pdf-ebookys Chapter 559 The Same Trick
Chapter 559 The Same Trick
"Let's adjourn the court session, I'm tired!" Zhao Jian waved his hand.
The officials filed out, but He Tianxia remained kneeling, prostrating himself on the ground, letting the officials' various strange looks pass over him.
Like him, there was also Huang Xuwu, who stubbornly refused to leave and was unwilling to give up.
Zhao Lue hesitated for a moment but did not leave. Zhao Qi pushed his father, smiled meaningfully, and also turned and left.
Soon only the three of them remained in the court.
"You should go back first," Zhao Jian said impatiently to He Tianxia.
He Tianxia stirred slightly, then finally got up with tears streaming down his face. He bowed respectfully before retreating.
Before leaving, he glanced at Huang Xuwu with a cold and disdainful look.
Huang Xuwu remained motionless, still kneeling upright, perhaps resentful that the officials had so easily let He Tianxia go.
"You should go back too. I will give you an explanation after Prince Zhao has investigated the matter thoroughly," Zhao Jian kindly explained.
"I beg Your Majesty to investigate. I have no home left. I will not go anywhere else. I will just wait here." Huang Xuwu was unusually spirited. He had finally waited for this day and could not back down.
Zhao Lue frowned. This person was so honest and straightforward; he might be a problem.
Zhao Jian looked at the two people in the hall and felt a little tired. Why was this person so straightforward? Without evidence, he couldn't just sentence a minister to death.
Thinking that he was the only one left in his family, Zhao Jian softened his voice and said, "Magistrate Huang, the country has its laws, and the family has its rules. You are accusing a high-ranking official. No matter what, this matter must be investigated according to the law before a crime can be committed. Even if you kneel for a long time, it should still be the same. As an official, you should know this principle and law!"
Huang Xuwu lowered his head and stared blankly for a moment before kneeling and bowing, saying, "It was I who overstepped my bounds. I will now take my leave."
Zhao Lue looked at Zhao Jian, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Your Majesty, since Lord Huang has nowhere else to go, I will bring him into the mansion. If there is anything I need to ask him, I can do so at the same time."
Zhao Jian understood his meaning and granted his request.
On the way back to the manor, in the carriage, Zhao Lue asked, "Lord Huang, how did you manage to come to the capital? Yangzhou is a thousand miles away from here, so it must have been quite an ordeal."
Huang Xuwu, unsuspecting, explained, "A merchant led me all the way here; otherwise, it would have been very difficult to get here."
"The magistrate said that your father and brothers were all killed by Magistrate He. Can you provide evidence?"
"No, but when my brother's house caught fire, a neighbor saw the figure of an Imperial Guard flash by." Huang Xuwu said with a somber expression, his voice filled with sorrow yet calm.
"This might be a bit difficult." Zhao Lue sighed. Although he was on good terms with Wang Erniu and the Jiang family, he was actually neutral in the court, just like his father. Otherwise, the emperor would not have entrusted this matter to him.
"Please, Your Highness, you must seek justice for my father and brothers, so that they may rest in peace in the afterlife." Huang Xuwu looked at him pleadingly. "Although my father was guilty of heinous crimes, he was under the tyranny of He Tianxia. He only received 20% of the money used to buy his official position, and the rest went to Lord He. How could a mere commander have access to tens of millions of taels of silver? There must be something he did wrong."
Zhao Lue sighed deeply. No wonder this man was able to escape to the capital. He could tell from his intuition that He Tianxia was involved in something. He wondered if Wang Erniu could provide some evidence that He Tianxia was keeping assassins. What was the relationship between Qinglan Niangzi and He Tianxia? It didn't seem like an employer-employee relationship. It seemed he needed to dig deeper.
At the General's Mansion, Cheng Xiang brought Lin Er's secret letter.
"Young master, a letter from Mr. Lin."
"Hmm, how's the guy surnamed He?" Chu Yi reached out and took the book, glanced at it quickly, and then frowned slightly.
"Commander He admitted to buying the official position but denied hiring a hitman. He has been confined to his quarters by the authorities and will be interrogated again after the Dali Temple has investigated the matter."
"Well, those disobedient ones went west, probably looking for their godmother. Send a message to the brothers in the underworld, and ask them to look after them if you run into them." A cold look appeared on Chu Yi's face. He Tianxia, this isn't over yet? This is just the beginning.
He Tianxia didn't care at all. He had fooled the emperor again. He was very happy, slowly picking up the jade pendant, sipping the fine wine, and looking at the snow scene outside the window. He felt no chill at all. He was lying on the chaise longue with nearly eight charcoal braziers around him, which dispelled the cold air outside.
Just like the reassurance Chen Wenfang gave him, he only needed Wang Erniu's reply to complete his mission. Hmph, these people value literature over military affairs. Have they forgotten that whoever holds military power has the final say?
After finishing his pot of wine, He Tian was slightly tipsy. The alcohol made him think of his disgraceful behavior in the main hall earlier that day, and he couldn't help but feel resentful. He didn't expect that there were still people from the Huang family alive. This wouldn't do. Zhao Lue was a ruthless character. If he found out anything, it would be troublesome. Qinglan still hadn't cleaned up the mess.
After thinking it over, He Tianxia stood up and said, "Someone, go and find out who protected this guy surnamed Huang when he came to Beijing. If they want to drag me down, they'd better see if they're qualified enough. It's best if it wasn't Wang Erniu's men, otherwise I'll make them taste the same trick."
"Yes!" The shadow appeared briefly, then disappeared again.
He Tianxia lay down again, thinking how wonderful life was. "Old friend Wang Erniu, please reply to my letter soon."
Wang Erniu, whom he deeply cared about, was wiping out a Liao village. His team had been out for a month, and he had only just figured out Wang Shizhong's methods. He had actually contacted all the inside agents in Youzhou City, as well as the Liao army and scattered tribal forces, totaling 100,000 people, and wanted to directly occupy Youzhou City on the eve of the Lunar New Year.
It must be said that his idea was excellent. Thanks to Chen Wenfang's efforts, Youzhou City was now prosperous and had plenty of food. Although there weren't many people eating the best food, they certainly wouldn't starve. As for raw sweet potatoes and dried sweet potatoes, as soon as Chen Wenfang gave the order, Brother Nie transported nearly 100,000 catties of dried sweet potatoes from the south. Raw sweet potatoes were stockpiled for planting, and nearly 30,000 catties of them were also transported. There were also other crops such as peanuts, broad beans, and wheat. As long as they were delivered, they would be paid in cash. Who wouldn't want to do this business? Moreover, there was an army guarding the official road, so it was safe and secure.
The spies in Youzhou City must be very familiar with these situations. As soon as Wang Shizhong reported this to Yelü Qiqi, he immediately agreed to the idea. With a city to protect them, they would no longer have to live in mud huts in the freezing cold. Moreover, he heard that Youzhou City also had coal, which could burn all night. Yelü Qiqi was very tempted and quickly agreed to Wang Shizhong's suggestion. He then personally went to contact the powerful figures from all sides.
It can only be said that Wang Shizhong was unlucky; he just happened to be discovered by Wang Erniu.
Along the way, on the westward journey, Chen Wenfang was comfortably leaning against the carriage, following the group of women all the way west. She was extremely obedient the whole way, voluntarily handing over everything in her hands, clothes, and headwear, except for her mouth, which was her only weapon. You could say that even her fingernails were round.
"You dare to play me? You won't get away with this either," He Tianxia sneered.