Fu Shanhe

Chapter 403: Qianguo Mansion
"You are really capable. You dared to break into the palace. Are you going to kill the king next?"

Emperor Yongning asked angrily.

I thought that if they avoided the meeting, the ministers would automatically withdraw.

During the previous emperor’s time, whenever he got into trouble, he would hide in the palace.

Wait until the storm has passed and the officials' anger has subsided, then step forward to resolve the problem.

I never expected that the situation would change this time.

A group of officials actually broke into the palace, and the eunuchs who tried to stop them were beaten up.

This was not a blow to the eunuch, but a blow to the face of the emperor.

"I don't dare!"

Although they said they didn't dare, the anger on their faces still did not go away.

A retired minister cannot die in unclear circumstances.

"Humph!"

"You dare to break into the palace, what else are you afraid of?"

Faced with the emperor's ridicule, the ministers couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

They came here just to seek justice, and breaking into the palace was completely an accident.

From beginning to end, there were only a few eunuchs blocking the road, not even a single guard.

When it comes to martial arts, these weak scholars are no match for the palace guards.

Or simply learn from the previous emperor and hide in the harem.

The palace is so big that it is impossible for officials to barge in.

The only place that everyone can come to is where the emperor works on a daily basis.

If they don't see the emperor when they get there, they will leave on their own.

"Your Majesty, I have said too much!"

“All those who can come here today are loyal ministers of our Great Yu Dynasty.

Everyone is eager to see the emperor, it is for the sake of the country!"

Xu Wenyue answered reluctantly.

It is not easy to be the head of all officials. When something happens, you have to take the lead.

Although he was not yet the prime minister, as the most senior person in the cabinet, he stood at the forefront of civil servants and had to shoulder heavy responsibilities.

Even though he knew it would offend the emperor, he still had to express his position on behalf of the ministers.

If you act like a wimp at a time like this, all the reputation you’ve built up over your lifetime will be gone.

"What a great phrase for the country and the people!"

"May I ask Lord Xu, what happened that could threaten the country?"

Emperor Yongning asked, suppressing his anger.

"Your Majesty, do you know that Elder Wan was murdered?"

Xu Wenyue said while trying to control his tone.

Unfortunately, no matter how much control was applied, judging from the behavior of the officials, the emperor was already suspicious.

Wan Junhui achieved considerable achievements during his tenure as Prime Minister, and he also took action to suppress the noble faction some time ago.

He enjoys a very high reputation among the civil servants, and all officials have no objection to Wan Junhui serving as the prime minister.

It is abnormal for such a prime minister to suddenly resign.

With the death of Wan Junhui, the conflict in the palace that day was also exposed.

Not long after he offended the emperor, an accident happened on his way out of Beijing.

All these things happened at the same time, and combined with a series of unreliable operations after Emperor Yongning came to power, he suddenly became the object of suspicion by all officials.

"The Royal Guards are investigating, and I think there will be results soon."

Emperor Yongning said unhappily.

He was also very angry when Prime Minister Wan met with an accident.

Just when he was feeling upset, the officials came to cause trouble again, making him extremely angry.

"Your Majesty, if we hand this case over to the Royal Guards, I'm afraid we won't find any results."

Gu Jiaxi stepped forward and said expressionlessly.

If the emperor instructed his subordinates to do it, the "truth" found out by the Embroidered Uniform Guard would only be the truth that the emperor wanted everyone to see.

Not to mention seeking justice, you might even have to serve as the emperor's sword and help him eliminate dissidents.

Such a result is undoubtedly unacceptable to all officials.

As a witness to the quarrel that day, he knew very well that Emperor Yongning had the intention to kill Wan Junhui at that time.

He had doubts in his heart, and combined with the emperor's current actions, his judgment became more certain.

“Whether we can find out the result or not, we have to check it out to know.

If you think the Jinyiwei are not capable, then send someone to investigate together!"

Emperor Yongning said angrily.

It feels bad to be suspected by others. Even though no one directly said that he did it, they kept hinting at it.

While he was angry, he also realized the seriousness of the problem.

If this case is not investigated clearly, the suspicion on him will never be cleared.

If it drags on for too long, and all the officials believe that he did it, then he's doomed.

After the rebellion, the imperial power was weakened. If something like this happened again, who would be willing to work for the Great Yu Dynasty in the future?
"I will obey your orders!"

The officials' answers made Emperor Yongning so angry that he was speechless.

He just said something in anger, but he never expected that these people would take advantage of him.

“Your Majesty, to prevent someone from destroying the evidence.

I propose that all the people in the imperial guards stay at home and are not allowed to leave the capital without permission!"

Lai Yaohua stepped forward and suggested.

It's not that he wants to be in the limelight, it's just that his subordinates force him to be in the limelight.

In the minds of many censors, the murder of Prime Minister Wan was done by the Imperial Household Department.

The reason is very simple. When a high-ranking official like Wan Junhui retires, the Jinyiwei will send someone to escort him.

On the one hand, it was the emperor's way of giving respect to his old minister, and on the other hand, it was also a warning to the person concerned not to talk nonsense when he returned.

After all, the current cabinet ministers hold too many secrets of the court, and if any of them were leaked, it would cause an uproar in the world.

"Ha ha……"

"Now they are placing the factory guards under house arrest. Should they place me under house arrest next?"

Emperor Yongning asked coldly.

At this moment, he suddenly found that he was so helpless.

The officials were so disrespectful that it was clear that they wanted to use the Wan Junhui case to suppress the emperor's authority.

If we make concessions today, we don’t know what will happen in the future.

But this is obviously overthinking, no one really has this idea.

It’s not that everyone doesn’t want to restrain the imperial power, but the key to the current conflict lies in finding out the ins and outs of the Wan Junhui case.

Restricting the actions of the eunuchs was not only to prevent them from causing trouble, but also to find a scapegoat for the emperor.

In essence, everyone was making a fuss just to make the emperor admit his mistake and promise not to make the same mistake again, rather than to really kill him.

If they were really targeting the emperor, no one would show their cards openly, but would secretly plan a coup.

Of course, the main reason is that the civil service group lacks military power and does not have the strength to stage a coup.

The officials relied solely on the few servants they kept in their mansions, and were suppressed by patrolling officers and soldiers as soon as they went out.

"I don't dare!"

Once again, all the officials answered in unison, which made Emperor Yongning lose his temper.

He had been on the throne for so long, but this was the first time he had seen all the officials so united.

Including his promoted confidants, they also followed the crowd, but they deliberately fell behind.

"enough!"

"Order the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Censorate, the Five Cities Military Command, the Imperial Guard, and the Eastern Depot to investigate this case together.

No matter who did it, the murderer must be found out for me!"

Emperor Yongning said in a cold tone.

The civil servants did not trust him as the emperor, and he also did not trust the civil servants.

If we really give up the initiative in the investigation, these people might just put the blame on the factory guards.

……

Thang Long City. After a series of reforms, the situation in Annan gradually stabilized.

A group of officers and soldiers, including Li Mu, brought their family members over.

As the New Year approaches, the festive atmosphere in the city becomes stronger and stronger, and business also prospers.

All kinds of New Year supplies have become hot commodities.

Just because the government is poor doesn’t mean the officers and soldiers are also poor.

As beneficiaries of the war, many have made their fortunes from the war profits.

I usually don’t want to spend money because I’m used to being frugal, but I always have to splurge during the Chinese New Year.

"What are you busy with?"

Looking at his busy wife, Li Mu asked puzzledly.

Annan is not the capital. Here, the Marquis of Hanshui is the boss and there is no need to consider anyone's feelings.

All those complicated interpersonal relationships in the past no longer need to be considered.

Even during the Chinese New Year, other people would come to pay their New Year's greetings, and whether they would come to see them or not depended on the mood of the couple.

“Some old relatives’ personal connections.

Due to the distance, we cannot catch up with many things, but gifts are essential.

I was busy moving house a few days ago and I accidentally missed some things. Now I have to make up for them quickly. "

Jing Yaqing replied with a frown.

Expenses for social interactions have always been the bulk of the Marquis's expenditures.

Judging from the value of the gifts alone, the gifts given out are not enough to cover the travel expenses.

In a clan social system, social interactions are an inevitable expense.

Some nobles who were on the decline were even dragged down by personal relationships and accidents.

For the Han Shui Hou Mansion, which is in its rising period, these expenses are not a problem; the trouble is arranging them.

There are few masters in the mansion, and Li Mu is often busy with official duties, so other things fall on Jing Yaqing.

If you are not careful, mistakes will occur.

“If there is any omission, just make up for it.

The distance is so far that it takes several months for the message to be transmitted back and forth, so everyone can understand that there will be delays.

Didn’t I receive a batch of gifts a few days ago to congratulate my husband on his promotion to Governor-General?”

Li Mu said with a smile.

In fact, these are all good things. The most troublesome things are weddings and funerals. There is really nothing you can do about it because of the long distance.

Some elders passed away, and by the time they received the news, the 49th day of mourning had already passed.

Someone was sent to pay his respects, and it happened to be the anniversary of the death.

By the time the gifts for the child’s 100-day birthday party are delivered, the first birthday party has already passed.

Generally speaking, this awkward situation will not last long, and everyone will gradually become alienated within a few years.

The situation in the Hanshui Marquisate is special. Li Mu is too valuable, and there are countless people who want to get close to him. Those who have connections with him will naturally not take the initiative to distance themselves from him.

Distance has never been an obstacle to interpersonal communication.

"That's true."

“By the way, when the Duke of Qian sent out New Year gifts a few days ago, they also sent a letter.

We hope you will cooperate with us on the issues of the Three Announcements and Six Consolations.

It seems that the Duke of Qian, who has been silent for many years, wants to find an opportunity to make a comeback."

Jing Yaqing nodded and said.

Reality is so magical. Among all the connections, the Duke of Qian’s Mansion, which was originally the farthest away, suddenly became a neighbor.

The closer the distance, the more communication there is.

This should have been a communication between the heads of the family, but the current Duke of Qian is too young to shoulder the responsibility.

“I remember that the current Duke of Qian is only fourteen or fifteen years old now.

Unless you are a natural genius, it is easy to be cheated if you get involved in government affairs at this age. "

Li Mu said with a frown.

He had long regarded the Three Xuans and Six Weis as his own.

No matter how powerful the Duke of Qian's Mansion is in Yunnan, the military force at its disposal is limited.

If it had the ability to march south, the Burmese Kingdom would not have risen.

When it comes to cooperation now, the value they can provide is too low.

If the Duke of Qian was a little older and able to have a say in the court, he would barely be qualified to talk.

“Maybe it was planned in advance!”

“After all, the Duke of Qian’s Mansion has always been the pillar of the nobles.

After stepping down a few years ago, many powers of the Duke's Mansion fell into the hands of the Governor's Office.

It is not easy to regain power.”

Jing Yaqing thought for a moment and said.

The Duke of Qian's Mansion has guarded Yunnan for generations, and its foundation in the local area is far beyond that of a few high-ranking officials.

Once you stand up and fight for power, the probability of winning is very high.

However, in order to achieve his goal, he must first gain the support of the nobles and withstand the pressure from the civil officials in the court.

This is not difficult, the nobles will definitely support them.

Now that there is political support, provoking a war on the border is undoubtedly the best point of intervention.

Yunnan's military strength does not have much advantage over the Kingdom of Burma.

With the Duke's Mansion lagging behind, defeat was inevitable.

The war was going unfavorably, and the Duke of Qian stepped forward to take charge of the situation, and no one could find fault with it.

But in this way, they must ensure victory, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous.

Unfortunately, the martial arts culture in the contemporary Qianguo Mansion is not so prosperous.

The Yunnan border army, which had been painstakingly built, also suffered heavy losses in the previous rebellion suppression war.

The organization was replenished after the war, but the combat effectiveness was not restored.

Under such circumstances, seeking to join forces with the powerful Han Shui Hou Mansion is undoubtedly the best choice.

"Just deal with it first, and push the cooperation matters directly onto your husband.

If the conditions they offer are good, it would not be a bad idea for us to join forces to manage the Three Xuans and Six Weis.”

Although he was being polite, Li Mu actually didn't take it seriously.

There was no direct contact with him, but only mutual probing within the inner house, which clearly showed that the Duke of Qian's Mansion lacked confidence.

It is easy to start a war but difficult to end it.

Yunnan is facing financial difficulties, and it is not realistic to expect funding from the imperial court.

Once the war breaks out, the Duke of Qian's Mansion can only find ways to raise military funds on its own, and it may even have to pay out of its own pocket.

Unlike the Hanshui Marquisate which was just starting out, the Duke's Mansion, which had been passed down for more than a dozen generations, had already given rise to multiple factions within it.

It is extremely difficult to get them to take money out of their pockets.

"Ok!"

“I’ll reply to them later and ask them to come forward and talk to you as a family member.

Husband, please take a look at the account books in this mansion!

My income has been growing so fast lately that I’m a little scared.”

Jing Yaqing joked.

In terms of financial resources, the Hanshui Marquisate is in no way inferior to a number of veteran nobles.

When it comes to making money, Li Mu is too good.

Although the number of industries in Fuzhong may seem small, each of them brings in lucrative profits.

"What is there to be afraid of? Am I afraid of being convicted of possessing a treasure?"

As he spoke, Li Mu took the account book.

Looking at the numbers in the account, he was in a good mood.

After several years of planning, it is finally time to reap the rewards.

The source of income with the highest proportion is undoubtedly maritime trade. Relying on the support of the Marquis' Mansion, the fleet has developed very smoothly.

From Goguryeo and Japan in the north to Sindhu in the south, they all had their own trading partners.

(End of this chapter)