good season

Xiao Zhen shook his head: "My grandson still has some things to take care of in Tongzhou, so he can't leave for the time being."

Zhao Xingzhou was displeased. "Is there anything in this world more important than protecting my great-grandson?"

"Isn't it just about rescuing people everywhere? Let others do it. You don't need to do it yourself. There are more important things waiting for you to do."

Xiao Zhen shook his head again: "What if the grain from the Huiji Granary was resold under the pretext of disaster relief? Does Grandfather think that's not important either?"

Zhao Xingzhou was taken aback: "Are you serious?"

Xiao Zhen said solemnly, "The reason my grandson came back so late is because he was busy with this matter. He was caught red-handed."

Zhao Xingzhou was furious and asked in a deep voice, "Who did this? How dare they?"

That being said, Zhao Xingzhou knew perfectly well that Huiji Granary was first built during the reign of Emperor Taizu of the Dayong Dynasty. During wartime, it served as a military granary. After the country was at peace, Emperor Taizu ordered the construction of two large granaries, one of which was Huiji Granary.

The importance of Huiji Granary to the Dayong Dynasty is self-evident, and its management is extremely strict; local officials have no right to open the granary and distribute grain.

It was either an imperial edict or an imperial envoy with the authority to act expediently.

Whether it was Tongzhou, which was affected by the disaster, or Gaoping, which received the disaster victims, who else could be the person who could mobilize grain from the Huiji Granary but the fourth prince who was hiding in the mansion and dared not come out?
Sure enough, Xiao Zhen said, "The fourth prince was the one who transferred the reserve grain from Huiji Granary. The two confidants of the fourth prince, Zhang Hui and Liu Wang, were in charge of the task. The guards in charge of escorting the grain were Yang Fan and Ding Gao, junior officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and their subordinates, totaling twenty people."

When the grandson learned that Zhang Hui and Liu Wang had been secretly dealing with merchants, he sent someone to follow them. Sure enough, they discovered that Zhang Hui and Liu Wang went ashore on their way and hosted a banquet for Yang Fan and Ding Gao, during which they made a deal with the merchants.

Apart from Yang Fan and Ding Gao, all eighteen other Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) were involved in this matter and had agreed on how to divide the spoils.

Halfway there, Ding Gao and Zhang Hui led ten grain ships to meet up with the merchants. They unloaded most of the grain and replaced it with sand. The grandson arrived with his men, and after a fierce battle, they finally captured him.

Two members of the Imperial Guard were killed and seven wounded. Six constables from Tongzhou were killed and four wounded; the fighting was horrific. Two of my grandson's guards were also injured, and my grandson himself sustained minor injuries.

At this point, Xiao Zhen rolled up her sleeves and showed her arm to Zhao Xingzhou.

His arm was injured, and although it was bandaged, it started bleeding again with the slightest exertion.

Zhao Xingzhou's face was grim as he asked, "Does that wretched child know about this matter?"

Xiao Zhen knew that the "bastard" the Emperor Emeritus was referring to was the Fourth Prince.

"According to my grandson's preliminary interrogation, the Fourth Prince should not be aware of this yet." He did not exonerate the Fourth Prince; he was stating the facts, and at least before today, the Fourth Prince was unaware.

Zhao Xingzhou frowned deeply: "You mean, if that wicked person finds out, they will continue to hide it, or even collude with them?"

Xiao Zhen sneered: "Ding Gao is a tough nut to crack, he didn't say a word, but Zhang Hui confessed everything. According to him, this is only the first batch of grain, and there will be at least two more batches. This batch of grain is worth a total of 100,000 taels of silver. The four of them will each receive 10,000 taels, and the remaining 60,000 taels will be divided equally among the eighteen Imperial Guards."

It is clear that the first batch of 100,000 taels was just a preliminary step. To secure the 100,000 taels, it was necessary to involve more important people, and the Fourth Prince was undoubtedly that more important person.

As far as his grandson knew, the fourth prince was always short of money. The third and fifth princes were good at making money, but the fourth prince was not. Not only that, he also had the You family as a burden, so he needed money more than the other princes.

The first batch of 100,000 taels was distributed among his subordinates, so the next two batches of grain would yield at least two more 100,000 taels.

"Zhang Hui and Liu Wang dare not accept all this silver, nor do Yang Fan and Ding Gao. But if they were to confess to the Fourth Prince, do you, Grandfather, think he would remain indifferent or bring them to justice?"

Zhao Xingzhou sneered, "It's not that I look down on these bastards, but that bastard of the second son is rotten to the core. The second son's biological father, that Xu something-or-other, has a wife and children and still dares to seduce the daughter of an official. What kind of good thing is he?"
Like father, like son. The second son's father was a philanderer, so the second son dared to steal my empire. The second son followed suit and did not hesitate to steal disaster relief grain.
"He dares, of course he dares! That's two hundred thousand taels of silver! No, if that merchant knew he was doing business with a prince, he might raise the price even further, making it more than two hundred thousand taels, maybe even three hundred thousand or four hundred thousand!"

Zhao Xingzhou was so angry that he wanted to smash things, but there was nothing else besides a few pillows, so he could only pound the bed a few times.

Xiao Zhen raised an eyebrow slightly. This person had cultivated for many years, but he hadn't expected that his temper would be even more irritable than before he started cultivating.

Strict mothers often raise obedient children. The retired emperor had a mother like Empress Dowager Qi. Although his personality was not soft, it could still be described as gentle.

Of course, if Xiao Zhen knew the shock that the Emperor Emeritus had suffered today, he wouldn't be surprised. In less than half a day, the Emperor Emeritus not only learned that he had raised someone else's son for decades and that his daughter had been imprisoned for forty years, but also that he might have become a sinner of the Zhao imperial family. The ancestors in the ancestral temple were all waiting for him to go down and then throw him into a pot of oil to be fried and cooked.

Now that he's learned that the disaster relief grain in Huiji Granary was almost resold, it would be strange if he weren't furious.

"What are you planning to do?" Zhao Xingzhou took several deep breaths and finally calmed down.

Xiao Zhen said, "Today Yang Fan and Liu Wang returned to Tongzhou with ten boats of grain. I wonder how they will explain the loss of the grain boats to the Fourth Prince."

Zhao Xingzhou looked at him and asked, "How do you think they will explain this?"

Xiao Zhen said, "They encountered bandits on their way to Tongzhou. Therefore, Yang Fan and Liu Wang will likely blame the bandits for this. As for Ding Gao, Zhang Hui, and the eighteen Imperial Guards, they will search for them for a few days. If they cannot find the bodies, they will assume that they were swept away by the flood and died in the line of duty."

At this point, Xiao Zhen thought of Yang Shengqiu from her previous life.

He had already learned about the gyrfalcon from Zhao Shiqing. In his previous life, Yang Shengqiu was taken away by the gyrfalcon, but in the end, he gained the reputation of dying in the line of duty.

Xiao Zhen continued, "As for whether the Fourth Prince believes that ten ships of grain were lost and nineteen Imperial Guards were also involved, it would be difficult for the Fourth Prince to explain. Moreover, the Fourth Prince also has the Imperial Guard commander Li Qing by his side. So what better excuse could there be than bandits and a flood? There isn't."

Zhao Xingzhou sighed. Yes, if they wanted to shirk responsibility, blaming the robbers and the flood would be the most appropriate thing to do.

"What do you plan to do next?" Zhao Xingzhou asked.

Xiao Zhen smiled and said, "Now that the person has been caught red-handed, there has been no major loss. Even if this matter is reported to the court, for the Fourth Prince, it will only be considered a lack of strict discipline. At most, he will be fined a few months' salary, which may even offset the merit of his trip to Tongzhou. So he will be completely unharmed."

Zhao Xingzhou's expression grew increasingly grim. Indeed, the outcome of this matter was the execution of the merchants and Jinyiwei guards who had been captured. If the Fourth Prince had been quick-witted and had taken the initiative to submit a memorial to plead guilty, the matter could have been resolved peacefully.

But as Xiao Zhen just said, as long as the Fourth Prince sees the benefits this time, he will definitely embezzle even more in the second and third batches.

But none of that happened.

"Then does that mean we're just going to let him go so easily?" Zhao Xingzhou's voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth, each word dripping with coldness. Xiao Zhen became increasingly curious about what had happened today. Judging from the Emperor Emeritus's attitude, he seemed intent on finding a guillotine to strangle the Fourth Prince.

Does he hate the Fourth Prince that much?

They don't treat the Fourth Prince like a grandson anymore?

You see, when this old man was still in power, although he didn't care about his grandsons, he treated his grandsons quite well. He often called his grandsons to the palace, and when they were young, these princes often showed off in front of him.

For example, the fourth prince once showed off the pony his grandfather had given him, saying that his grandfather wouldn't even give him a whip. This angered his mother so much that she forced his father to take him to the horse farm that very night to choose three foals.

The retired emperor loved each of his grandsons equally for only a little over ten years, and now he doesn't like them anymore?

Could it be that he found out about the hooked nose?

Besides this, Xiao Zhen couldn't think of any other reason why the Emperor Emeritus would be so furious with his grandson whom he hadn't seen for over a decade.

The more Xiao Zhen thought about it, the more curious he became. He didn't even want to talk to the Emperor Emeritus anymore. All he wanted now was for dawn to break so he could find Zhao Shiqing and get some answers.

Let's reassure the Emperor Emeritus first, otherwise he won't be able to sleep tonight.

Xiao Zhen is very tired and wants to sleep now.

"My grandson wants to keep this matter quiet for the time being. In other words, he wants the merchant to go to Liu Wang and say that the Embroidered Uniform Guard wanted to keep the 100,000 taels for themselves. Ding Gao and the eighteen Embroidered Uniform Guards not only robbed the silver and grain, but also killed Zhang Hui."

Zhao Xingzhou paused for a moment, then laughed heartily. "Good, excellent! As expected of my grandson, he came up with such a plan. Since Liu Wang is that scoundrel's confidant, he must be adept at guessing that scoundrel's moods. Having lost 100,000 taels of silver and ten boatloads of grain for nothing, Liu Wang will definitely tell that scoundrel if he doesn't want to suffer a loss. Let's see what that scoundrel will do."

"Good child, your grandfather has high hopes for you. Just go ahead and do it boldly."

Xiao Zhen's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. Listen to this: when he asks me to do things, he's a good boy and a grandfather, but if I don't do things to his liking, he immediately becomes the emperor.

"Then what about going to Gaoping?" Xiao Zhen looked troubled. After all, the Emperor Emeritus had already said that there was nothing more important than going to Gaoping to protect Xiao Yue.

Zhao Xingzhou waved his hand dismissively: "I'll have my granddaughter accompany you. You go ahead with your business."

Listen to this, it's become "朕" (the imperial "I") again.

But why did he drag Zhao Shiqing along?

The official road from Tongzhou to Gaoping has been washed away. Although it is possible to get through by finding a way, the risk is very high. Xiao Zhen himself is not afraid, nor is he worried about the Emperor Emeritus, but he does not want Zhao Shiqing to take the risk.

“Miss Zhao, no, my cousin is just a delicate young girl. Let her stay on the mountain. If Grandfather doesn’t have enough manpower, I will choose a few people to escort you.”

Zhao Xingzhou thought to himself, "I can't praise this grandson. He's so young and his eyesight isn't good. How could he see that Xiao Qing was so delicate?"

That girl is full of bad intentions. She made me run around in circles and even forced me to sign a bunch of agreements. I'm not going to hold it against her, who is just a child. Is it too much of a hardship for her to come with me to see my grandson?
This is called escorting someone!

Such good fortune is something that takes several lifetimes to cultivate!

"That's none of your business. You go about your business. I have my own plans."

Xiao Zhen said, "What's your plan? Isn't it just to send a girl on an adventure with you?"
They're both maternal grandfathers, but the difference between a biological grandfather and a godfather is just that.

Grandpa Zhen would never do that!

“Grandfather, you may not know this, but the official road from Tongzhou to Gaoping has been destroyed by the flood. The road conditions are extremely dangerous. Although my cousin knows some martial arts, she is still a girl. In a crisis, she will not only be unable to protect you, but will also become a burden. I am really worried about her. Why don't you stay on the mountain for a few more days? Once I have finished my business, I will personally escort you to Gaoping. What do you think?”

Zhao Xingzhou's brows furrowed even more. I finally understand. You're not worried that the little girl will be a burden to me, but that I can't protect her!

Aren't they just cousins ​​who met today? Why are you already showing concern for them?

No, no!
How could I forget? That girl is on the mountain, and Xiao Zhen is also on the mountain. They already know each other!
"I forgot to ask you, when did you and my granddaughter meet? Why are you both in Tongzhou? Did you meet in Tongzhou, or did you come to Tongzhou together?"

Zhao Xingzhou recalled carefully that when he first met Zhao Shiqing in Wu, Zhao Shiqing had several followers, but Xiao Zhen was definitely not among them.

Later, when I met Zhao Shiqing again at Dongxian Temple, she was still surrounded by the same few followers, and Xiao Zhen was definitely not there.

Zhao Shiqing and Princess Liang had a bad relationship, so she ran away from home. She had been learning martial arts from her master since she was a child, so even though she ran away in a huff, everyone thought she had gone back to the mountain. But in fact, she was wandering around. When they met her at Dongxian Temple, she had even run to the vicinity of the capital.

So how did Xiao Zhen meet her?

Did they meet in Liang? Or during her travels?

Did Xiao Zhen go to Liang?

Xiao Zhen did not hide anything and told the truth: "Miss Zhao is a great benefactor of the Princess's Mansion. She saved her grandson's mother and father."

Zhao Xingzhou's eyes widened in surprise. Yes, hadn't the patriarch just appeared in his dream? In the dream, Jiayi and Xiao Jingyan were both dead, dead in Liang!
In reality, Jiayi and her husband are not only living well, but they also have a new daughter.

"Please tell me in detail."

Xiao Zhen then recounted the events that had occurred at the Wisteria Manor in detail. If Zhao Shiqing hadn't arrived in time to capture the assassin, his parents and cousin would all have died.

Zhao Xingzhou nodded. "My judgment is excellent. Although Xiao Qing is a bit naughty, she is truly a good child. She not only saved Ruyi, but also Jiayi. She has saved two of my daughters."

“Alas, if I had known this would happen, I would have taken her in as your goddaughter on behalf of your mother,” Zhao Xingzhou said.

Xiao Zhen: Thank you so much. It's all thanks to you that you didn't do that. (End of Chapter)