behind him and realized that even the soldiers under his command could not believe them all.
Continuing on the way to the palace city, Zhang Xiaojing asked worriedly: "Do you think it is possible that His Majesty has quietly returned to the Eastern Capital?"
"I don't know either," Guo Qianli said, "but the Tianjin Bridge assassination case is certainly not simple."
Looking at the palace gate, the two of them raised their heads, but were stunned for a moment.
They saw rows of soldiers entering Ziwei Palace, but these people were not the imperial army, but soldiers and horses from Lao Liang and Jiang Hai who had been stationed in Tongguan and Huazhou.
"What's going on?"
"Your Majesty has returned to the palace!"
"..."
Guo Qianli and Zhang Xiaojing were greatly surprised and rushed to the Mingtang to see him.
Every time they passed through a palace gate, they found that all the guards were replaced by soldiers with more fierce looks and more murderous intent.
When the two of them saw the emperor sitting in the main hall with an iron-faced face, they were even more frightened.
"When I just entered the palace, I heard that a murder occurred outside Chengfufang?"
"Yes, he was killed in front of the ministers and others!" Guo Qianli said, "It's simply lawless."
Zhang Xiaojing said quickly: "I can't stop it, please forgive me."
"Check." Xue Bai said, "The truth must be revealed within three days."
"According to the order!"
The emperor did not say what would happen if he could not find out, but both of them felt huge pressure. They immediately mobilized the imperial army, searched Chengfufang, and demanded that no Huihe businessman should be allowed to escape.
However, after searching around, the escaped murderers were not found.
They must be hiding in private houses.
Chengfufang is adjacent to the palace city, and there are many dignitaries living there. Guo Qianli also wanted to report it to the emperor, but Zhang Xiaojing gritted his teeth and said: "Just search every house!"
"What should I do if I offend someone?"
"Don't be afraid of offending people!"
Zhang Xiaojing had such determination, so Guo Qianli had no choice but to accompany him.
But before they even searched a few places, they encountered an unexpected incident.
It was an ancestral home named Zheng Xian. Zheng Xian was born in the Zheng family in Xingyang and was the governor of Chizhou. He was not at home. The home in Luoyang was managed by his brothers and refused to be searched by the imperial army. His words were quite arrogant.
He said that today's teacher Zheng Qian was Zheng Xian's uncle, so he intimidated Zhang Xiaojing.
Zhang Xiaojing resisted the pressure and ordered a search. As a result, dozens of crossbows were found in the house, and he immediately ordered everyone in the house to be controlled.
As a result, more than ten servants tried to escape and even dared to fight the imperial guards with swords, so Zhang Xiaojing ordered them to be shot.
As a result, this matter involved the serious crime of rebellion, and the imperial army had to capture more than 200 people in Zheng's house...
On the other side, Guo Qianli was originally stationed at the gate of the square, but a soldier reported something to him, which immediately made him feel dizzy.
"General, there is a big house inside. The owner calls himself Liu Jiatai. I want you to go see him in person."
"General Liu?!"
Guo Qianli stood up with a bitter look on his face.
His subordinates couldn't help but wonder, "Who is this Liu Jiatai? His name is not famous at all, and he can make the general so embarrassed?"
"His name is not loud, but he is also from the Liu family in Hedong." Guo Qianli sighed, "His great-grandfather Liu Shi once served as prime minister, and was the uncle of Queen Gaozong, and Liu Shi's sister was the current prime minister Yan Gong.
Liu Jiatai's grandmother; Liu Jiatai had an aunt who was Ruizong's concubine and gave birth to King Shen. In other words, King Shen was his cousin. During the Kaiyuan period, King Shen died of illness, and Emperor Xuanzong gave King Shen the title of Prince Huizhuang; he had a younger brother, and now he has a younger brother.
He was appointed governor of Tanzhou; as for Liu Jiatai himself, he had served as General Youwuwei before, and I was under his command."
In this court, there are only a few people who have meritorious deeds and have done amazing things, and can be remembered by others, but there are many people whose names are not dazzling, but who have strong influence due to the accumulation of their ancestors.
There are countless people like Zheng Xian and Liu Jiatai.
Although Guo Qianli now has a high position of power, he still took off his armor and went to meet him out of consideration for his old boss.
Liu Jiatai was already old, but he still had a great voice. When he saw Guo Qianli, he scolded him, saying that his family had been married to the royal family for generations, so how could he harbor fugitives.
"Old General, there was a murder outside Miyagi today. This is a big deal. Of course I am not saying that the old general is harboring fugitives. I am worried that those extremely vicious criminals will hide in and hurt the old general."
"If you dare to search today, then step over my body!"
Guo Qianli was in trouble when a soldier came from outside and whispered in his ear: "General, General Zhang found the crossbow, which may be involved in a major rebellion. General, please be strict and impartial."
"search!"
Guo Qianli knew that the situation was serious, gritted his teeth, and immediately waved his hand to give orders.
He actually hoped that nothing would be found and he would apologize to Liu Jiatai and say it was a misunderstanding.
However, not long after the imperial troops entered, the sounds of fighting could be heard in the backyard.
"The murderer is here!"
"Kill out!"
The ferocity of those Uighur merchants far exceeded Guo Qianli's expectations. After being discovered, they actually dared to confront the imperial army.
Guo Qianli was shocked and angry, and immediately went over personally to direct the roundup.
After finally catching the assailants, he turned back to the lobby and saw that Liu Jiatai had been controlled by a group of people.
"Who are you?"
"Handling the case according to orders."
The other party casually showed a token, ignored Guo Qianli, and escorted Liu Jiatai directly to the study. Half a day later, he took out a large pile of letters from the secret compartment of the study and sent them to the palace.
On that day, the smell of blood in Chengfufang, Luoyang was soaring to the sky. People involved in conspiracy were killed, and seven to eight hundred people were arrested.
~~
Ziwei Palace, Mingtang.
There are piles of files on the imperial case, including oral confessions and letters.
Yan Zhenqing, who was standing in front of the court case, looked very tired. Xue Bai, who was sitting behind the court case, put down the letter in his hand and said, "Why doesn't my father-in-law explain?"
"There is not much left to explain." Yan Zhenqing said, "These evidences are almost all true."
What was just put down by Xue Bai was Yan Zhenqing's letter to Liu Jiatai. Although there was only one letter, the content was very crucial. It explained the reasons why Prince Li Zuo should inherit the throne in the event of an accident. For example, Emperor Xuanzong personally gave the name, which is enough to prove it.
His Tang Dynasty orthodox bloodline, for example, Li Zuo was able to get the support of the emperor's ministers, was able to balance the interests of all parties, etc.
Yan Zhenqing could have talked to Liu Jiatai face to face.
The significance of writing this letter does not lie in the content, but is equivalent to submitting a petition. In other words, Yan Zhenqing handed over a reason to betray the emperor and win the support of the Liu family in Hedong.
What do we support? Naturally, we support the establishment of young masters.
In addition, there were several tokens found from Liu Jiatai's study, which could be used to enter and exit the imperial city and the political hall. They were obviously given by Yan Zhenqing.
As for today's murder, it is very likely that Liu Jiatai ordered those Uighur merchants to prevent Xue Bai from returning to the palace.
Based on this calculation, the crime of treason has basically been established.
But Xue Bai said: "Although the evidence is true, even so, do I still believe my father-in-law?"
Yan Zhenqing sighed tiredly and shook his head.
Xue Bai said: "I don't believe that my father-in-law wants to kill me. When I returned to Luoyang privately, my father-in-law was already preparing to return to Chang'an. When Liu Jiatai sent the assassin, my father-in-law was on the way from Luoyang to Chang'an. It is unlikely that he knew about and participated in this matter."
"I can't escape the relationship." Yan Zhenqing said: "Liu Jiatai has already served as an official and has no motive for regicide. He is related to my family by marriage, and his only motive is to help me establish the crown prince."
This was also a possibility that Xue Bai had considered, but when Yan Zhenqing said it himself, Xue Bai had nothing to say.
The two were silent for a long time.
Xue Bai opened his mouth and asked: "Is it because the opposition to our reform is too strong, has my father-in-law backed down?"
"yes."
Yan Zhenqing finally nodded.
He had long thought about how to explain to Xue Bai, but he still didn't know where to start. In the end, he started with the visit of the Yin family.
"Although the Yan family is not a big family with seven surnames and ten families, it is still a famous family. It has marriages with the Wang family in Taiyuan, the Liu family in Hedong, the Li family in Longxi, and the Yin family in Chenjun. I didn't realize it in the past, but since I was inspected, I have realized that I
Falling deeply into it..."
Xue Bai couldn't empathize with him. As a person of this era, there are many unbreakable bonds and involvements due to family relationships.
But Yan Zhenqing did not back down because of the persuasion of a clan member or in-law. He realized that the power of the clan was extremely powerful, but he still stood firm like a weed in the storm.
Until Liu Zhan's incident, he received news of Xue Bai's death.
Because he knew how powerful the other party was, he knew that Xue Bai might die.
So, when Xue Bai dies, putting aside all other thoughts, what must he do?
——Support the prince to ascend the throne and maintain the stability of the country.
Once you take this step, everything that follows will be out of your control.