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

Chapter 657: Change of Mind
"Remembering your majesty's teachings, we will be loyal to the king and serve our country, and restore a bright and clear sky!"

The newly appointed young scholars all knelt down and expressed their gratitude.

Emperor Yongyuan nodded to them, then stood up and left the court to prepare for today's itinerary.

The people outside the county government office burst into prolonged cheers, and also raised some hope for the future of Caiyun County.

At least these young officials don’t look as fat and bloated as Gao Yangang and his men.

In the court, King Zheng and the civil officials were in mourning.

Especially the Minister of Justice Zhang Lin and other people who were appointed by Emperor Yongyuan to investigate the case.

"My Lord, what should I do?"

Zhang Lin remained calm and respectfully asked King Zheng for instructions.

Although no one said it explicitly, they all knew that last night's attack was probably related to King Zheng.

Now that Emperor Yongyuan asked them to investigate the case, they had no choice but to seek the advice of Prince Zheng.

After all, it was his man.

It is definitely impossible to ask King Zheng to hand over the person obediently.

But since this matter was caused by him, he needs to come up with a decision.

"Master Zhang, there are a few more."

King Zheng spoke calmly.

"His Majesty asked you to investigate the case, so just do it well."

"This case is indeed of a serious nature. This king will not sit idly by and watch. I will send people to assist you in investigating the case."

"I hope I can give His Majesty a satisfactory answer when the time comes."

King Zheng's tone was extremely calm, as if today's events had not had any impact on him.

"After seven days, the southern tour team must have arrived at Luodong City and will soon change the water route to the south."

After King Zheng said this last sentence, he reached out and patted Zhang Lin on the shoulder.

Zhang Lin understood King Zheng's intention and bowed immediately, saying:
"Then we would like to thank you for your help, Your Majesty."

Although the other officials who were assigned to assist in the investigation did not understand why, they also followed suit and bowed to thank King Zheng.

If the sky falls, there will be someone taller to hold it up. Now is not a critical moment, so they did not lose their composure.

"Well, we are going to prepare to set off with His Majesty."

"My lords, please stay in Caiyun County and investigate the case. We will meet again in the future."

After saying this, King Zheng and others also left the county government office.

Emperor Yongyuan did not issue an order to change the itinerary, so they had to continue on their journey today to their next destination.

The itinerary of the Southern Tour is precisely arranged for every day. If it is delayed by half a day, subsequent plans will need to be changed accordingly.

Outside the court, even though Emperor Yongyuan had left, the people surrounding him did not disperse, but continued to shout "Your Majesty is wise."

After leaving the court, King Zheng still had this piercing voice lingering in his ears.

Even though he was very cunning, there was still a gloom on his face.

King Zheng knew about last night's attack.

But he was also very clear that the attack did not achieve the intended effect.

His people wouldn't do things so half-heartedly.

King Zheng was surprised that the vines and thorns did not turn the entire Caiyun County upside down.

Even Prince Zheng cannot fathom the power that Emperor Yongyuan now possesses.

But there was another thing that made King Zheng anxious.

The numb people responded to Emperor Yongyuan today.

This made King Zheng more uneasy than anything else.

"No, it has to be faster!"

On the other hand, Emperor Yongyuan had the same idea.

"Your Majesty, do you want to speed up the next trip?"

Zhao Feng followed Emperor Yongyuan in small steps and asked in surprise.

"The Ministry of Internal Affairs hastened its actions, giving priority to subsequent investigations of local bureaucrats, and then immediately departing after severely punishing the officials who committed the crime, in order to shorten the scheduled itinerary as much as possible."

Emperor Yongyuan's request made Zhao Feng worried, "What about your guarding job, Your Majesty?"

The eunuchs in flowery clothes of the Imperial Household Department were a very important deterrent force during the southern tour.

If people were to notice the transfer of the flowery eunuchs, it would probably cause unnecessary trouble.

"Don't worry, the other masters of the palace are enough to handle it."

"If you dare to stretch out your claws, I'll chop them off one by one!"

Seeing that Emperor Yongyuan had made up his mind, Zhao Feng did not try to persuade him any further.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Tell the secret agents of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to be more careful. As the news spreads, the people of King Zheng will surely get the news as well. They will definitely secretly ambush and obstruct the investigation."

"Based on the evidence we collected earlier, it is enough to capture most of the criminals who are causing trouble."

"There is no need to pursue perfection. What is important is to make an example of someone."

"The people's trust in the court has reached a freezing point. We must act faster."

It was not only Prince Zheng who had some realizations today. Emperor Yongyuan also noticed the people's numb attitude.

This was their second stop after leaving the capital.

Places further away are somewhat difficult to imagine for Emperor Yongyuan.

Understanding it from the text on the spy's page is far less real than seeing it with your own eyes.

Daxing urgently needs to rebuild the people's trust in them.

Emperor Yongyuan was even somewhat glad that he had brought his southern tour forward.

Any later and the situation will only get worse.

"Also, the one who was shouting in the crowd just now was Xuan, right?"

Speaking of this, Emperor Yongyuan couldn't help but smile slightly.

"It's almost there. I just didn't expect Xuan to be good at this."

"Your Majesty has instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs not to be too deliberate, but in the end, Xuan was still given the job."

"Speaking of which, it's not easy for others to see that a cat is leading the crowd."

Zhao Feng shook his head and laughed.

He felt that letting Li Xuan be a spy in the past had already developed his abilities to a great extent, but Li Xuan always brought new surprises.

"Yes, Xuan's abilities still need to be further developed."

Emperor Yongyuan spoke thoughtfully, as if he had been inspired by something.

……

Outside the county government office, the people cheered continuously.

Eunuchs in flowery clothes carried the heads of the corrupt officials and paraded them through the streets for public display, and then prepared to hang them on the city gates.

Just like in Jinghou County, the heads of criminals such as Gao Yangang would be hung high on the city gate tower.

The people spontaneously made way for him and followed the eunuch in flowery clothes. Some even immediately prepared stones, rotten vegetable leaves, rotten eggs and other items for later use.

Princess Ankang and others did not follow, but looked at the crowd going away.

"Ugh."

Princess Ankang couldn't help but sigh.

The people’s reactions really made her feel distressed.

From numbness at first, to indignation later, and now joy.

If Daxing had treated them well from the beginning, there probably wouldn't have been such a reaction.

There would not have been this southern tour by them.

Hearing about many things is one thing, and seeing them with your own eyes is another.

Princess Ankang had heard Xiao Cui mention before that the life of the people in the capital was already quite good, and it was even the life that many people dreamed of.

But Princess Ankang had witnessed with her own eyes the Money Gang running rampant in the streets and oppressing the people.

I have also seen how the magistrate of Chang'an abused his power for personal gain and committed corruption and abuse of power.

How can such a life be a dream?
But now Princess Ankang seems to understand a little.

Those civilians who died in the attack without explanation...

Those people who have become accustomed to being oppressed as a daily routine...

Those people who have become numb to the imperial court...

Aren’t these all people from Daxing?
"Ah Xuan, can we change all this if we defeat King Zheng?"

Li Xuan hesitated for a moment, but still nodded to Princess Ankang.

In fact, he wasn't quite sure.

He just felt that things would be better without King Zheng. At least if Emperor Yongyuan was in power, he would not treat the people like this.

Maybe, who knows? Li Xuan couldn't be sure of the future.

But he knew that if he only looked at the present, it would definitely be better without King Zheng.

"Ankang, only by resolving internal conflicts can Daxing be united again."

The eighth prince, who had been silent for a long time, spoke.

He said it in a firm tone without any hesitation.

"If Daxing continues to fight among itself, it will surely bring about its own destruction."

"The great achievements of a thousand-year dynasty will only be a mirage."

The Eighth Prince said this and looked towards the street corner to the east.

Under the wall of the county government office stood two heroic young men, the eldest prince and the fourth prince.

The conflict between the nobles and the civil servants also needs to come to an end.

In fact, they couldn't quite remember that it was only after the emergence of King Zheng that the conflict between the civil and military officials in the court reached its current level.

Or is it that the conflict between civil and military officials had already existed, and King Zheng became one of the representatives of this conflict.

But no matter what, there is a result now.

The eldest prince nodded to Princess Ankang and the eighth prince, then turned and left with the fourth prince.

"Fourth brother, what do you think?"

The two brothers walked on the deserted streets of Caiyun County and started talking.

“The conflict is getting more intense.”

The Fourth Prince lowered his brows and answered softly.

He just stared at the road under his feet, as if he was thinking about something seriously.

“We were doing it right.”

"Brother, continue to hold Mother back and get close to the royal family."

"I will be responsible for maintaining contact with the Zhang family and handling matters outside the palace."

"This way, no matter what the outcome is, it won't be the worst possible outcome."

Apparently, the Fourth Prince's remarks were not the first discussion between the two brothers.

The eldest prince did not respond, but patted the fourth prince on the shoulder, pointed to the front and asked him:

"Fourth brother, is this really right?"

The fourth prince still lowered his eyebrows, not daring to raise his head, and continued:
"The value of the Zhang family is enough for no party to ignore."

"With any luck, everyone will be safe."

"No matter how bad our luck is, it will only cost one of us..."

"At worst, we can protect Mother and Sixth Sister..."

"Fourth brother!" The eldest prince pressed the fourth prince's shoulders with both hands.

The Fourth Prince felt pain and then raised his eyes to meet the First Prince's gaze.

"Take a look at these ruins."

"Can you really guarantee that my mother and my sixth sister won't be treated like this?"

"What's the truth in this?"

The eldest prince asked painfully.

The Fourth Prince then turned his head stiffly and looked at the ruins that had just been formed last night.

A lot of the ruins have been cleared, but broken walls can still be seen everywhere.

What is even more glaring is the bloodstains that were splashed randomly, which makes it impossible to take your eyes away.

Will these civilians whose lives were taken away by unexpected disasters think that last night's attack was justified?
The Fourth Prince prides himself on being smart and can always easily see through people's hearts and guide others to act according to his wishes.

He thought this was the so-called political conspiracy, the so-called imperial mentality.

The ability to control others at will.

But more and more accidents gradually made him realize his own naivety.

His previous world was too small.

The appearance of Princess Ankang made the Fourth Prince realize that he was not outstanding even among his peers.

The attack on Caiyun County made the Fourth Prince realize how fragile his calculations were in this unreasonable world.

An accident can overturn all his plans.

King Zheng didn't seem as rational as he thought.

For the strong, the most efficient way to clear obstacles is never the so-called calculation.

The two brothers looked at the ruins in silence for a while, and the fourth prince suddenly said something extremely treasonous:
"Father is too weak."

The eldest prince frowned, but didn't say much.

The Fourth Prince knew more about the outside world than he did.

"It would be best if Father could win. The Zhang family would at most receive some punishment. If they keep a low profile for a while, they will be able to rise again."

"But the possibility of this is too low."

"Brother, the power that King Zheng possesses is beyond our imagination. After all, he has been preparing for too long."

"Honestly, I can't understand how my father ascended the throne."

"At that time, if King Zheng wanted to become emperor, no one would be able to stop him."

The fourth prince said weakly.

He would rather King Zheng had ascended the throne at that time, rather than putting all of them on the fire like now.

"Now I can understand Xuan Zhao."

The eldest prince sighed quietly.

"Since the southern tour, she has been practicing and staying in the carriage and room."

"So many things happened outside, and she didn't even ask."

"She knows better than any of us that only one's own strength can be relied upon."

"The world of martial arts is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships."

"But if you want to talk about the ways of the world, you must first be able to fight and kill."

The two brothers had many feelings and gained a lot of insights while following the southern tour this time.

They had made a lot of preparations for the future of Qingshu Palace.

But now it seems a bit childish, childish to the point of wishful thinking.

"Fourth brother, perhaps Ankang is the right thing to do."

The eldest prince suddenly said.

The fourth prince was stunned.

"We don't have the talent of Yan Zhao or the huge power of the Wu family."

"Although the Zhang family is powerful, their influence is greater in the court."

"These cannot stop the enemy's butcher knife."

"But the Emperor is our Emperor after all!"

The eldest prince spoke sincerely to the fourth prince.

The Fourth Prince immediately understood what he meant.

"But mother and the Zhang family won't agree."

"No, I meant us."

"You, me, and my sixth sister!"

……

same moment.

Princess Yan Zhao was meditating in her room.

Suddenly a figure appeared in the room.

Princess Yan Zhao slowly opened her eyes, with a restrained and captivating radiance in her.

But in less than a breath, the strangeness in Princess Yan Zhao's eyes disappeared.

"Uncle Wei, you're back."

Wei Changli clasped his fists and saluted, then said:

"Your Highness, we found some traces by a stream twenty miles outside the city."

"Twenty miles!?"

Princess Yan Zhao couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"A Dao realm of this scope, could it be..."

Wei Changli nodded and replied: "I'm afraid it was the Thousand Vine Demon Princess from that year."

(End of this chapter)