King of Song

Chapter 330 Scapegoat
There is no doubt about the identities of Jing Sili and Liu Changzuo, and Li Fugui's own military newspaper also stated that the two were his loyal subordinates and were killed by Lin Zhao.Therefore, they were not suspected of collaborating with Lin Zhao as perjury witnesses, and their testimony was naturally very credible.

At that time, Lin Zhao was only the young minister of Dali Temple, and had nothing to do with the military at all. It was impossible for him to instigate the generals of the frontier army to follow him to collude with the enemy and treason the country.What's more, the charge itself is ridiculous. How could it be possible for the promising Lin Shaoqing to treason the country?It sounds ridiculous no matter what.

When Jing Sili and Liu Changzuo cried and testified, everyone present probably knew it.In contrast, Li Fugui, who has overshadowed the sky with one hand in Gyeongju, can do this. In order to cover up his previous crimes, he took risks and continued to frame even greater unjust prisons.

Not to mention, Li Fugui's ruthlessness is not something ordinary people have.However, the audacity and heinous crimes are also shocking and unexpected.

Wang Anshi was in deep shock, and Zhao Xu's mood was not much better.He didn't think Li Fugui was clean from the beginning to the end, but he didn't expect to be so dirty.

After clarifying the matter in Dashun City, Zhao Yan turned to ask: "Lin Zhao, what is your purpose in buying war horses from Tubo?"

"Lord Zhao, can the little girl be allowed to explain this matter?" Zhe Wenxin stepped forward quickly and rushed to answer. It is most appropriate for her to explain this matter.

"Okay, let's talk about it!" Zhao Yan still has a good impression of those who take the initiative to testify and defend the young master.

Zhe Wenxin knelt down on the ground at once, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the little girl Zhe Wenxin apologizes to Your Majesty on behalf of her brother Zhe Kexing!"

"Did your Zhe family buy those war horses?" Zhao Xu said, the restlessness of the frontier generals is the most taboo thing for the emperor.

Zhe Wenxin said in a deep voice: "Yes, but the Zhe family in Fuzhou has no second thoughts about Da Song, and it is really forced to make such a bad plan!"

"Why so helpless?" Zhao Xu was still a little displeased, no matter how many reasons there were, it was hard to tolerate such a thing.

Zhe Wenxin immediately replied: "This year, a group of war horses should have been added to Fuzhou from the ranch on Huanqing Road, but Li Fugui stopped them instead."

It was Li Fugui again, and everyone couldn't help shaking their heads, how serious is Li Zhizhou's crime in the northwest?How many things has he done?
Zhe Wenxin said: "My brother once asked him for money, but he was always evasive, and there was nothing we could do. We wanted to report it to the Privy Council, but because of some other reasons..." While speaking, he glanced at Wang Anshi, and the meaning behind his words was already Very obvious.

Even Fuzhou Zhejia couldn't afford to offend a Li Fugui with Wang Anshi's background, what's the matter?Is Wang Xianggong powerful?
Wang Anshi's face became even more gloomy, even though he was full of grievances and didn't know it.But it is unavoidable to be involved in it, and it is inevitable to be jealous!

Zhao Xu's eyes also flashed a little complicated. He reused Wang Anshi for a purpose, and it is necessary to protect him at this moment.But it doesn't mean that he can allow the Wang family to continue to grow bigger. I didn't expect that apart from the small actions of the Wang family in private, the impact has been so bad. Maybe... maybe... Inadvertently, Zhao Xu already had some thoughts in his mind, as well as future plans. Some long-term plans...

Zhao Yan was old and strong, and he knew it well, and asked, "Why did Li Fugui stop your horses?"

"Because of the serious reclamation of the pastures on Shaanxi Road, nearly half of the pastures were destroyed, among which Huanqing Road was the most serious, and the war horses produced were only [-] to [-]% of previous years..."

Lin Zhao told another shocking fact in one sentence. The significance of war horses to the Northern Song Dynasty is self-evident.

Shaanxi Road in the northwest is an important town for raising horses. What is the significance of setting up a horse herding prison?Isn't it just to provide as many war horses as possible?The imperial court has issued repeated orders not to allow the pastures to be reclaimed and followed, but what about the actual situation?

The problem of the ranch is directly related to the national destiny, how can people not pay attention to it?Although Zhao Xu had seen some clues from the memorials submitted from various places, he never thought that the matter had become so serious.But Su An had seen and heard something, but had no chance to report it.

Although it is a common phenomenon in Shaanxi Road, it is undoubtedly the most serious in Gyeongju, which shows the role played by Li Fugui.As the chief of an important military town in the northwest, how could he not know about the reclamation of pastures?Without his acquiescence and support, this matter simply could not have been done.It is very possible that he is the biggest mastermind behind the scenes.

If it is said that framing Lin Zhao and killing the soldiers of Dashun City was a last resort, in this case, it is an unforgivable moth, more heinous and more destructive than imagined.

"Lin Zhao, is what you said true?" Zhao Xu asked in a deep voice.

Although Lin Zhao was very unhappy with Zhao Xu, and even had a little hatred, he was the emperor after all, and he had to bow his head under the eaves.It's just that from now on, they will never be so loyal and sincere. The emperor is used to use it, and Lin Zhao has also fully understood this point.

"It's true, the soldiers of the imperial guards who accompanied him also saw it, as long as His Majesty sends someone to make an unannounced visit on Huanqing Road, they will know everything!"

Zhao Xu was a little helpless, and the matter was clear at this point.The Huanqing Road ranch was reclaimed, and the number of horses dropped sharply. Li Fugui was very selfish and kept the war horses that should have been allocated to Fuzhou for his own use.The Zhe family had no choice but to buy horses from Tubo because they were afraid of the power of Li Fugui and Wang Anshi.

And Lin Zhao happened to be an envoy to Hehuang Tubo, as for how to get in touch with Zhejia, it should be the girl in front of him!Zhao Xu remembered that Su An said that he met a woman named Xin Wenzhe on the way and had an affair with Lin Zhao.Xin Wenzhe, isn't it Zhewenxin the other way around?

For the sake of this woman, Lin Zhao was willing to conceal such an important matter, and didn't even think about exonerating himself. Really... Could it be that this woman is more important than his life?Is Zhejia more important than himself, the emperor?
Zhao Yan also questioned: "In that case, Lin Zhao, why didn't you say it earlier?"

Lin Zhao shook his head and said, "Yushitai never gave me this chance, and...Xixia is eyeing up, Gyeongju is in a mess, and Qingjian City has already been implicated. If there is any trouble in Fuzhou, the northwest frontier defense will be in turmoil. Minister I don't want to let the Great Song Dynasty suffer losses for myself!"

Some generous words are not righteous. In fact, Lin Zhao really thinks so, so it makes people feel a little moved.The Empress Dowager Cao's old feelings are very comforting. The son of Renzong can put his own safety aside and consider the interests of the country first. He is really a good child. What a pity...

Zhao Xu couldn't help but feel a little moved, and wondered if he had gone too far, had treated Lin Zhao too badly?For a moment, Zhao Xu couldn't help feeling a little guilty...

Of course, everyone present could see that the girl from the Zhe family had a very close relationship with Lin Zhao, and there were naturally reasons for this.What's even more rare is that Zhejia is willing to take risks to tell the truth...

Zhao Yan asked again: "Lin Zhao, what is the matter with you and Liang Yibu? The letter written by the Prime Minister of Xixia to you is sincere!" The old man seemed to be questioning, but in fact he gave Lin Zhao Zhao then had the opportunity to defend himself.

Lin Zhaodao: "It's pure nonsense to communicate with Liang Yibu. When we were in Qingtang City, Liang Yibu and I were inextricably linked. How could we collude? The soldiers who testified must have been arrested in Qingtang City. Zhou was bought by someone. As for Liang Yibu’s letter, it’s a countermeasure. I just don’t know if it’s in Li Fugui’s arms, or if he has some collusion with Liang Yibu?”

Rumors about official Lin Zhao and the Empress Dowager Xixia Liang were directly ignored, and it was difficult to put such a thing on the table.Thinking about it carefully, Liang Yibu used countermeasures to harm Lin Zhao, and he was determined not to ignore the queen mother's sister's reputation, so some things were full of loopholes and could not stand scrutiny at all!
When it comes to the officers and soldiers of the imperial army who testified, Zhao Xu almost blushed, but Lin Zhao gave him a good step, and now all these crimes are logically pushed to Li Fugui.

With the testimony of Zhejia, Jing Sili, and Liu Changzuo, the already loose chain of evidence for the crime was completely broken.At this point, the matter is completely clear, and the trouble now is how to determine the punishment.

Zhao Yan got up and said: "Back to the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, the case is basically clear. I think the testimony of several witnesses is credible. It would be best if I could confront Li Fugui face to face. As for how to close the case, I would like to ask Your Majesty to show you ?”

What needs Zhao Xu to decide is naturally the purchase of war horses by Zhejia. Although there is a reason for this, it is not good to conceal it from the court after all.This time it was a last resort, so what about next time?Will you continue to recruit soldiers secretly like this, and have a heart of disobedience?

This kind of thing, often regardless of the reason, must be punished, at least it must be done as a warning to others, and it must be curbed.Therefore, Zhao Yan did not dare to make decisions without authorization, and could only be decided by Zhao Xu himself...

It stands to reason that this is the case and should be punished, but this case is unique, and Zhao Xu is also a little embarrassed.The situation in the Northwest is turbulent, and it is the time for employing people, so how can you criticize Zhejia?What's more, Zhejia was also forced, and it all happened because of Li Fugui.People are still frankly and proactively admitting their mistakes. After all, they didn't make mistakes, so it's not good to go too deep.

What's more, the Zhe family is only a daughter in Bianjing now, Zhe Kexing is holding a heavy army and sitting in Fuzhou, the emperor is still a little bit jealous.

Furthermore, Lin Zhao was also involved in this case, and now it has been proved that he was wronged and suffered a lot of grievances.Moreover, they have made great achievements in going to Hehuang Tubo as an envoy. As for the mistake in the Zhejia purchase of war horses, the starting point and even the subsequent maintenance of the Zhejia has a high-sounding reason for maintaining the Great Song Dynasty.

Under such circumstances, how to investigate deeply if one hair can affect the whole body?If it doesn't work out, it will appear that the emperor is too stingy. Instead of this, it's better to be magnanimous and kind for a while, so as to make a good reputation.

Zhao Xu pondered for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "Lin Zhao, you have been wronged, and you will be released without charge immediately. As for breaking the law, you will be fined for two years, as a warning to others!"

Many people in the lobby of Kaifeng Mansion almost cheered, Lin Zhao was finally released without charge, and finally completely safe.Cao Shi, Zhao Bian and others can finally feel relieved; Fu Lang is fine, Meng Ruoying and other beauties were very excited, and tears filled their eyes at that time.Lin Zhao himself was even more emotional, and finally began to be innocent and light, and get rid of his status as a prisoner.

For more than two months, he has suffered a lot of humiliation, and now he can finally hold his head up high and feel proud.Zhe Wenxin was even more happy. Not only was Lin Zhao innocent, but Zhe's family also survived the crisis safely.Penalty for two years is a punishment that is not worth mentioning, so it is finally the best of both worlds, you can speak with facts, prove your views are correct, and the family has an explanation.

The only ones on the scene who were unhappy, or maybe not happy, were Zhao Xu and Wang Anshi.

Zhao Xu was helpless, because the emperor's authority was frustrated because of this, there were quite a lot of helplessness, and some things could only be tolerated in his heart.The most troublesome thing now is how to deal with the aftermath. Li Fugui must take responsibility and pay the price, but what should Bianjing do?Who will be the scapegoat?
Wang Anshi didn't expect that things would end like this. Lin Zhao was acquitted and Li Fugui committed a heinous crime.He supported Li Fugui before, how should he deal with himself now?
"Your Majesty, I have committed a crime. I am ashamed of your majesty and Lin Zhao!" Although Wang Anshi was stubborn, he was brave enough to admit his mistakes calmly.

Zhao Xu immediately took advantage of the situation and said: "Wang Qing, don't worry about it, you were also deceived by Li Fugui! It was in vain that I trusted him so much and entrusted him with a heavy responsibility. I didn't expect him to repay me like this. It is a heinous crime and cannot be forgiven!"

At this time, Zeng Gongliang, the Prime Minister, finally spoke: "Your Majesty, Li Fugui has indeed committed a heinous crime, but he is still in Gyeongju with a heavy army in his hands. It is said that he will not accept the order of the king outside. If this is a public crime, Will it be dangerous? During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Li Guangli, the general of the second division, had learned from the past, so he had to guard against it!"

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, due to the scourge of witchcraft, the empress Wei Zifu and the crown prince Liu Ju were unjustly killed. After investigation by the Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it was discovered that the prime minister Liu Qumao and the second division general Li Guangli conspired.Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, who lost his beloved son, was very angry, and put Liu Qumao in prison and executed him. Regardless of Li Guangli's army, he went to the Western Regions and executed his family members.As a result, Li Guangli rebelled in the northwest, and the Han army suffered heavy losses...

Although the current Li Fugui does not have as much power as Li Guangli, in fact he also holds a heavy army and sits on the frontier.He can cover the sky in Gyeongju with one hand, and many crimes have never been exposed, which shows his strength.Judging from the current situation, the relationship between this guy and Liang Yibu is unclear.

Huanqing Road was very important to the Great Song Dynasty, Xixia Chen Bing was eyeing him, and if he was pushed into a hurry, the consequences would be disastrous.As the prime minister, Zeng Gongliang is right to be worried.

Zhao Xu shook his head and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I have anticipated this matter, and have already dispatched Wang Shao to the northwest to take over Huanqing Road.

Wang Shao!Zeng Gongliang was relieved when he heard this.This person was also a Jinshi in the second year of Jiayou's Dragon and Tiger List. Although he was a scholar, he was exceptionally insightful and capable in military affairs.The status of simple martial arts generals in the Northern Song Dynasty was not high, so even if Di Qing became a privy envoy, he was still despised.But civil servants and generals are different, and their status is much higher.With Wang Shao's ability, if he was prepared, he might be able to solve it properly!

Wang Shao?But Lin Zhao thought in his heart that during the Shenzong period of Song Dynasty, the most famous thing in terms of opening up territories was the battle of Xihe against Tubo, and the main general seemed to be Wang Shao.Now he went to the northwest?Can you handle Li Fugui smoothly?

Wang Anshi's face was even more ugly. The officials had already sent people to the northwest in advance, indicating that they had already noticed Li Fugui's problem.It's a pity that I have been kept in the dark, and there is no news at all. Could it be that the officials suspect me and don't trust me?
Empress Dowager Cao was in a slightly better mood. It turned out that Zhao Xu had doubts about Li Fugui a long time ago, but why did he bother Lin Zhao so much?

Zhao Xu also seemed to realize this, and sighed: "I was too impatient to care about the affairs of the Northwest, and was blinded by the people below, so that I almost killed Zhongliang by mistake. Dongyang, I blamed you!"

"Your Majesty's words are serious, and the subject is terrified!" Lin Zhaodao: "Now, after all, Your Majesty is upholding justice and returning the subject's innocence!"

Saying this in the mouth, but in the heart is a completely different idea.Zhao Xu, you really don't miss your old love. If the Empress Dowager hadn't stepped forward, I would have already become an underground ghost by now.How can such a deep hatred dissipate so easily?

Cao said: "Lin Zhao has indeed been wronged, but a meritorious minister has been wronged. He should be compensated. Zhong Zhen, the most important thing for a king is to clearly distinguish between rewards and punishments."

It seems that the old grandmother really loves this niece and son-in-law, this is the rhythm of directly asking for compensation and rewards!

Either way!

Zhao Xu nodded and said: "Indeed, Lin Zhao's missions to Hehuang, Tubo and Qingzhou have contributed to the investigation of the case, and he should be rewarded... You have made me, Song Tianwei, spread the word to the four barbarians, and canonize him as Uncle Weiyuan today. !"

In an instant, Lin Zhao gained an additional earl title.Although it is not in the same breath as those prime ministers who have been crowned dukes, being an earl at such a young age is already commendable.

Mrs. Cao nodded in satisfaction. It is a point to strive for a little more status for the child. As for other matters, it needs to be considered in the long run.He continued: "Those who should be rewarded will be rewarded, and those who should be punished will not be spared... How did the Yushitai and the Criminal Ministry try such an unjust case? The crime of deceiving the superior and the inferior, wronging Zhongliang, disregarding human life, and deceiving the emperor is unforgivable!"

"Li Han and Wang Dongjian, how did you interrogate them?" Zhao Xu asked coldly. For the current plan, the two people can only be charged with the crime.It is only necessary to give an explanation to the people of the world in name, and at the same time, it can be considered to appease the dissatisfaction of the old grandmother.

Li Han and Wang Dongjian are not stupid, they are very clear about the current situation.The emperor's questioning is already a good hint, and some things have to be admitted even if they don't admit it. Is it possible to show that it was hinted by the official and Wang Xianggong's son?It seems that this scapegoat is a given.

Just so does anyone believe it?After all, they are just two ordinary officials, and their rank is still a bit low.Zhao Xu also had no choice but to deal with it like this first.

I don't want to think that at this moment, someone walked up to the lobby, knelt down and said sadly: "Your Majesty, the minister is guilty!"

Everyone took a closer look and found that the person who came was Lu Huiqing, the young minister of agriculture!
(End of this chapter)