Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 48 Come to Junchen and make arrangements
Since the empress ascended the throne, there has been no shortage of new things happening in the divine capital of Luoyang, especially cruel officials coming to the door, confiscating property and exterminating families, which is commonplace.

It was a beautiful day that day, but early in the morning the streets of Luoyang were filled with the sound of horse hooves and the passing of cavalry, which raised a cloud of dust and made the atmosphere tense and cold.

Even Xiao Muchen's carriage had to stop on the side of the street.

Seeing the familiar figure on horseback, it was none other than the Imperial Censor Lai Junchen, Xiao Muchen couldn't help but ask a young scholar on the side of the road, "What happened?"

"I heard that Qiao Buque offended the King of Wei because of a maid, so this censor is going to Qiao Buque's house to question him."

They say they are punishing people, but in fact they are still doing things like confiscating property and exterminating the clan.

When Xiao Muchen heard the three words "Qiao Buque", he frowned.

"This Lai Yushi has been very popular recently! I heard that he is highly favored by the King of Wei and may be promoted soon!"

Another scholar lowered his voice and said, "Also, I heard that when he was in Hezhou, he was fond of making groundless accusations and making false accusations against others. Prince Dongping Li Xu enforced the law impartially and had him beaten with a hundred sticks. Later, he retaliated against the Prince Dongping by accusing him of treason. He was originally a death row inmate, but because he successfully reported him, he was not only spared the death penalty, but was also promoted to the Censorate."

"Ah, people are really different. Some people study hard and strive for their whole lives, but because they wrote a bad poem and offended someone, they will be thrown into prison and their career will be ruined. But some people just rely on their mouths to turn white into black, and even if they are a scoundrel, they can still get an official position!"

"So what if he's a scoundrel? As long as he can speak, regardless of whether it's black or white, and can win the favor of a saint and achieve wealth and honor, that's real talent! Haven't you heard what he said: Even the closest relatives can be killed, and even evil people can be killed. As long as it's for the saint, even the closest relatives can be killed. There is nothing he can't do."

"Isn't this another unscrupulous and cruel official after Zhou Xing?"

Xiao Muchen couldn't help but feel a bad premonition as he heard whispers. He was about to quickly march towards the Dali Temple with Xuan Yu when he heard another stern shout from behind: "Get out of the way! Get out of the way! Who dares to criticize the Censor here?"

"You! You! Take them all away!"

A man with a scar on his face shouted loudly, and the people on the street immediately scattered like birds and beasts. A few people who did not run fast enough were caught by two guards.

Xiao Muchen couldn't help but frown, and ordered Xuan Yu to step forward and scold him harshly: "Who allowed you to arrest people in broad daylight?"

The scarred man was furious and was about to whip him when Lai Junchen rode over. Seeing Xiao Muchen, he quickly whipped the scarred man and cursed, "You blind man! This is Xiao Zhongcheng!"

The scarred man's expression suddenly changed and he apologized repeatedly.

Lai Junchen dismounted again and rushed over to apologize: "I'm sorry, Xiao Zhongcheng, this subordinate of mine has just joined the Supervisory Council and doesn't know the rules very well. I'm sorry for offending you! I'll definitely discipline him when I get back!"

Xiao Muchen glanced at Lai Junchen, and with a quick glance, he soon discovered that there seemed to be a woman sitting in a carriage covered with red gauze behind him, with a graceful silhouette outlined in the hazy gauze curtain, but the woman seemed to be crying, and faint sobbing sounds could be heard.

"Who is in the car?" Xiao Muchen asked.

"Oh, this is the beautiful maidservant that Qiao Buque presented to the King of Wei. Her name is Biyu. The King of Wei ordered me to invite Biyu to the palace to teach the maids how to dress."

"Is it the Biyu who is said to be 'the beautiful maid of the Qiao family, with unparalleled beauty and intelligence'?"

"Yes, yes, that's her. It turns out that Xiao Zhongcheng has also heard of this girl's reputation. The King of Wei heard that she is not only beautiful and talented, but also a good writer. He was attracted by her and wanted to give her a better future."

"But it seems she doesn't want to!"

When Xiao Muchen said this, Lai Junchen's smiling face froze slightly. He hurried to the front of the carriage and said something, and the woman in the carriage immediately stopped crying.

"To be appreciated by the King of Wei is a blessing this woman has earned over several lifetimes. How could she not want it? Xiao Zhongcheng, you're joking. Look, isn't she quite willing now?"

After saying this, he asked someone to open the carriage curtain and said to the woman in the car, "Come down and apologize to Xiao Zhongcheng. Don't let Xiao Zhongcheng misunderstand you!"

"Here!"

At Lai Junchen's half-smiled call, the woman named Biyu got off the carriage. She was a little surprised when she saw Xiao Muchen, then she smiled and bowed. Finally, at the hint of Lai Junchen's eyes, she got on the carriage and left.

Looking at the group of people marching away with great momentum, with a cloud of dust rising behind them, Xiao Muchen's worries deepened.

"My dear, this is Lai Junchen..."

"I have already surrendered to the King of Wei!"

"Isn't this too shameless? Not long ago, he was fawning over you!"

"How can you expect any integrity from a villain who rose to power by informing on others? I'm afraid there will be another bloody storm in the court!"

After sighing inwardly, he simply brushed off his thoughts: "Let's go! To the Dali Temple!"

At that time, Murong Huan had been waiting in the Dali Temple for a long time. When he saw him arrive, he couldn't wait to ask Guo Hongba whether he pleaded guilty.

Xiao Muchen nodded and signaled Lu Ling and others to come to a more hidden secret room in the Dali Temple.

He took out a confession written by Guo Hongba, and Lu Ling, Lu Shiyilang and Xie Zi'e came over to take a look.

Murong Huan read the contents of the paper carefully without missing a word, but he did not see anything related to her parents, which made him feel disappointed.

On the other hand, Xie Zi'e and Xie Shi were already in tears. Although it was expected, every word above was like a sharp knife dragging across their hearts, making them cry out in grief and anger.

"King Wei, the Left Prime Minister... what a high position!" Xie Zi'e couldn't help but sigh with a wry smile. "Zi'e!" Xie called out softly, heartbroken.

Xie Zi'e looked at Xie coldly: "If you were not weak and incompetent, and only wanted to protect your husband and your family, how could Aying and Aqing die?

They came looking for you because they regarded you as their support, but as their aunt, you actually let them fall into the hands of thieves and die so miserably! "

Xie was speechless, knowing that no matter how much she repented, she could not bring back her two nieces' young lives. She could only cover her face with her hands and cry, saying over and over again: "I'm sorry, Zi'e! I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Murong Huan interrupted, "Xie Zi'e, this matter cannot be blamed on Madam Xie. She failed to protect your two sisters, but the weak are innocent. Instead of venting your anger on the innocent, it is better to accumulate strength and make your enemies get the punishment they deserve."

Xie has been driven mad by her own guilt. If she is stimulated again, she will most likely fall into the endless dark madness again.

"That's right. Since Xiao Zhongcheng has already received the confession, please ask Xiao Zhongcheng to report to the emperor and accuse these corrupt officials who treat human lives as worthless. My Dali Temple will also report this case to the emperor!" Lu Shiyilang continued.

Before he could finish his words, Xiao Muchen replied categorically, "I'm sorry, but I don't intend to present this confession to the Saint immediately!"

"Why?" everyone asked angrily.

Xiao Muchen said, "Guo Hongba is just one of them. It's actually very easy to bring Guo Hongba to justice, but if you want Qiu Shenji and the King of Wei to be brought to justice, do you think that's an easy task?"

After this question, the secret room suddenly became quiet.

Prince Wu Chengsi of Wei was not only the Left Prime Minister of Wenchangtai, but also the empress's most trusted cousin. If Wu Chengsi had not built up momentum for the empress, found the jade stone representing auspiciousness and destiny, led the direction of public opinion, and used this as an excuse to summon all the Li clan members to Luoyang, annihilating the most core political and military forces of the Li Tang clan in one fell swoop, Wu Zhao would not have ascended the throne so smoothly.

As soon as Wu Zhao ascended the throne, Wu Chengsi immediately obtained the crown of King of Wei and the throne of Left Prime Minister, and for a time he was extremely powerful in the court.

Now the sage is even wavering on the issue of appointing a crown prince. Should he pass the throne to his son, Prince of Xiang Li Dan, or to his nephew Wu Chengsi, so that the Li family's empire will be completely passed into the hands of the Wu family?

It can be seen that Wu Chengsi's position in the empress's heart cannot be shaken even by her son.

Everyone fell into helpless contemplation.

Xie Zi'e asked directly: "Then what do you say?"

Xiao Muchen then repeated his deployment.

After he finished speaking, Xie Zi'e was still a little worried and asked, "Princess Taiping? Can she be trusted? She is the daughter-in-law of the Wu family."

"She is both the daughter-in-law of the Wu family and the daughter of the Li family. Moreover, King Wu Chengsi of Wei has a vengeance on her because he killed her husband."

When Princess Taiping was mentioned, Murong Huan felt an indescribable sadness and complicated emotions in her heart again. She knew that it was Li Linghuan's emotions that were affecting her.

After Xiao Muchen's repeated questions and explanations, no one had any more objections. Half an hour later, Xiao Muchen brought Murong Huan out of the Dali Temple.

After the two of them boarded the carriage, Murong Huan couldn't help but ask, "Why do you say that Prince Wu Chengsi of Wei had a grudge against Princess Taiping for killing her husband? Wasn't it the current sage who actually killed her husband?"

Xiao Muchen smiled and said, "You are right. No matter what Wu Chengsi did, it was only to pave the way for the Sage to ascend the throne. Back then, he used a piece of jade as an excuse to get the Sage to summon all the Li clan members to Luoyang. As a result, the kings, led by the King of Yue, panicked and launched a rebellion to protect themselves. This rebellion gave the Sage a reason to exterminate the Li Tang clan and at the same time eliminate all the kings and followers who did not support Wu.

Princess Taiping's ex-husband Xue Shao was accused and sacrificed as a pawn by Wu Chengsi in this purge. Although Princess Taiping tried her best to plead for Xue Shao in front of the saint, she still failed to save Xue Shao's life. This incident made Princess Taiping understand that the saint was not only her mother, but also the emperor.

In the choice between power and family affection, the saint chose the former, and her identity also meant that she would no longer simply enjoy feelings, but could only be a weight in the struggle for power, and her marriage could only represent her political stance.

But whether out of fear of the saint or mother-daughter affection, she did not dare to hate her mother, but could only hate Wu Chengsi.

After listening to Xiao Muchen's explanation, Murong Huan was even more touched, and an inexplicable complex emotion arose in his heart: This is also Li Linghuan's contradictory feelings towards his mother. He has both a desire for family affection and hatred for her cold-bloodedness.

"Well, what you said makes a lot of sense." After saying this, Murong Huan suddenly asked, "Do you know Princess Taiping very well?"

Xiao Muchen was startled for a moment, then smiled slightly and replied, "We studied together at the Hongwenguan when we were young, so I think we know each other quite well!"

As one of the six schools and two academies of the Tang Dynasty, Hongwenguan was where many royal family members and children of nobles studied. It had a rich collection of books and was an extremely important book collection place in the Tang Dynasty. It was a place that scholars yearned for more than the six schools of the Imperial College.

If one could enter the Hongwenguan, that would be the greatest honor for the scholars of the Tang Dynasty.

It turns out that Xiao Muchen studied at Hongwenguan when he was young, so his family background must have been very unusual!

"Oh, I promised you that I would let you enter the Imperial College. How about I take you to see a doctor who specializes in one of the four disciplines of the Imperial College today?"

"There's no need to be so anxious. Let's resolve Guo Hongba's issue first."

Murong Huan said, and suddenly leaned over, stretched out his hand to touch the top of his head, his silver hair, and looked at his eyebrows and eyes very seriously.

I was so close that I could even hear her faint breathing and feel the rise and fall of her chest.

Xiao Muchen's face turned slightly red, and his heart suddenly started beating like a drum.

But then she said, "Your skin is too pale, your eyes are blue, and your hair is completely white. It's not only because of the extreme emotional fluctuations, but also because you were once poisoned by the ice silkworm, right?"

(End of this chapter)