It was night, and the city of Tokyo was still bustling.
Both sides of the wide road are brightly lit. Especially the entrances of brothels and wonderful houses are bustling with people, making it a lively scene.
Because the Double Ninth Festival will be in a few days, most of the literati and poets in Tokyo will gather in the famous Cuihong Building in the capital during these days to compose poems and recite poems.
When walking through these places, you can often see talented people wearing splendid gowns, waving their folding fans in the cool autumn wind. First, they bow their hands to the madam at the door and praise the boss who has become more and more beautiful recently. Then, in the madam’s eyes,
The smile on his face was reserved, and then he nodded and said: "Since Miss Cui invites me, I might as well go in and have a chat!"
As a famous student in Tokyo, Wang Jiangong was naturally a frequent visitor here before. In addition, his family was a wealthy businessman from the south of the Yangtze River, and he had plenty of money. In the past, he was naturally loved by women in brothels.
However, when he walked through the Cuihong Building today, he did not go in. He just raised his head and glanced at the room in the Cuihong Building where the shadow of a beautiful woman was reflected. He heard bursts of laughter coming from the room, and there were many obscene words during it.
Obscene words. There was a dull pain in his heart. After sighing, he lowered his head and walked forward.
No matter what happens today, this letter must be sent to the palace.
Although he is romantic by nature, he also knows how to behave appropriately. From his sister's simple letter, it can be clearly seen how bad the current situation at home is.
And the turning point for everything lies in this letter.
Thinking of this, he stretched out his hand and pressed hard on the letter hidden in his arms. Holding the jade pendant tightly in his hand, he strode towards the palace in the distance.
The autumn wind blew by, picking up the fallen leaves on the roadside...
Night, palace, royal study.
In the brightly lit imperial study, golden silk and satin decorated the imperial study with splendor. Red candles swayed on the gold candlestick. In front of the precious sandalwood desk, the silver-haired emperor sat in front of the desk, looking calm.
He looked through the memorial in front of him.
At this time, the candle on the candlestick had burned to the end, and the light was flickering. The little eunuch responsible for guarding the candle hurriedly stepped forward and replaced it with a new candle.
The desk was already filled with reviewed memorials. When the emperor looked through the last memorial, he yawned in confusion.
On the side, the chief steward hurriedly came forward to give the emperor a new cup of tea.
After the emperor took a sip of tea, he looked a little more energetic.
"Your Majesty, are you going to turn over the concubine's cards tonight?" the steward asked softly while holding the wooden tray with a smile. On the wooden tray, there were more than a dozen quick signs, all of which were engraved with the names of beauties.
When the emperor was about to say something, he suddenly saw the last memorial delivered from the north. After glancing at the words on it carefully, his brows suddenly frowned.
"Military reports came from the north, saying that after putting on new military uniforms, our sergeants all developed a strange disease. Red bumps appeared on their bodies. How could this happen? How could this happen in this new military uniform?
Situation!" The emperor frowned, and after looking at it again, his brows furrowed even more tightly: "Also, this soft silk armor can't even block an arrow. It's just a piece of clothing made of silk. This
Which merchant made the military uniforms?"
He seemed to be talking to himself, but he could not hide the emperor's anger. He turned his head and stared at the main pipe coldly: "Li Dexian, do you know?"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I think the new military uniforms may be a crooked idea of the soldiers at the border. They must want your Majesty to pay for it!" The manager stepped forward and gently said
He slapped the emperor's back, his eyes flashed a few times, and he replied with a smile.
The emperor suddenly stopped what he was doing, turned his head and stared at Li Dexian, his eyes as sharp as an eagle, staring at him motionless.
"Your Majesty, I know you are wrong. I should not discuss government affairs!" Li Dexian was so frightened that his legs went weak and he fell to his knees with a plop. He begged for mercy repeatedly.
"Get up!" The emperor glanced at him lightly and waved his hand.
Li Dexian quickly thanked him, his expression returned to normal, and he worked hard to hold up the ground and get wet.
At this time, an officer wearing clothes that the steward had never seen before and two sergeants hurried in.
"I have met your Majesty," the sergeant simply said and bowed to the emperor.
Although it was just a courtesy, the manager on the side narrowed his eyes and suddenly felt something was wrong.
He had never seen this person before. And judging from this person's attitude towards His Majesty, he seemed to have an extraordinary status in the palace. Looking at this person's gloomy eyes, the manager suddenly remembered what His Highness the Prince had said a few days ago.
His Majesty has recently secretly established the Nightingale Agent.
The emperor nodded slightly, stood up, turned and walked towards the next room. The sergeant who came in followed closely behind him.
Seeing this person approaching, the manager hurriedly clasped his fists and saluted, but this person seemed to show no mercy. He glanced at him coldly without saying a word, but it made people shiver all over.
After seeing His Majesty the Emperor and the sergeant enter the room, the steward felt vaguely uneasy. He originally wanted to go over to listen, but when he saw the two officers guarding the door, they seemed to be intimidated by strangers.
In the end, he suppressed the thoughts in his heart, put a smile on his face, and quietly exited the imperial study room.
In the secret room, the emperor sat in front of the table, looked at the officer quietly, and said, "What's the matter?"
After hearing this, the officer hurriedly bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, Wei Chen's men just received a letter from Lord Wang Jianfei outside the city gate!"
With that said, the officer took out the letter that was originally in Wang Jiangong's hand and respectfully handed it into the emperor's hand.
After the emperor took the envelope and glanced at it, a smile finally appeared on his expressionless face. He chuckled and nodded: "It's really the old guy's words. Ha, how is Wang Jianfei in Jiangning? Is he still treating me?
Have any complaints?"
The emperor smiled, tore open the envelope and asked casually.
Perhaps it was because he recalled how Wang Jianfei was arguing with him in the court and was spitting all over the place. The emperor felt that the old man was really cute.
After hearing this, the officer's expression became a little serious. After thinking for a while, he clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, I, I just got the information!"
"Well, tell me!" The emperor paused in his hands, raised his head and looked at Captain Nightingale, and replied lightly.
The officer took a deep breath and replied: "Your Majesty, the report I just received said that Mr. Wang died of illness two years ago!"
"Oh!" The emperor nodded, but at the next moment, his expression suddenly became extremely shocked. He suddenly turned his head, looked at the officer with a pale expression, and asked with a trembling voice: "You, what do you mean?
What?"
The officer knelt on the ground with a plop, his head pressed to the ground, and replied word for word: "Your Majesty, Mr. Wang died of illness in the thousand-year winter. He is now buried in a woods outside Jiangning City. In an isolated grave.
, a wooden sign, nothing more.”
The emperor's face suddenly became extremely ugly, and the hand holding the envelope began to tremble. His heavy eyes were full of coldness, and his expression was complex and changeable as he thought.
"Wang Jianfei, Wang Huzi, who helped me ascend to the throne, is dead?" The emperor murmured to himself uneasily, "Why didn't I know? Why didn't he tell me!"
Seeing that the emperor looked wrong, the officer hurriedly persuaded: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
The envelope in the emperor's hand had fallen to the ground at some point. He was repeating these two sentences in a loop, looking lost and dejected.
After a moment, murderous intent loomed in the emperor's eyes. He suppressed the anger in his heart, held the armrests of the dragon chair with his hands, narrowed his eyes, and said with a ferocious smile: "Li Dexian!"
"Come here, let me capture Li Dexian!"
The emperor slapped the table and ordered angrily to the officer.
Just as the officer clasped his fists and prepared to respond, he suddenly heard a shrill cry from outside: "Come here, Manager Li jumped into the well and committed suicide!"
Not long after, someone heard from outside the house: "Your Majesty, Manager Li just committed suicide by throwing himself into a well in the Imperial Garden!"
The emperor smiled coldly and looked at the officer with squinted eyes. The cold stars were shining in his eyes, and murderous intent appeared: "Zhan Ying, check it out for me! I want to see who is so bold and dares to deceive the emperor like this!"
The officer, whom the emperor called Zhan Ying, hurriedly raised his fists and said solemnly: "Yes, I obey your orders! It's just, Your Majesty!"
"Anything else, tell me all at once!" The emperor leaned on his chair weakly, raised his head, and tried not to let Zhan Ying see his tears. He closed his eyes and said calmly.
"Your Majesty, according to Jiangning Nightingale's report, someone is starting to attack Mr. Wang's heirs! Now, Mr. Wang's second son, Wang Liye, has been thrown into Jiangning's prison cell. It is said that he will be executed by the Empress next autumn!" Zhan Ying cupped his fists and said,
Buluo told the information he had gathered.
The emperor smiled coldly, his tone full of ridicule: "Oh, these people are really impatient. Even before I am dead, I have begun to dream of changing the world! Zhan Ying, have you found out who it is?"
Zhan Ying nodded and said in a deep voice: "I found it. This person's name is Fan Zeng. He was previously an aide to Mr. An and is currently an official in the Ministry of Rites!"
After hearing An Peng's name, the emperor's face changed slightly, and his expression became a little solemn. After closing his eyes and thinking for a while, he waved his hand and said: "I'm here to see An Peng in the imperial study!"
"Yes!" Zhan Ying responded, saluted respectfully, and then exited the secret room.
"An Peng, ha!" The emperor opened his eyes and smiled coldly, his eyes full of coldness.
At the third watch, the imperial study room was still brightly lit. The eunuchs and maids guarding the door lowered their heads and looked solemn. They had served the emperor for many years, and tonight, the atmosphere in the imperial study room was clearly depressing.
I wonder if that minister is about to lose his head!
The eunuchs and maids all had the same thoughts in their hearts.
In the imperial study room, the emperor leaned on his chair a little tiredly, closing his eyes to rest, holding the letter in his hand.
Under the desk, An Peng, who is now an official worshiper of Zuopushe, has been kneeling there, motionless.
At this time, An Peng had been kneeling on the ground for five hours. At this time, he seemed to have reached his limit, his body was shaking, and big beads of sweat fell from his head.
Seeing that Zuo Pushe was at the end of his strength, the emperor straightened up, leaned on his chair, glanced at him lightly, and said, "An Peng, do you know what happened in Jiangnan?"
"I, I know something!" An Peng knew very well what the emperor was asking. He secretly raised his head and glanced at the emperor, and found that although he was careless, his deep eyes seemed to be insightful. He secretly said
He wiped his sweat and answered hastily.
"Is Fan Zeng a member of your household?" The emperor leaned forward slightly, but it gave An Peng a huge sense of oppression.
"Yes, yes!" An Peng's voice trembled, his face suddenly turned pale, and he admitted hurriedly.
"This boy deserves to die!" the emperor said calmly.
"Yes, yes, this boy really deserves to die!" An Peng put his head on the ground and nodded.
"That's good. You go to Jiangning in person to convey the decree. Fan Zeng will be executed late. Su Guangyi will be beheaded and his family will be exiled for three thousand miles. As for the Liu family, exterminate them! These heads should be regarded as my apology to Wang Jianfei. Ha,
I hope this old man won’t resent me down there!” The emperor’s eyes were wet and he shook his head with a wry smile.
After hearing the emperor's severe punishment, An Peng's body trembled violently. He raised his head and looked at the emperor with fearful eyes. His mind went blank.
"An Peng, do you want to resist?" The emperor opened his eyes, leaned forward, and stared at him with a sneer.
"I don't dare, I will go and deliver the order right away!" An Peng was so frightened that his whole body was soaked with sweat. He wanted to get up, but his legs were numb and he couldn't move at all. In the end, he could only kowtow and retreat.