Ouchi Taming the Cat, starting with the Ten Tiger Forms!

Chapter 638: Selling the Land Twice

Princess Ankang and Taoist Sanxi had a very pleasant conversation and talked a lot about Concubine Xiao's deeds.

Princess Ankang also took this opportunity to learn more about Concubine Xiao when she was young.

In the words of Taoist Sanxi, Concubine Xiao is a very special noble person.

Perhaps because she came from a foreign country, Concubine Xiao's arrival gave the people of the capital a bright feeling.

It is said that after Concubine Xiao married into Daxing, she would always find opportunities to go out incognito for private visits, so much so that the common people at that time could recognize Concubine Xiao's carriage.

After all, if you encounter that carriage when you are bullying the market, you will be in big trouble.

Taoist Priest Sanxi had a good memory. He told Princess Ankang everything he had seen and heard about Concubine Xiao's deeds, and Princess Ankang listened with great interest.

Not only Princess Ankang, but also Li Xuan and Yu'er were fascinated by the story.

They stayed at Taiqing Temple until the sun went down. Taoist Sanxi even invited them to have dinner before they set out on their journey back to the palace.

As for the captured Master Niu, Princess Ankang directly threw him to Xu Lang and asked him to report to Jingyang Palace tomorrow with this man's confession.

This kind of thing is naturally a relevant business for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

I'm afraid Master Niu never thought that he would have the honor of visiting the Imperial Household Department.

Master Niu was not brought into the palace, but was sent directly to Ping An Trading Company.

I think tomorrow they will know where the land deed passed down from Mr. Niu’s ancestors came from.

When the three little ones returned to Jingyang Palace, it was already late.

After washing up, Princess Ankang lay on the bed holding Li Xuan, but she was not sleepy at all.

"Ah Xuan, mother is really amazing."

"I want to be as powerful as my mother in the future!"

Princess Ankang said seriously.

"You can do it, meow!"

Li Xuan immediately encouraged.

"Hehe, Xuan, you are so nice!"

Princess Ankang hugged Li Xuan tightly and covered them both with a quilt.

"Let's go to bed early and get up early, and see what the fat guy has to say tomorrow."

……

Silent all night.

Early the next morning, Xu Lang appeared in front of the gate of Jingyang Palace on time.

But in addition to reporting Mr. Niu's confession, he also brought another piece of news.

"Your Highness, His Majesty requests that you come to Ganlu Palace to see him immediately."

Princess Ankang had just finished washing up and had not yet had time to have breakfast when she received the news from Xu Lang.

But since it was Emperor Yongyuan's order, they had no time to delay and immediately packed up and prepared to go to Ganlu Palace.

On the way, Princess Ankang asked Xu Lang, "How was the interrogation of the fat man?"

Xu Lang couldn't help but smile slightly and reported: "Your Highness, he confessed everything just by threatening him."

"But it looks like he's a victim, too."

Then Xu Lang carefully reported Mr. Niu's confession.

Mr. Niu was not a big shot in the capital, he was just a businessman who did relatively well in business.

But this is only partially good, at least it is not good enough to escape from the status of ordinary people.

If merchants in Daxing want to become bigger, they must rely on wealthy families, otherwise all their wealth will be gone in the blink of an eye.

As long as you are blocking the road, no matter how much money you have, people can just accuse you of a crime and have your property confiscated.

When businessmen have money and do not want to become fat meat in the mouths of others, they can only rely on the powerful and become tools in the hands of the powerful. Only then can they have some dignity as tools.

But Master Niu still had a long way to go before he could become powerful and wealthy, so he planned to accumulate some property to pass on to his descendants, and achieve success through accumulation from generation to generation.

The most suitable asset is naturally the land in Beijing, but it is in short supply. Good land is hard to buy, and Mr. Niu doesn't like bad land.

But he didn't expect that just a few days after he had the idea of ​​buying land and before he had done much inquiries, good things came to him.

The specific process was quite cliché. Anyway, a few months ago, Mr. Niu acquired a deed to Taiqing Temple.

The purchase price is much more affordable than the market price.

Mr. Niu is not stupid. He has been doing business for many years and still makes money, which proves that he is a shrewd man.

He knew exactly where the title deed was from.

It's not that he is so bold as to provoke a force like Taiqing Temple, but it's a gamble after weighing the pros and cons.

According to Mr. Niu, he bought the land deed not to occupy the land, but to curry favor with a nobleman.

He didn't know who the nobleman behind this was, but he knew that the other party could easily stamp the official seal of Chang'an County on the land deed.

Moreover, the person who sold him the land deed also promised that as long as he did his job well, he would introduce him to the noble person behind the scenes.

The Taoist sect has been extremely low-key in recent years, and Master Niu believed that he had the support of the government, which was why he dared to be so arrogant in Taiqing Temple before.

The previous few times were exactly as he expected, and Taiqing Temple was forced by him to be angry but not dare to speak out.

After all, no matter how powerful you are, do you dare to go against the government under the emperor's feet?
But Master Niu never expected that his life was going smoothly, but unfortunately he met Princess Ankang from the palace.

When the officials from Chang'an County saw Princess Ankang, they were like mice seeing a cat. They kowtowed and ran away, not caring about his life or death.

Moreover, he was taken away by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Does Chang'an County dare to come to the palace to ask for him?

Master Niu quickly recognized the facts and confessed everything Xu Lang asked him last night without any resistance. He only asked for leniency.

On the way to Ganlu Palace, Princess Ankang heard what happened and couldn't help shaking her head and laughing, saying, "This fat guy is really bold."

"Your Highness, people who start from scratch are all so bold. They wouldn't have built this business without taking risks."

After hearing this, Princess Ankang felt that what Xu Lang said made sense.

It seemed that Mr. Niu, who had won all his gambling career, suffered a major setback this time.

"Father, your Majesty summoned me so early, is it related to this matter?" asked Princess Ankang.

Nothing special happened after the New Year's Eve dinner, and the only thing I can think of is what happened yesterday.

It’s just such a small thing, could it attract the attention of Emperor Yongyuan?
"All the activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are indeed reported to Your Majesty regularly, but if it weren't for what happened yesterday, I wouldn't dare to make any comments."

Princess Ankang didn't ask any more questions, because she would know the answer after meeting Emperor Yongyuan.

After arriving at Ganlu Palace, the three little ones were summoned quickly with almost no delay.

Entering the Ganlu Palace, they found Emperor Yongyuan having breakfast.

There was another person sitting next to him, it was Princess Yan Zhao who had just returned to the palace not long ago.

And on the other side of Emperor Yongyuan, there was still an empty position.

Seeing Princess Ankang coming, Emperor Yongyuan said:

"Ankang, come and sit down and have dinner together."

Princess Ankang was stunned, but still bowed and said:
"Ankang has met the father and the second sister."

Princess Yanzhao was drinking a bowl of porridge. When she heard Princess Ankang's call, she put down her bowl and spoon, nodded to Princess Ankang, and then continued to drink the porridge gracefully.

Princess Ankang sat down beside Emperor Yongyuan, hesitated for a moment, and was about to hand Li Xuan from her arms to Yu'er behind her, when she heard Emperor Yongyuan say without even raising his head: "Let Xuan stay."

"If you haven't eaten yet, let's eat together."

These words made Li Xuan and Princess Ankang look up suddenly, and they found that Princess Yan Zhao was also looking up at them.

Princess Yan Zhao looked at Li Xuan with indifferent eyes, and a rare hint of fluctuation flashed in her eyes.

"What is the old emperor doing?"

"Does this mean you don't want to guard against your second daughter?"

Li Xuan thought secretly and didn't understand Emperor Yongyuan's intention.

Emperor Yongyuan lowered his head and drank porridge with an expressionless face, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"Eat it, it's getting cold."

Seeing some silence at the table, Emperor Yongyuan said one more sentence.

Princess Ankang didn't say anything, but just started eating quietly.

The table was filled with the food they usually ate, and Princess Ankang did not show any fear.

Although the things on the table look ordinary, Li Xuan knows that these ingredients are almost up to the standard of rare treasures.

Of course, they are just common natural treasures, but they can be eaten as three meals a day.

This kind of meal will have a subtle effect on the physical constitution, and people who practice martial arts will not be at risk of insufficient Qi and blood. It is of great benefit to the practice of the lower three levels, and even the middle three levels.

Everyone at the table was eating their own food. After hearing what Emperor Yongyuan had said, Princess Ankang felt comfortable picking some dishes for Li Xuan as well.

Princess Yanzhao was originally drinking porridge silently, but her eyes had unknowingly fallen on Princess Ankang and Li Xuan, and she couldn't move them away.

Emperor Yongyuan allowed a cat to eat at the table, which seemed unbelievable to Princess Yanzhao.

She had discovered before that the suddenly rising Thirteenth Princess always carried the black cat with her wherever she went and doted on it extremely.

It is understandable that Princess Ankang dotes on her cat, but why does Emperor Yongyuan do so?
Although Princess Yan Zhao kept staring at Princess Ankang and Li Xuan, due to her high level of cultivation, she did not make the embarrassing mistake of drinking porridge into her nose.

Princess Ankang occasionally looked up at Princess Yanzhao and smiled at her.

But after a while, the laughter became more frequent, and Princess Ankang's smile became awkward.

But Princess Zhenzhao didn't care at all and continued her observation activities.

Not until she finished the breakfast in front of her and wiped her mouth did she sit up straight and stare at the man and the cat opposite her.

Princess Ankang couldn't stand being stared at like this, so she couldn't help but ask:
"Second sister, you have been staring at us, is there something wrong?"

"Nothing, just looking."

Princess Yanzhao's cold voice sounded, and Princess Ankang didn't know how to respond.

"What a weirdo."

Li Xuan and Princess Ankang both said in their hearts.

Emperor Yongyuan drank his porridge leisurely, and seemed to have no intention of caring about the matter. Li Xuan and Princess Ankang didn't know what to say, so they just ate their meals.

It was only then that Princess Yan Zhao discovered that there were only four portions of food prepared on the table.

She originally thought that there would be other people coming, but now it seems that the extra portion has already gone into Li Xuan's stomach.

"Father prepared a breakfast specifically for this black cat?"

Princess Yan Zhao slowly turned her attention more to Li Xuan.

Just then, Emperor Yongyuan finally finished his breakfast and put down his bowl and chopsticks.

"Ankang, your second sister has been away from home for many years, and has not been in the palace for a long time. You should take her to get used to the palace when you have time."

Princess Ankang blinked her eyes, and after confirming that Emperor Yongyuan was not joking, she agreed with a strange look on her face:
"Yes, Father."

Then, Emperor Yongyuan turned to Princess Yan Zhao and said:
"Ying Zhao, Ankang has been weak and sickly since childhood. He has become healthier after being patiently treated by Doctor Xue last year. If you have time, please teach him some ways to strengthen his body."

Princess Yan Zhao replied without changing her expression, "Yes, Father."

Li Xuan looked at Emperor Yongyuan strangely, not knowing what he was up to.

It couldn't be that he had a sudden idea this morning and wanted Princess Ankang and Princess Yanzhao to love each other, right?

But before Li Xuan could think about it, Emperor Yongyuan changed the subject:
"Ankang, I heard that you arrested someone yesterday?"

The news from the Imperial Household Department could not be concealed from Emperor Yongyuan, and the three little ones were mentally prepared for this matter.

Since Emperor Yongyuan asked in front of Princess Yanzhao, Princess Ankang did not hide anything and immediately told her everything that happened yesterday and attached the confession that Xu Lang had obtained.

Princess Yanzhao was listening on the side, and turned her gaze to Princess Ankang again.

She seemed a little surprised that Princess Ankang was actually involved in such matters.

Emperor Yongyuan listened patiently to Princess Ankang's words, and then said:
"I know about this matter. The next matter will be handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Ankang, you don't have to worry about it."

"No one will harass Taiqing Temple anymore."

Emperor Yongyuan said casually.

Princess Ankang frowned, looked at Princess Yanzhao beside her, and then looked at Emperor Yongyuan.

"Your Majesty, I am stupid, please enlighten me!"

Emperor Yongyuan looked up in surprise, and seeing the stubbornness in Princess Ankang's eyes, he couldn't help but feel dazed.

When Emperor Yongyuan came back to his senses, he couldn't help but smile:
"Okay, if you want to know, I'll tell you."

"Selling the same land twice is not an isolated case. This phenomenon exists throughout Daxing. And who are the people who ended up taking the land after the lawsuit?"

"This matter has already been investigated, but there is insufficient evidence, and it will be useless if we can't find the source."

"The new magistrate of Chang'an County was appointed by me personally, but the officials in the county government are all so rigid that it is difficult to carry out their duties."

"Ankang, you accidentally helped the new county magistrate open up the situation yesterday. As long as we punish a group of people and win over a group of people, it will be enough to help the new county magistrate establish his prestige."

"But you should not continue to investigate this case, otherwise it will make the investigation more difficult."

Princess Ankang nodded after hearing this and said, "I see. I understand."

Princess Ankang felt relieved when she knew that Emperor Yongyuan had already investigated the case.

Li Xuan was silently chewing on the words of Emperor Yongyuan.

"Selling the same land twice?"

"It turns out that Emperor Yongyuan has already noticed this."

Hearing this, Li Xuan couldn't help but think of the large number of refugees he had seen in the north before.

He didn't expect that the people's land would be lost in this way.

Such behavior is even more excessive than extortion and taxation, it is simply robbery.

There is no need to think too much about it, this kind of mess must be related to King Zheng.

But the more such troubles occurred, the more confused Li Xuan became.

King Zheng wanted to be emperor, but what’s the point if the country and people he inherited are rotten?
Even if he pushed all these crimes onto Emperor Yongyuan, allowing himself to seize the throne with full legitimacy, wouldn't he have to solve these troubles himself?

Li Xuan didn't believe that King Zheng would not understand this.

Logically speaking, wouldn't it have been best for Emperor Yongyuan to seize the throne when he first ascended the throne?
Why didn't they seize this throne earlier, but instead did all sorts of shady things in secret for so many years, causing chaos in the world before trying to seize it?

"Does King Zheng have any special hobbies?"

(End of this chapter)