Knife splashing

Chapter 560: Imperial Censor Wang Yanling

The candlelight flickered, and the Longquan celadon teacup was gently put down.

The bottom of the cup touched the sandalwood table, making a crisp sound.

Li Yan looked at the other party calmly.

This censor was named Wang Yanling.

He has dark skin, upright and dignified features, and with his scarlet robe and cinnabar hat, he fits the image of an important official of the imperial court.

But if you look closely, you can discover a lot.

His eyebrows slanted into his temples, with a shallow scar on his brow bone. Although his shoulders and back were straight as a pine tree, his left little finger was missing, and his right hand had thick calluses on its base…

In just a moment, Li Yan figured out many things.

The scars on the little finger and brow bone are caused by torture. It seems that this Imperial Censor Wang has suffered in prison...

The calluses on the palm of his right hand are not from martial arts training, but from years of holding a pen and reviewing documents, which shows that he is quite knowledgeable...

Knowledge comes from experience.

People like this are generally very difficult to deal with.

To be honest, Li Yan didn't really want to deal with this kind of person.

The officialdom is different from the underworld. There are many people who are sweet-mouthed but treacherous, and who are cunning and scheming. If you are not careful, you can fall into their trap if you are not compatible with their personality.

But the strange thing was that this Censor Wang actually knew him and was very enthusiastic, so Li Yan had no choice but to stay and find out more about this man.

On the other side, Xu Yongqing was immersed in the sorrow of his family's annihilation. His eyes were bloodshot and his fingers were tightly gripping the teacup, as if he would crush it in the next moment.

However, the Imperial Censor Wang Yanling was not in a hurry. He lowered his head and drank a sip of tea, then he comforted him softly, "I have heard about the matter. Brother Xu is confused. Since you don't want to go along with the corruption, then the seal of the Chief Clerk..."

"It's tantamount to a death warrant!"

Comfort is useless, the truth is more likely to hurt people.

Wang Yanling's words made Xu Yongqing completely collapse. Tears streamed down his face and he said in a trembling voice, "Wang... that traitor had done me a favor in the past. I thought he wouldn't be so resolute and at least let my family go..."

Having said this, he was already crying.

Li Yan glanced coldly and remained silent.

He had no mercy on Xu Yongqing.

Many things can be thought through clearly if you calm down.

Being able to serve as the chief secretary of the prince and handle all the affairs of the prince's palace, how could he be a good person? He secretly collected evidence because he was afraid of something going wrong and wanted to leave a way out for himself...

When he realized something was wrong, he did not send his family away immediately, but waited, simply hoping that things would turn around. He was blinded by power and had long forgotten about his family.

What's the use of crying afterwards...

The Imperial Censor Wang Yanling also saw through Xu Yongqing's character, but he was not in a hurry at all. Instead, he took down a yellowed ancient book from the bookshelf next to him, on which was written "Records of Qingcheng Mountain".

He turned a page and his fingertips traced a paragraph that had been repeatedly stroked: "I read this book and it said that when Tianshi Jingxu observed the stars at night, he saw a guest star in the Purple Palace that offended the emperor's throne, but nothing happened afterwards."

"Although it was only mentioned once, I happen to remember that incident. Someone got the news and reported it in court, but was framed and imprisoned. He was not released until three years later..."

"To be honest, this unlucky guy is me."

I see…

Li Yan suddenly understood.

I heard a long time ago that this Censor Wang had come to Shu and had always been against the King of Shu, like a mad dog. It turned out that there was an old grudge between them.

In other words, it is no longer a matter of grudges, but a matter of stance.

This censor was imprisoned for suing the King of Shu, but because the timing was not right, after serving three years in prison, senior officials in the court discovered that something was increasingly wrong with the King of Shu, and knowing that the time had come, they released him.

Therefore, this censor must kill the King of Shu.

As long as he succeeds, this alone will be enough to support him for the rest of his life.

The censor was frank, but not to him. Instead, he wanted to reassure Xu Yongqing that he would not be betrayed again.

After all, Xu Yongqing is now a lost dog. He looks pitiful, but in fact he has been forced into a desperate situation and is extremely defensive.

Even if Li Yan rescued him, he would not tell the truth.

That's why Censor Wang released the bait.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Xu Yongqing no longer hesitated. He gritted his teeth, stood up and kowtowed, saying, "The King of Shu is trying to achieve immortality, colluding with evil people to harm the people, and he has wolfish ambitions and intends to rebel. I hope you can help me."

Wang Yanling also smiled, took two steps forward to help Xu Yongqing up, and said righteously: "Don't worry, Yongqing, I am here and will not let his conspiracy succeed."

"If I remember correctly, Yongqing was a Jinshi in the Jiayou year. If you make great contributions, you can serve under me."

"Thank you, sir."

After the two of them exchanged some hypocritical pleasantries, Xu Yongqing stood up and said in a deep voice, "I have collected evidence of the King of Shu's rebellion and recorded it all in the account book."

Wang Yanling's pupils shrank. "Where is the account book?"

"Burned!"

Xu Yongqing gritted his teeth and said, "If I find anything wrong, I will burn it, but I will remember all the items in my mind, without missing a single word."

As if afraid that Censor Wang would not believe him, he recited it immediately.

"In the year of Bingchen, torrential rains hit Shu and destroyed the riverbank outside Chengdu, killing all the villagers. The Ministry of Works reported a landslide, but in fact the King of Shu ordered people to blow up the ancient altar..."

"On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month of the Jiachen year, at three quarters past the hour of the twilight hour, thirty kerosene trucks left Chengdu Prefecture. That night, a huge fire broke out in the Qingyang Palace, which was also caused by the orders of the King of Shu..."

"Two years ago, the document approved by the Ministry of Rites said 'worship the Three Pure Ones, save the world and save people', but in fact, the incense book of the King of Shu's inner temple recorded that 200 kilograms of cinnabar and 80 taels of mercury were consumed every month. I don't know where they were used..."

"Last year, during the Frost Descent, a mine cave collapsed in Zigong, killing 73 people. The Ministry of Industry received the "Miners' Injury and Death List", which only recorded the names of nine dogs and pigs, because a large amount of coal was found in the coal mine..."

"enough!"

Wang Yanling was surprised and hurried to stop him.

After all, Shuzhong is the territory of the Shu Palace. After years of operation, he has achieved some success since he came here, such as taking over a key position in Chongqing Prefecture and driving away the Shu King's people.

But all these are done in accordance with the trend and cannot hurt the root.

With this information, we are like a tiger with wings.

Xu Yongqing also said in a deep voice: "I will rewrite the account book overnight. There is no time to lose. Please, sir..."

"Not urgent."

Wang Yanling shook his head and said, "The key to taking down the King of Shu is not here, but in the court. Your Majesty still remembers the friendship. If you don't have a firm grasp, the King of Shu will only erase the evidence."

Then he changed the subject and asked, "You said the King of Shu had a magical power and had regained his youth. What do you mean?"

Xu Yongqing quickly narrated what he had seen.

Wang Yanling seemed to be thinking about something, then turned his head to look at Li Yan and asked, "Young Master Li, I have heard of your name before. Lord Yuan Fengyuan, the Langzhong of the Yuheng Qingli Division of the Ministry of Works, once asked me to take care of him."

As soon as these words came out, Li Yan understood instantly, and asked with a bow, "It's been a long time since we last contacted each other, how is Lord Yuan?"

Yuan Feng, Langzhong of the Yuheng Qingli Division of the Ministry of Works, has another identity, that is, the elder of Mo Men, with whom he has a good relationship.

At least there is no need to worry about purchasing new gunpowder.

Unexpectedly, the other party asked someone to take care of him.

This old man is quite particular about what he does.

Hearing Li Yan's question, Wang Yanling smiled and stroked his beard and said, "Lord Yuan is very good. I heard that he presented some treasure that pleased the emperor so much that he gave him a token and can walk around the palace at will, day or night."

"Over the years, only Lord Yuan has received this honor, and no one knows what he is doing. Even the Prime Minister has been ordered not to ask about this matter..."

The words seemed to be a narration, but in fact they were meant to test. It was the strange steam engine of Momen!

Li Yan suddenly had an idea and guessed the reason immediately.

When this thing was invented by the great master of Mo Men, it was the end of the Tang Dynasty when the world was in chaos. Knowing that it was not the right time for it to be released to the world, he hid it in a tomb, and it was found by them by chance.

Ordinary people may not be able to see it.

However, there are many people in the Mo Sect who are good at mechanical engineering. How to generate power is the main direction of their research. Of course, they can see the preciousness of this thing.

Besides, he had given a special reminder at that time.

Nowadays, the Mo Sect is very mysterious, probably because they are researching and replicating this item with the support of the emperor.

Once successful, the rise of Mo Men will not be far away.

These bureaucrats in the court may not understand technology, but they know how the wind is blowing. That’s why they are so polite to him because of Elder Yuan.

Of course, Li Yan would not say such things carelessly, so he could only pretend to be confused and said, "Lord Yuan and I hit it off right away. If I have the chance, I will definitely come to thank you."

"Oh."

Wang Yanling also noticed Li Yan's vigilance, so he changed the subject and said, "I don't understand the affairs of Xuanmen. May I ask, Young Master Li, has the King of Shu really obtained the elixir of immortality and achieved immortality?"

Li Yan said calmly: "It is probably some evil magic. If you really can achieve immortality, you will be punished by heaven. Then you don't need to worry about it."

Wang Yanling was startled and remembered Li Yan's other identity.

Although they couldn't understand why the living devil happened, it was better for them to stay away from it.

Thinking of this, Wang Yanling nodded and said, "Okay, I now have an idea. I would like to thank Young Master Li for your heroic act tonight."

"Lord Yuan has already informed you that if Young Master Li needs gunpowder, you can come to the government office to get it at any time. This is my warrant."

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome. My subordinates just reported that the people from the Shu Palace are still hiding outside. They don't have the courage to attack the government office. Young Master Li, you can rest in the government office first."

The words were polite, but he was actually chasing people away.

Li Yan understood what he meant and without further ado, he stood up and said goodbye. Led by the disciple of Bagua Sect, he went to a small courtyard to stay.

As soon as he left, Xu Yongqing fell to his knees, no longer pretending to be anything, and cried bitterly, "I have nowhere else to go. I hope you can save me."

"Brother Xu, what are you doing?"

Wang Yushi was somewhat helpless. He asked him to stand up again and shook his head, saying, "The reason why we are not moving now is because the time is not right yet."

Xu Yongqing's face turned pale, "Your Majesty?"

The reason why the King of Shu is still standing is because the Emperor still remembers their old friendship. If he really wants to protect him, no amount of evidence will be of any use.

"No."

Wang Yanling shook his head slightly, with a trace of admiration in his eyes. "Your Majesty has great ambitions, how could he indulge me forever? I ignored him before because I thought the King of Shu was old and seriously ill, so I wanted to preserve this brotherhood and prevent the historians from talking nonsense."

"But the King of Shu is violating a taboo by seeking immortality through evil methods!"

Xu Yongqing understood instantly and finally felt relieved.

Wang Yanling saw his expression, and although he was full of disdain in his heart, his expression remained unchanged, and he continued to speak: "Of course, this alone is not safe, so we have to wait for another thing."

Xu Yongqing's interest was piqued, and he couldn't help but ask, "Sir, what's the matter?"

To be honest, he already had contempt for the censor.

When dealing with official circles, it is very important to be able to control your mouth, but this guy started talking and telling everything as soon as we met.

It seems that it is just good luck.

As long as I can avoid this disaster, and then use his help and curry favor with him carefully, I may be able to make a comeback.

When the time comes, it will no longer be you who is kneeling.

"The war in the southwest is over."

Wang Yanling seemed not to have heard what he said. He took a sip of tea and said calmly, "On the 20th of last month, the imperial court broke through Loushan Pass. Bozhou had no strategic location to defend, so the Yang family retreated to Hailongtun."

"On the 18th day of the twelfth lunar month, the imperial army gathered at Hailongtun. The Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain summoned the thunderbolts to break the formation. The Ministry of Works sent Lu Ban to give guidance. The artillery fired at the same time and completely defeated the Yang family. The final steps are being taken now."

"That's a good thing."

Xu Yongqing said absentmindedly, and then said, "But what does this have to do with the King of Shu?"

Wang Yanling said calmly, "The Yang family led troops into Bozhou during the Qianfu period of the Tang Dynasty, and has survived the Tang, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Song, Daxing, and Daxuan periods for more than 700 years. How could they be fools?"

“Why didn’t you oppose it before, but now?”

"I have heard something. The reform of the native system is not the main reason. The Yang family has been rampant for many years. There are countless people who have impeached them, but every time they came to Chengdu and presented heavy gifts, they were suppressed."

"Three years ago, the Yang family had already sensed the court's dissatisfaction and knew things were not going well. They wrote a letter to the court expressing their willingness to submit to the court and even sent their eldest son from Chengdu to the capital as a hostage, just to ease relations with the court."

"But when we arrived in Chengdu, we found someone killed. We went to the Shu King's Palace to seek help, but the King of Shu avoided us..."

Having said this, Xu Yongqing's face turned pale.

Wang Yanling's eyes turned gloomy. "It wasn't necessary for so many people to die in this matter. Lord Xu, were you the one who handled this matter at the time?"

Xu Yongqing was trembling all over and sweating profusely.

Wang Yanling smiled faintly, "Remember, don't act recklessly. No matter what the result is, only one of you and the King of Shu can survive..."

What they also didn't notice was that a black paper figure quickly turned into smoke and disappeared among the tiles on the roof...

In the wing room of the small courtyard on the other side.

Li Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes, and seemed to be thinking about something.

Although the Chengdu government office looks peaceful, it is actually very secretive. Apart from the few Bagua disciples, there are also expert guards.

But even so, he has a way.

The black paper man among the Chu Ling paper men is the best at hiding and exploring. He can avoid the talismans outside the door, and no one inside can do anything to him.

Unexpectedly, the rebellion in the southwest was also related to the King of Shu.

Three years ago...

Li Yan vaguely figured out a clue.

Ten years ago, Zhao Changsheng and Lu Sheng entered the Shu Palace. Later, Zhao Changsheng left, but Lu Sheng stayed...

After that, the King of Shu began to pay attention to the Xuanmen and gathered a large number of people from the Jianghu, but it was still normal...

Three years ago, the King of Shu became tyrannical...

The key to everything may lie with Lu Sheng!

So many evil spirits are lurking in the dark, what are they planning...

…………

Just as Li Yan was heading to the Chengdu government office, the escaped Nie Sangu had also arrived in the northern suburbs of Chengdu.

This is the mass grave of Chengdu, with broken tombstones scattered all over the ground and graves piled up in disorder.

Arriving deep into the mass grave, Nie Sangu walked around a headless stone statue and saw thick fog rising in front of her eyes.

In the blur, a house appeared, with blue bricks and black tiles, and a faded wooden plaque hanging on the lintel.

On it, there are four big characters written: "A Family of Good Deeds".

(End of this chapter)