Shuhan

The next morning, the dawn began to break, and a few remaining stars were inlaid on the light blue sky. The air was filled with a slight coolness and the vitality of awakening.

Inside the palace, there was an unusually tense atmosphere amidst the silence.

Ma Su was dressed in a neat official uniform, walking steadily, holding a scroll of secret documents in his hand, which was the result of his interrogation of Sun Lin overnight. His eyes revealed a trace of imperceptible fatigue, but more of excitement.

He finally completed the task given by His Majesty.

Entering Liu Chan's imperial study, Ma Su carefully placed the heavy list on the table, trying his best not to make any noise.

Liu Chan was sitting on the dragon throne, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, with an aura of majesty revealed between his brows.

He slowly raised his eyelids, his sharp gaze sweeping across the list, only to see that it was densely packed with the names of many court officials. The number was large enough, and the weight was heavy enough.

Not bad.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Liu Chan's lips, a sign of satisfaction with the result.

He nodded gently, his voice low and powerful: "Well done, Youchang. Spread some news about the results of last night's interrogation. I want to see how these people will prove their innocence in such a situation, or whether they will reveal more clues."

When Ma Su heard this, although he had doubts in his heart, he also understood that this was an imperial tactic aimed at intimidating the court and the public and preparing for the Northern Expedition.

He saluted respectfully, with a look of determination in his eyes: "I will obey your order and spread the news quietly among the court and the public, so that those who have evil intentions will have nowhere to hide."

As he turned and left the imperial study, Ma Su's steps seemed a little heavy.

Implicating many people would indeed have some results, but it would also inevitably cause a big disturbance, and might even cause unrest in the entire court. In his heart, he not only insisted on justice, but also had a trace of worry about the unknown.

Following Ma Su's arrangements, a silent storm began to spread quietly inside and outside the court.

The officials were discussing the matter privately, some were in a panic, while others were secretly planning countermeasures. The entire palace and even Jianye were shrouded in a subtle and tense atmosphere, as if even the air had become heavy.

In the Jianye tavern, the lights were dim and the voices were bustling. People from all walks of life gathered together, sitting or standing, chatting and laughing.

The aroma of wine and dishes intertwined and permeated the entire space, adding a breath of life to this lively place.

"Have you heard? That Sun Lin was so bold as to assassinate the Han Emperor! This is truly earth-shattering and jaw-dropping!" A rough voice came from the corner, with a bit of incredible exclamation.

"That's right! I also heard that after Sun Lin was interrogated, he gave up a lot of people! The people on the list are all important officials in the court. This is a big deal!" Another person took over the conversation, with a hint of mystery in his voice.

"Tsk tsk, the entanglement behind this is more complicated than the wine we drank! Tell me, how come these people, who usually appear to be righteous, suddenly became the masterminds behind the assassination of the emperor?" A man in gorgeous clothes waved a fan, his tone full of sarcasm and disdain.

"Hmph, how can we ordinary people understand what goes on in the imperial court? But then again, Sun Lin deserves it. Assassinating the emperor is a heinous crime punishable by the execution of nine generations of the clan! He is giving these people away now, probably to save a way for himself, right?" An old man stroked his beard, his tone revealing a sense of sophistication and vicissitudes.

"Well, no matter how you put it, this matter has messed up the court. I'm afraid there will be a big storm next! Those of us who run small businesses should be careful and not get dragged into it!" The proprietress of the tavern came over and said worriedly while refilling wine for the guests.

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, with different expressions on their faces. Some were worried, some were curious, and some were indifferent as if it had nothing to do with them.

With the help of the secret military commanders behind the scenes, the news that Liu Chan wanted to spread was spread as quickly as possible.

. . .

On both sides of the bluestone alley, there are tall houses with deep rooms, like the guardians of time, standing quietly and telling the glory and vicissitudes of the past.

These mansions are exquisitely built with carved beams and painted rafters, and every detail reveals the owner's prominent status and elegant taste.

Looking up, I saw the lifelike wood carvings under the eaves, as if they would come alive at any time and tell ancient stories.

The colorful paintings on the beams are still as bright as ever after going through wind and rain, like a scroll of history displayed before people's eyes.

In the bluestone alley, the mansions of prominent officials and nobles are located side by side, forming a unique aristocratic community.

These mansions may be closely connected or independent of each other, but in any case, they together constitute the unique style of Qingshi Lane.

There is an endless stream of carriages and horses in the bluestone alley, adding more vitality and vigor to this ancient alley.

The sound of horse hooves, wheels and other sounds in the alleys interweave to form a unique symphony.

Most of these carriages and horses belonged to prominent officials and nobles. They came to visit friends or to discuss important matters. In short, Qingshi Lane became more lively because of their presence.

The Gu family, one of the four major families in Jiangdong, is located here. The Gu Mansion has a high gate and deep courtyard, and at this moment, there are many carriages and horses parked outside the gate.

Inside the Gu residence, the atmosphere was heavy, and the air seemed to be filled with a sense of oppression. Gu Yong's face was not looking good, and his brows revealed an unconcealable worry.

In front of him, Zhang Zhao's face was also gloomy, with a gleam of anxiety in his eyes.

"Sun Lin had the audacity to assassinate Your Majesty, but before he died, he even tried to bite us." There was a hint of indignation and helplessness in Zhang Zhao's voice.

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and he will definitely not believe the assassin's words. We will write a letter to defend ourselves, and we will be able to escape justice!"

Bu Zhi was very calm on the side. He said slowly: "Your Excellency has the guard of honor behind him, so he can be calm and composed, but we don't have Madam Bu behind us!"

There was a hint of indifference and self-mockery in his tone, and he didn't seem to be too worried about the current predicament.

Gu Yong smiled bitterly and thought to himself: You, Bu Zhi, are calm and composed now, isn't it because Bu Lianshi is favored by His Majesty, and Sun Ba is the King of Wu, so you have someone backing you up, that's why you are so calm.

And what about them?

There was no one behind them.

He looked up at Zhang Zhao, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes: "The news of the interrogation last night has spread to Jianye today. It must be the spy army behind it. And the spy army represents your majesty. Now that your majesty is preparing for the Northern Expedition, with Sun Lin's assassination as a pretext, he can't use it. Therefore, your majesty can't take this matter lightly."

Zhang Zhao's heart tightened when he heard this. He quickly asked, "What does Mr. Gu mean?"

Gu Yong took a deep breath and slowly uttered two words: "Prove your innocence."

Prove your innocence?

Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi were both stunned. They looked at each other, not knowing what Gu Yong meant.

"How can I prove my innocence?" Zhang Zhao couldn't help but ask.

Gu Yong smiled bitterly, with a hint of helplessness and determination in his eyes: "We can prove our innocence by fully supporting your majesty's Northern Expedition with human, material and financial resources."

There was a certain heaviness and determination in his words.

"Only in this way can we prove our loyalty and innocence to His Majesty. Otherwise, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to escape being implicated in this storm."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhao and Bu Zhi fell into deep thought.

What Gu Yong said was true. The only way now was to fully support His Majesty's Northern Expedition to prove their innocence and loyalty. However, they had to consider the cost and risks involved.

Because there is a price to pay.

The entire Gu Mansion was silent, with only the breathing and heartbeats of the three of them echoing in the air.

They all knew that this storm had just begun.

Your Majesty must exhaust the strength of Jiangdong to launch a northern expedition.

At this time, anyone who dares to stop it or refuse would be committing treason.

It’s just that I couldn’t say it directly before.

Now, His Majesty can speak directly through the assassination case.

In the temporary palace, Liu Chan sat on the dragon throne, with a pile of self-defense letters from his ministers in front of him.

All these memorials proclaimed their innocence, claiming that they had nothing to do with the assassination of His Majesty, and that it was all just Sun Lin's random accusations before his death.

However, Liu Chan just glanced coldly at these words of self-defense and ignored them.

At this time, Gu Yong and Zhang Zhao's memorials caught his attention. They did not defend themselves too much, but directly submitted memorials donating food, weapons, money, and troops, demonstrating their loyalty and innocence with practical actions.

Liu Chan carefully studied the memorial, and his expression gradually relaxed.

With this memorial, you Gu Yong and Zhang Zhao will both be the pillars of the country and true loyal ministers.

Could a person who contributed money, food, and troops to the Northern Expedition be a traitor?
Such a person would never do such a treasonous thing as assassinating His Majesty, nor would he defend himself at this time and place. Instead, he would choose to support the country's Northern Expedition with practical actions.

Thinking of this, the smile on Liu Chan's face became brighter and brighter.

really
We still need some smart people to lead the way.

He picked up the pen and wrote down the contents of the imperial edict on the spot: "The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: Gu Yong and Zhang Zhao are my right-hand men, the pillars of the country, and models of loyal ministers. In the past, I know that they had nothing to do with the assassination of Sun Lin. Their loyalty is known to the sun and the moon. I am very pleased, and I hereby announce it to the world to prove their injustice and honor their loyalty. I hope that all the ministers will learn from this and no longer have any doubts. I decree this."

I hope that all the ministers will learn from this and know how to write to the emperor. Instead of defending yourself, it is better to offer food, fodder, weapons, money, silk and troops to support my northern expedition!
of course
The following sentence is for them to understand.

If you don't understand, you will naturally suffer a little.

After writing the imperial edict, a satisfied smile appeared on Liu Chan's face.

With Gu Yong and Zhang Zhao taking the lead, other ministers should also understand what they should do.

They did not need too much excuses and sophistry, they just needed to use practical actions to demonstrate their loyalty and innocence and support the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition.

Tap tap tap~
Right now.

Sun Shangxiang walked over slowly.

She was dressed in a gorgeous palace dress, the delicate embroidery seemed to bloom on her plump figure, but could not completely conceal her natural fullness.

Last night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The worries in her heart were like summer heat waves, coming one after another.

This morning, she managed to get up. Although her face looked haggard, her bright eyes still sparkled with determination.

She cooked a bowl of sour plum soup herself, hoping it would bring some coolness to Liu Chan.

Holding the bowl of soup, she slowly walked to Liu Chan and said softly, "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so you should drink a bowl of sour plum water to cool down."

Her voice was soft and full of concern, like a breeze, trying to blow away the fatigue in Liu Chan's heart.

Liu Chan looked up at Sun Shangxiang, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

He took the bowl of sour plum soup and drank it in one gulp, as if he wanted to drink away all his troubles.

Then he took Sun Shangxiang into his arms.

"Sun Lin died in the imperial prison last night." Liu Chan's voice was a little bleak, with a hint of imperceptible pity.

After all, she was a member of the Sun family. In the end, it was Liu Chan who took advantage of Sun Shangxiang.

Sun Shangxiang nodded after hearing this, and a trace of determination flashed in her eyes: "What he did is unforgivable. It's better for him to die."

Her tone was firm, without any hesitation or nostalgia.

Sun Lin's actions had touched Liu Chan's bottom line, and his death was inevitable.

Liu Chan nodded slightly, he understood Sun Shangxiang's feelings.

In this palace full of intrigues and struggles, they all need to keep a clear head and a firm stand.

He patted Sun Shangxiang's shoulder gently to comfort her.

At this time, Sun Shangxiang suddenly asked: "Your Majesty, how do you want to deal with the Sun family? I have no objection. It seems that they are still ambitious. Don't indulge them just because of me."

Sun Shangxiang understood her own identity and position, and was also aware of the Sun family's ambitions and conspiracies.

She did not want Liu Chan to indulge or favor Sun because of her existence.

Liu Chan laughed, and there was a hint of heroism and confidence in his laughter.

He hugged Sun Shangxiang tightly, as if he wanted to integrate her into his own bones and blood: "Don't worry, my little girl. I will not let go of those who are ambitious. But it is not impossible to give those who are obedient a chance to live. The prerequisite is that they support my Northern Expedition and do not cause chaos during the expedition." His tone was firm and resolute, without the slightest hesitation or wavering.

When Sun Shangxiang heard this, a warm feeling surged in her heart.

Your Majesty is an emperor with ambitions and aspirations. He will not tolerate anyone who hinders him from achieving his great cause of unification.

But at the same time, he was also a wise and benevolent monarch who knew how to distinguish between enemies and friends and how to treat different people differently.

And soon.
As the content of the imperial edict to Gu Yong and Zhang Zhao gradually spread, the ministers began to realize how they should defend themselves to show their support for the Northern Expedition.

They wrote letters one after another to express their firm stance on the Northern Expedition and promised to donate money, food and manpower to support the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition with practical actions.

now
The rear is settled.

It is time to light the flames of the Northern Expedition. (End of this chapter)