Aoyama

Chapter 442 Lord Wu Xiang

Outside Hanmei Tower, Shen Ye clutched a handkerchief and smiled as he looked up at the tower.

The people around him pointed and whispered. Some said that it was a good thing that the top scholar wrote a poem for the best, while others said that the top scholar's association with prostitutes was a sign of his own depravity.

But Shen Ye didn't take it to heart.

The Imperial Guards arrived on horseback, dispersed the crowd, and surrounded Shen Ye. Li Xuan said in a deep voice, "Brother Shen, you should come with us to the Imperial Academy. The Qionglin Banquet cannot be disrupted."

Shen Ye comforted him, "Don't panic, don't panic, I'll go with you now."

He turned the reins and rejoined the guard of honor.

As he was leaving, he looked back upstairs and saw that Liu, the head of the Liu family, had come out of the house again and was standing by the railing, silently watching him.

In the ceremonial procession, Chen Ji glanced at Shen Ye, then at Liu Su upstairs, and said calmly, "Brother Shen and Chief Liu must be old acquaintances, right?"

Shen Ye turned around and grinned, "I explained to you before that back in Jinling, I helped Liu, the head of the Liu family, write a poem that won first prize, and she was angry with me for many years. Now that I have the opportunity, I should make it up to her."

Chen Ji said softly, "That simple?"

Shen Ye countered with interest, "Otherwise what? What exactly do you want to ask, my dear brother?"

Chen Ji looked at him for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just think the two of you are a good match."

Shen Ye burst into laughter: "I think so too."

Li Xuan rode up to Chen Ji's side and said, "You should go back now. I will explain today's events to the court myself."

Chen Ji shook his head: "This matter is too big for you to explain. I will go with you. I think His Majesty should summon me to the palace soon."

Li Xuan turned to look at Lin Yanchu in the honor guard: "What about him?"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment: "Let him be."

Qi Zhenzhuo dismounted and came to Lin Yanchu, pulling him off the horse: "Get down. You have a new way of doing things. You don't need to hang out with us anymore. Disarm!"

Lin Yanchu hesitated for a long time under everyone's gaze before looking at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji calmly said, "Let's move forward."

Lin Yanchu gritted his teeth, finally removed his Imperial Guard armor, and, wearing only a gray undergarment, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Ji: "Take care, my lord!"

After saying that, he turned and strode away, disappearing into the crowd.

Qi Zhenzhuo led Lin Yanchu's warhorse to Chen Ji: "Master, don't bother with this ungrateful scoundrel, Heaven will punish him."

Chen Ji took a deep breath, mounted his horse, and said, "Let's go."

The ceremonial procession resumed its journey, slowly passing through Zhengyang Gate. Just as it reached Chengtian Gate, six Jiefan Guards rode up to meet it aggressively, saying, "Lord Wuxiang, His Majesty summons you to the palace to be questioned!"

Mr. Wu Xiang.

Chen Ji almost didn't realize that this was referring to his own title.

Six Jie Fanwei rushed into the ceremonial guard and surrounded Chen Ji. Qi Zhenzhuo and the others were on the verge of exchanging blows with the Jie Fanwei, trying to break them apart: "What are you doing? What crime has he committed?"

Jie Fanwei coldly stared at Qi Zhenzhuo: "The procession of the top scholar is a matter of honor for the court, intended to demonstrate the emperor's boundless grace. Chen Ji has offended the procession of the top scholar. What should be his punishment?"

Qi hesitated and said, "He did it for...you're not here to settle a personal score with Wu Xiu, are you?"

Jie Fanwei sneered: "It seems that Lord Qi also wants to go to my imperial prison."

Qi Zhenzhuo retorted angrily, "Afraid of you? It's not like I haven't been there before!"

Chen Ji raised his hand to stop talking: "It's alright, I'll go with these gentlemen from the Jie Fan Guard."

Qi Zhenzhuo said urgently, "Master!"

Chen Ji looked at him and laughed, "You've got a lot more guts than before. Don't worry, it's alright. At most, you'll just strip me of the title I just got."

Jie Fanwei pulled him off his horse, put iron shackles on his hands, and led him toward the Meridian Gate.

……

……

At this moment, dozens of court officials stood in the courtyard outside Renshou Palace. Grand Secretary Chen, Grand Secretary Hu, Zhang Zhuo, Wang Daosheng and others stood at the front row, while the rest of the officials lined up all the way to the Filial Piety Stele.

Chen Wenren was being interrogated in Renshou Palace in complete silence.

Nobody knows what will be uncovered during the investigation, or what kind of trouble it will cause.

Wang Daosheng stood outside the hall with his head bowed, slightly turning his cheek, and asked Zhang Zhuo in a low voice, "How is Chen Ji in the imperial prison? Can Chen Wenren really get him out of this predicament?"

Zhang Zhuo felt guilty and remained silent. Wang Daosheng turned and scrutinized Zhang Zhuo carefully, then raised his voice after a moment: "Where's Chen Ji? Speak!"

Zhang Zhuo responded in a low voice, "Keep your voice down, Chen Ji is fine."

Wang Daosheng frowned: "You're lying to me?"

Zhang Zhuo sighed: "It has nothing to do with Chen Ji. It was my idea. If you want to blame someone, blame me. Don't blame him."

Anger flashed in Wang Daosheng's eyes: "What exactly happened?"

Zhang Zhuo whispered, "It's true that Chen Ji is in trouble, but he tricked you into coming back early so that you would have a false accusation to tarnish your reputation and be punished by His Majesty. When you went on the expedition, he gave you the position of general, appointed you as the Left Vice Minister of War, and even exceptionally granted you the title of Grand Master of the Palace, the Gold Medal of Loyalty and Bravery, and the right to execute first and report later. You got all the good things. This time, you also captured the Privy Councilor of Jing Dynasty alive, an unprecedented victory. How should His Majesty reward you? Will he appoint you as Grand Tutor?"

Grand Tutor, the head of the Three Dukes, and the teacher of the emperor.

This position was even higher than the emperor in terms of etiquette. Those who were granted this position during their lifetime were suspected of having too much merit and overshadowing the emperor, and of blurring the lines between ruler and subject. Therefore, it was usually conferred posthumously.

Even when Grand Secretary Chen was the Crown Prince's tutor, he repeatedly declined the position of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, fearing that the Crown Prince would posthumously confer the title of Grand Tutor after ascending the throne, which would displease the new emperor. Therefore, Grand Secretary Chen was only a vague "tutor to the Crown Prince," not a "Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince."

Wang Daosheng understood the unspoken meaning in Zhang Zhuo's words, which could be summed up in just four words: "Do you want to die?"

He was silent for a moment: "But you shouldn't have lied to me. I ran myself to death three horses just to get back to the capital today. How could you treat Chen Ji's safety so lightly?"

Zhang Zhuo curled his lip: "If I didn't make up this excuse, would you have come back? Is it that I don't understand you, or that you don't understand yourself? Did you listen when I told you to tarnish your own image?"

Wang Daosheng sighed softly, "This is not the right path!"

Zhang Zhuo turned and glared at Wang Daosheng: "What, are you angry that I, Zhang Zhuo, ruined your achievements? Are you angry that I delayed your promotion? I didn't expect you, Wang Daosheng, to be such a greedy person for credit and power!"

Wang Daosheng angrily retorted, "When have I ever been someone who covets merit and power?"

Zhang Zhuo succeeded: "Then that settles it."

Wang Daosheng remained silent.

Zhang Zhuo continued nagging: "With a charge against you, His Majesty can rightfully strip you of your military power. But as long as he doesn't take away your position as Vice Minister of War this time, you'll be of great use in the court. Otherwise, he can only send you to the south, a place rife with snakes and poisonous miasma, to continue serving as your commander-in-chief. You can forget about ever returning to the capital or dealing with the Jing Dynasty again. The choice is yours."

Wang Daosheng eventually changed the subject: "What does that kid Chen Wenren know? Why has the interrogation taken so long?"

Zhang Zhuo shook his head: "Just wait."

……

……

As they spoke, Wu Xiu walked out of Renshou Palace and said in a deep voice to Xie Fanwei, "His Majesty has decreed that Chen Lizhi and Chen Wende be brought into the palace!"

Jie Fanwei left in a hurry, and everyone secretly looked at Grand Secretary Chen. They all knew that today was a great calamity for the Chen family. If Chen Lizhi was brought to Meng Ji for interrogation, who knew what would be found out.

If the assassination attempt during the recent spring hunt in Xiangshan is uncovered, not only the second branch of the family, but the entire Chen family will suffer.

Grand Secretary Hu turned to look at Grand Secretary Chen beside him, only to find the latter with his head down and eyes closed. He chuckled and said, "So you've prepared a backup plan? Old ginger is spicier."

Grand Secretary Chen did not answer.

Jie Fanwei returned half an hour later. He whispered to Wu Xiu, "Chen Lizhi hanged himself in his room. Chen Wende is missing. According to the servants of the Chen family, Chen Lizhi had his subordinates escort Chen Wende away early this morning, but they don't know where they went."

Wu Xiu subconsciously looked at Grand Secretary Chen, but Grand Secretary Chen's expression remained unchanged.

He whispered his orders: "Send carrier pigeons to all the official roads, and send men to the canal gangs. Make sure to bring Chen Wende back... Where is Chen Ji?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a guard escorted Chen Ji to the front of Renshou Palace. Instantly, all the court officials' eyes fell on the shackles on Chen Ji's wrists.

This person, who had been missing for more than ten days, caused a huge uproar when he reappeared. How did he become a prisoner again?

Wu Xiu glanced at Chen Ji and said loudly, "Summon all the Grand Secretaries and Ministers to the hall."

Grand Secretary Chen stepped inside, as if today's matter was not related to the Chen family.

Chen Ji followed the crowd into Renshou Palace, only to find that all the gauze curtains in the hall were drawn up today, revealing Emperor Ning on the throne.

Emperor Ning sat cross-legged on his throne, but strangely, he was holding a small black cat in his arms.

dark clouds.

The courtiers looked at each other, wondering why Emperor Ning was holding a cat.

It was common knowledge that Emperor Ning loved cats, but this was the first time he had ever received court officials while holding a cat.

The next moment, Wuyun nudged Ningdi's palm with its head, causing Ningdi to chuckle twice.

It meowed: "Don't worry, I heard the emperor say that putting you in shackles is just to scare you, so you don't get too bold and cause trouble again in a few days."

(End of this chapter)