Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1010: Order of confinement and reprimand
The Palace of Mental Cultivation in the Imperial City,
In the East Warm Pavilion,

Emperor Wu sat cross-legged by the east window. On the table in front of him was a bowl of porridge, a few side dishes, and a stack of memorials lying on a corner of the table.

At this moment, Emperor Wu put down the memorial in his hand, and did not speak. He drank the porridge slowly and politely. After putting down the bowl and chopsticks, he asked;
"How did the news from Luo Yunhou spread so quickly?"

"Your Majesty, the urgent reports that came in earlier were all sent at an express rate of 600 miles. The court could not conceal it, so someone with ulterior motives spread it out. I went to check, and according to the secret reports from the Marquis and His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin, nothing serious happened."

Dai Quan reached out to help Emperor Wu change his clothes and put on his shoes. He then waved his hand and Xiao Yunzi, who was waiting outside the screen, hurried in, cleared the dishes on the square table, and took them out.

Seeing that Emperor Wu had put on his shoes, he turned around, took the red memorials on the square table, and read them carefully several times, with a serious expression on his face.
"Marquis Luo Yun knows the importance of this matter, and Zhou Ding is the most stable of my sons. However, this battle report is extremely detailed. The Linshan County City suffered heavy casualties after only one day of siege. In addition, the previous encounter in the Anyang Mountains has actually caused more than half of the army to be destroyed. If it weren't for Gu Ping and the remnant troops of Daliang City, we can't say for sure what will happen in the end."

Emperor Wu did not say the last sentence. The red urgent report in his hand was sent to the palace. In fact, less than a day later, there was also a pigeon letter from the Imperial City Department. After several confirmations, he suppressed his anxiety. Ding'er was ill, how could he not worry? Fortunately, it was written in the secret letter that Ding'er was just not used to the climate. In addition, Luo Yunhou was always victorious in every battle. It was a pity that the officers and soldiers were too seriously injured.

"Your Majesty, there is chaos in the south of the capital, and all the people are following the bandits. In addition, some people are fickle-minded. If we don't take drastic measures, how can we quell the chaos? Since Marquis Luo Yun has already taken the county town and wiped out the bandit army, I think there will be no more Taiping Sect bandits in the whole south of the capital. As long as Marquis Luo Yun conquers all parts of the south of the capital and returns to the north to block the retreat of the White Lotus Sect, it will be just a matter of time before this civil unrest is quelled."

Dai Quan's eyes turned red. These days, His Majesty had not been eating or sleeping well because of the civil unrest in the south of the capital. After falling seriously ill, his health was not good. How could he not be anxious?
"Yes, it's just around the corner. Tomorrow morning, ring the Golden Sun Bell to announce the victory of the imperial court. In addition, the news of Marquis Luo Yun's massacre in the city must also be spread."

Emperor Wu took two steps in the warm room, stopped, and returned to the kang, put down the two memorials, and spoke calmly.

Dai Quan was stunned when he heard this. He was aware of His Majesty's intention and quickly nodded his head in agreement.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will arrange it myself,"

"Also, have the Queen prepare some rewards and go to Luo Yunhou's mansion to pass on the imperial decree to commend her, and inform the county lady that there will be rumors from now on. If you don't like it, just close the door."

The change of tone made Dai Quan somewhat confused. Your Majesty, what is this?

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will make the arrangements. But Your Majesty, I feel that if this arrangement is really made, those civil servants and nobles will not be able to sit still. After all, massacring a city is against the way of the saints."

Dai Quan hesitated for a moment, but still offered his help. His Majesty's move was to lure the snake out of its hole. The impeachment memorials against Wang Ziteng were already piled up on the imperial desk, and it was unknown how Luo Yunhou would be impeached.
"Hmph, do you think those people will not take action? The day before yesterday, during the Qianqing Palace meeting, I wanted to protect Wang Ziteng, but some court officials were self-righteous. Look at these, each citing classics, including officials from the six ministries, who wanted to investigate Wang Ziteng's crime of dereliction of duty for the defeat of the army. These cannot be suppressed."

Emperor Wu was a little annoyed. He supported them back then only to check and balance the military honors. He didn't expect that the knife in his hand was too sharp. He reached out and took out a memorial from the table and threw it on the table. Looking at the familiar bright yellow memorial, he realized that this memorial was reported from the cabinet and written by Lou Xiaoruo, the Minister of Rites. No one knew who was behind it.

"Your Majesty, please do not be upset. Since Minister Lou has personally submitted the memorial, the Shangshu must have known about it. I think if we keep it in the palace and do not publish it, they will definitely not give up. In this case, why not thoroughly investigate why Yu Shiyuan, the governor of Jingnan, surrendered to the enemy? There is already solid evidence. The secret guards of the Imperial City Division who followed Your Majesty south have found a large number of correspondences and secret passages in the county governor's mansion. It was because of this that the high-ranking officials of the Taiping Cult were able to escape. Your Majesty, you should thoroughly investigate this case."

When the shrill voice sounded, Emperor Wu's eyes fixed and he turned his head to look over. His deep eyes flashed with a different meaning.
"You are quite good at this. What Luo Yunhou said in his letter to the old thief is indeed true. An old man who refuses to die is a thief. Perhaps he should have died long ago. What do you plan to do?"

Emperor Wu paused. Since the news of the great victory was to be announced tomorrow, Luo Yunhou was already at the center of public attention. If he was involved in this case, it would surely lead to many troubles. This was not appropriate.

But Dai Quan smiled and pointed carefully in the direction of the Imperial Army camp, saying;
"Your Majesty, it is said that even the victims have to speak. Since someone has impeached him, he must defend himself. The Jingnan army was defeated, but how it was defeated must be explained clearly. Yu Shiyuan is a veteran of two dynasties, and it cannot be a false accusation. Therefore, I think Wang Ziteng can submit a memorial himself."

"Haha, good, well said. You old fellow always have ideas. In this case, you must make arrangements for this matter. After the three bells ring tomorrow, there will definitely be an official to test it. Then wait for a day. I want to see Wang Ziteng's petition."

Emperor Wu narrowed his eyes and thought for a while. This arrangement was just to follow the prime minister. If Yu Shiyuan was touched, I wonder what the reaction would be in Changle Palace. After all, the birthday banquet was coming soon.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will make arrangements for the people in Yu Shiyuan's mansion,"

Dai Quan was a little unsure. The princes were about to enter the capital. At this juncture, if a major case was uncovered, the whole court would be shocked. How should he investigate it then? If he ignored it and led to other people's backhanded actions, it would cause a disaster.
Emperor Wu frowned, and was a little unsure.
Outside the screen, Xiao Yunzi hurried in and knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, the Imperial City Department has reported that several princes were assassinated in Yanchun Tower. Fortunately, the guards were able to protect them and the princes are safe and sound. However, the assassin had already prepared for it and escaped. Currently, people from the Imperial City Department and the Military Department are chasing him."

"What? Yanchunlou was attacked. Why didn't they stay in Honglu Temple and go to that kind of brothel? It's really ridiculous."

Emperor Wu glared and angrily shouted, then immediately ordered,

"Send secret guards to protect Yu Shiyuan's residence. Don't slack off. Send someone to the Honglu Temple to reprimand him. Put a few people under house arrest. And make a big fuss to catch the assassin and find out who is behind this."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will obey your order."

Dai Quan agreed immediately, and then took Xiao Yunzi out of the warm room, sending people to pass on the message. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "This is a troubled time, and the storm is coming."
In the Cining Palace in the harem,

The lights are dim,

A wrinkled Madam Wu walked into the inner hall carrying a food box, placed the food in the food box on the table, and shouted to the inner hall,
"Queen Mother, the porridge is here,"

In the back room,
It was dark, not even the palace lanterns were lit. Only a rustling sound could be heard, and Empress Dowager Lu, with a head of silver hair, walked out of the main hall. Nanny Wu hurried forward to help her sit down.

"Your Majesty, I cooked the rice porridge and took two dishes from the imperial kitchen, but no meat."

Looking at the simple bowl of porridge on the table, Empress Dowager Lu smiled slightly and nodded.
"You know what I'm thinking. I'm old and can't eat all those delicacies. But if I can eat something delicious, I'll feel very comfortable. By the way, is there any news from outside?"

"Replying to the old master, there is a secret, and Eunuch Zhou has confirmed the news,"

Nanny Wu suddenly became excited, and her hand trembled. This scene made Empress Dowager Lu raise her head suddenly, and she was shocked. She grabbed Nanny Wu's arm tightly with both hands and said sternly;

"What news do you know? Tell me!"

Aunt Wu was so frightened that she immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
"Replying to the Queen Mother, Chief Steward Zhou sent a message that the secret guards in the south of the capital have found the old Prince Yi Zhong, and the commander of the imperial guards, Zuo Feng, is still alive."

"What? Zuo Feng is still alive. If he is still alive, then Yong Xiao must also be alive. Where is he?"

Empress Dowager Lu suddenly relaxed her tense hands, tears streaming down her eyes. After searching for so long, she finally got some news. She still remembered Zuo Feng, a capable and careful man who led the Eastern Palace Guards and was Xiao'er's confidant. If he could escape, then maybe Yongxiao could also escape. After all, that night, a coroner confirmed that this man had died in the fire.

"Replying to the Queen Mother, Chief Clerk Zhou said that Commander Zuo had appeared in the Taiping Sect, but later in the battle at Anyang Mountains, his main force was defeated by Marquis Luo Yun and retreated all the way. He should be in Weizhou now, or he may have retreated to the south. In addition, there is also a secret guard who reported that Yu Shiyuan, the governor of Jingnan, had secret dealings with the Taiping Sect bandits. The evidence is solid, and the memorial has been sent to the palace." Although Madam Wu is old, she is not bad in skills and memory, and she remembers the secrets without any mistakes. The master's long-cherished wish is finally coming to light.

"Okay, okay, that old guy, I couldn't figure it out a long time ago. At his age, wouldn't it be better for him to stay in the capital to retire? I didn't expect that he would stay in the south of the capital without moving. I think he had been noticed a long time ago. Now he disappeared overnight. It is said that he surrendered to the enemy. The only one who could make that old man surrender to the enemy is Xiaoer."

Empress Dowager Lu suddenly realized and cried with joy. Everything was explained. If this was the case, the affairs of the court should be clarified.
"Get up. Tell Zhou Jing when you get back that you should continue to investigate in the south and try to find a way to get in touch with him. Also, I heard that Wang Ziteng was impeached in the capital."

"Yes, my lord, the ministers in the court are all impeaching Wang Ziteng. Speaking of the defeat, he cannot escape the blame!"

Nanny Wu stood up carefully and continued to stay in front of the Queen Mother to answer the questions.

"Hmph, a bunch of sour scholars. The nobles are becoming more and more useless. On the battlefield, there are wins and losses. How can they not try their best to fight for their lives? Since they impeached Wang Ziteng, he will definitely fight back. In this case, add fuel to the fire and say that the King of Beijing and the King of Dongping did not move their troops, so that they lost two cities. They are learning from the King of the West and the King of the South, nurturing the enemy for their own benefit. As long as the news gets out, those censors will smell the smell."

Empress Dowager Lu smiled and served the rice porridge. She slowly swallowed it down and felt relaxed. All the delicious food was not as plain as this bowl of porridge.

Nanny Wu was full of admiration. The master had really calculated everything.
"Yes, Master, I will pass on the message right away. There is one more thing. The secret guards reported that Lord Yu's residence seems to be under surveillance."

"Well, don't ask. Since Xiao'er is alive and the old thief is not dead, this family is fine. You go and tell them."

"Yes, Master,"

Although Nanny Wu was puzzled, she thought that since the master said it was okay, it must be okay. She nodded, carefully cleared the dishes on the table, and quietly left. After walking for a long time, Empress Dowager Lu suddenly stood up and returned to the inner hall. However, when she walked, she did not tremble, but looked very strong.
Beijing,

Several settlements along the Qing Lake had already been surrounded by Lord Nan and his troops. They searched almost every house, but found no trace of the assassin. It was already midnight.
The officers and lieutenants of the Military Department, who were already exhausted and out of breath, were all complaining. Deputy General Lu Weifeng had already led his troops back, but seeing that there was no clue, he had no choice but to come back.

"Sir, we have searched the entire neighborhood and found nothing unusual. And for some reason, those people from the Northern Pacification Office suddenly withdrew. Sir, what should we do? After all, it is the time for the Imperial Guards to patrol at this point."

Lu Weifeng was exhausted after a night of hard work, and he knew that his brothers had worked hard, so he could only come up with this excuse. He originally thought that the master would reprimand him, but unexpectedly, Master Nan actually nodded and waved his hand.

"Okay, now that we have searched, let's withdraw. You have worked hard tonight. When we return to the government office, ask the kitchen to prepare a midnight snack for you to eat."

"Uh, yes, sir,"

Deputy General Lu, who wanted to persuade them again, was dumbfounded. Seeing that he could go back, he immediately agreed and gave the order for the military department to gather the troops and withdraw all the way.
On the way,

Deputy General Lu was somewhat puzzled. He rode his horse behind Lord Nan, but after a lot of trouble, he still couldn't find any clues. How could he report to his superiors?
"Sir, if your superior asks, how should you answer?"

"To be honest, we are cooperating with the Imperial City Bureau in handling the case. The Imperial City Bureau's people withdrew their investigation, which must mean they made some discoveries. If that's the case, why should we lead troops here? We are just pretending. Those assassins are not simple."

Nan Wenyi sighed. Anyone who could set up an ambush in Yanchun Tower was definitely not a good man or a good woman. Fortunately, the guards of several princes were capable. If it were an ordinary person, he would have died here long ago.

And the reaction from the Princess is all trouble. In the capital, less trouble is worse than more. Since the Imperial City officials are here, we must learn to push.

Use retreat to advance.

Vice General Lu suddenly realized what was going on and nodded his head in agreement.

"Your Excellency is right. We are just here to help. I heard from the guards that the bandits who came this time were highly skilled in martial arts, and they had a thorough plan and retreated in an orderly manner. They seemed to be from the underworld, especially those black-clothed men who were killed. I will go and check them out."

Deputy General Lu looked around and saw that no one was around, so he whispered;
"When I checked these people, I found that there was a circular symbol on the left wrist of each of them. They should be hired assassins, but I don't know which family they belong to."

Nan Tongzhi immediately turned around and looked at Lu Weifeng. He didn't seem to be lying. He hesitated for a moment and ordered;
"This matter must not be spread outside. Since you can guess it, the people in the Imperial City Department will certainly guess it too. In this case, we should not make things complicated. No one can see the current political situation in the capital clearly. The focus is still on Wang Ziteng. Those civil servants can't sit still."

A trace of solemnity flashed across his face. After all, the Military Affairs Department belonged to the nobility. If Lord He was also involved, how could the Military Affairs Department be safe?
Lu Weifeng was shocked, knowing that the master had not let him go for no reason. Since returning to the capital, although Wang Jieshuai had been hiding in the imperial army camp, the court had been filled with impeachment memorials, and everyone knew about it. Although the palace had kept the case and did not release it, it would eventually be resolved.
"Yes, sir, I know the severity of the situation."

Seeing that the Bingmasi Yamen was just ahead, Deputy General Lu hurriedly led his troops back to the camp, and then instructed that the gate of the Yamen be tightly closed, as if nothing had happened tonight. Only Yanchun Tower was left, and the guards of the Imperial City Department were in charge to collect the bodies.
Several princes fled in panic and returned to the Honglu Temple in a state of embarrassment. Before they had waited long, a eunuch from the palace came with an imperial decree ordering them to be confined to the Honglu Temple. After hearing this, several of them blushed and had no choice but to kowtow and accept the order.
"My Lord, the Imperial City Division has taken over Yanchun Tower now. However, those assassins are highly skilled in martial arts. They don't look like ordinary assassins. Instead, they look like gangsters. We have been searching for them for nearly midnight, but have found no clues. So, my Lords, you need to strengthen the guards. It would be better for me to go back and report and mobilize the Imperial Guards to guard here."

It seemed like he had good intentions, but in fact, if the imperial guards came to the Honglu Temple, how could they keep their secrets? Zhou Zhengbai quickly stood up to thank them and handed over the banknotes;

"Excuse me, eunuch. It's just a small matter. How can we disturb the imperial guards? The guards we brought are enough. I won't bother you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Zhengbai winked at several people. Zhou Xinghan reacted the fastest and handed over the banknote.
"Yes, eunuch, these are just trivial matters. We must not alarm the palace again. Please say a few more kind words to me, eunuch."

Then the rest of the people also paid money and said nice things.
"Then I'll listen to you princes. It's not safe outside, you princes should be careful. I won't stay any longer, I'll go back now."

"Father-in-law, walk slowly."

After some polite exchanges, the men escorted the eunuch out of the main hall. As soon as he stepped off the jade steps and disappeared from sight, Zhou Yewen's face suddenly changed and he cursed fiercely.
"You are just a bully, I hate you."

"Brother Shi, please don't speak too loudly,"

Zhou Lianghao was frightened and quickly covered his brother's mouth. He could offend no one but these eunuchs. This was an unchanging principle since ancient times.
"Some things should be kept in your heart and never spoken out loud!"

Zhou Zhengbai looked unhappy. If someone heard him cursing like this, it would be another thing to worry about.

"Yes, Brother Shi, aren't you anxious?"

Zhou Yewen smiled awkwardly. He was indeed anxious, but the smug look on that dog eunuch's face was simply unkind. Ugh!
(End of this chapter)