Chapter 42 Chapter Twelve Conspiracy to Frame

Chapter 12 Conspiracy to Frame the Second Part of Xiaoqiang Rebellion After Cui Yang explained it in detail, Li An said angrily: "These rebels are so courageous. Young Fu, what do you think should be done?" Lu Jingzhong narrowed his eyes and thought for a while, then asked: "Master Cui, you said this man didn't ask to save his subordinates?" Cui Yang respectfully said: "Yes, not only is Huo Jicheng not in a hurry to save people, but he seems to want us to kill them instead, so that no one will suspect the relationship between them in the future." Lu Jingzhong sneered and said: "This person is really ruthless, but it also shows that he is Huo Jicheng. I know a little about Huo Jicheng. I know from the confessions of the disciples of Jinxiu League that this person was born in Sichuan. The collateral disciples of the Li family, when the Li family and the Tang Sect fought for the control of Sichuan, the Li family was defeated and the Tang Sect was weakened. When Dayong attacked the Shu Kingdom, they were unable to do their best for the Shu Kingdom, or we would attack the Shu Kingdom. After going to the Kingdom of Shu, I am afraid that many generals will die in assassinations. The hidden weapons of the Tang Sect and the great soul searchers of the Li Family are not upright skills. They are most suitable for assassination and assassination. Most of them belonged to Southern Chu, the Tang Sect took refuge with me, Dayong, and the Li family took refuge in Southern Chu, but this Huo Jicheng was weird, and broke out instead, founded the Jinxiu League, and claimed to restore the Kingdom of Shu. He really did something these years, It's a pity that this person is narrow-minded, and Lu Hou, who guards the middle of Shu, is handsome, so he fails again and again. However, although this person is incompetent, he has one advantage. , the situation in Southern Chu is chaotic recently, he must have taken advantage of a lot, but suffered a big loss in the hands of the prince, and it is rare for him to come up with this idea, from my point of view, he is sincere, no matter what the future holds, This business is worth doing. He has a good saying. In the future, he will spread it out. Who can believe that His Highness the Crown Prince will collude with them? The party is all executed, and then cooperates with Huo Jicheng. No matter how powerful the Jinxiu League is now, does he dare to make things difficult for us Dayong? Even if he really rebelled, it is also the matter of King Yong and King Qing. It just happens to reduce their strength. Besides, Your Highness After a few years, it is almost impossible to make ends meet, this business is worth it, but if there is an accident in the future, His Highness only needs to say that the Splendid League colluded with some officials, and then cut off a few heads."

Li An pondered for a moment, looked at Cui Yang and said: "This matter is too involved. If it is leaked, the Ministry of Household Affairs may be turned upside down. Why don't Cui Qing take the responsibility? No, no." Cui Yang's ashen complexion relaxed, and he looked at Li An gratefully, but even though Li An said so, his expression was very reluctant. Lu Jingzhong said with a faint smile: "Although Liang Jinqian, Minister of the Household Department, is His Royal Highness's confidant, he has different ambitions. Although he respects His Highness, he secretly recorded an account book in which His Highness embezzled public funds from the Household Department for several years. This , Your Highness probably doesn't know yet?"

Li An was startled, and asked anxiously, "Is what you said true? How did you know?" Lu Jingzhong said proudly: "Your Highness, as the saying goes, old couples and young wives are the most uneasy. Liang Jinqian has been cautious all his life, but it is a pity that he married a concubine in his twenties at the age of fifty. It is hard to deal with. This woman is very romantic. , and had an affair with Mr. Liang’s brother-in-law. Unfortunately, the two of them were not secretive. They were caught and raped by Mr. Liang on the bed. In a rage, they killed the woman with a stick, but the brother-in-law could only be kicked out and not allowed to come. That little concubine was so passionate about adultery that she even told her lover about the private account in Mr. Liang's hands. That kid was holding a grudge, and it happened that he met me, so he came to my house to inform me. I originally wanted to tell His Highness about this. But His Highness is enjoying the singing and dancing, so there is no time to report."

Li An's face sank like water, and he asked, "Do you have evidence?" Lu Jingzhong stood up and presented a piece of paper. Li An took it over and looked at it. It was indeed the account of embezzling money and food from the household department.Li An got up safely and said angrily: "What an old slave, my highness will definitely take his life." Lu Jingzhong smiled and said: "This is the boy who secretly copied some as evidence. Originally, I thought it would be very easy to settle Liang Jinqian. As long as His Highness has the heart, we can take back the account book and kill people to silence him, but I think it is too cheap for him. Now is a good opportunity, let Master Cui handle this matter, but do something secretly, if the business goes well, that's the best, we will settle the account with him afterwards, if something happens unfortunately, we will let him talk back, At that time, as long as His Highness arranges well and keeps him from telling the truth, and then Master Cui will be promoted to Minister, will this household department be His Highness' treasury?"

Li An laughed loudly when he heard this, and said: "Good idea, Lu Aiqing, you are indeed a lonely think tank." A fierce light flashed in his eyes, and Li An said coldly: "But let me watch him carefully, He can't be made aware of Gu's intentions, and he can't be allowed to give the account books to others." Lu Jingzhong said solemnly: "Don't worry, Your Highness, don't you feel at ease when I handle things?" Li An suddenly remembered something and asked, "Where's the informant?" Lu Jingzhong said indifferently: "It is always a disaster to keep this person. I am bold and have already dealt with it first."

Li An nodded in satisfaction and said: "That's right, this person knows the privacy of this king, how can he let him live in this world." Cui Yang was overjoyed at first when he heard that he was appointed as Minister of the Household Department, but when he heard the two talking about framing and murdering, he didn't have any emotional fluctuations at all, and he couldn't help but feel cold in his heart. If he knew some secret, it wouldn't be worth being killed to silence him in the future.Thinking of this, he quickly said: "Your Highness, Lord Lu, it's too late, and I'm about to leave. If Your Highness agrees to this matter, I'll go back and wait for Huo Jicheng to come."

Lu Jingzhong thought to himself that there are important things to discuss next, so it's good for him to leave, so he said: "Your Highness, it's good for Master Cui to go back, so that people in the Jinxiu League don't go to ask questions. Your Highness, why don't you ask Master Cui to agree to this matter first. Regarding matters, tomorrow I will discuss with Master Cui." While talking, he winked at the prince. As soon as Li An saw it, he knew that Lu Jingzhong still had something private to say, and it was inconvenient for Cui Yang to know, so he said with a smile: "Okay, Cui Yang, you can go back first, and after the discussion, Master Lu will go and discuss with you Said, but this king has agreed to this matter in principle, you should also think about how to proceed."

Cui Yang took the order to retreat.Li An looked at Lu Jingzhong and said with a smile: "Is there anything else, let's talk about it. Is it important to keep it from Cui Yang?" Lu Jingzhong twisted his beard and said with a sneer: "Your Highness, although the Ministry of Finance is your world, most of the military's power is still in the hands of King Yong. It is also because of this that we can't do this business by ourselves and let Jinxiu League go Running errands, but if the military notices this, no matter how powerful the Splendid League is, can he still beat King Yong?"

Li An frowned and asked, "Could it be that this business can't be done?" Lu Jingzhong shook his head and said: "How can this be done? I have an idea, if King Yong can be spared to take care of His Highness's affairs, His Highness will be as stable as Mount Tai. Although we say that if something happens, we will take the place of the dead, but we will inevitably lose gold and silver. " Li An's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said: "Is there any way you can make King Yong take care of himself, if you can do this, even if you don't do this business alone, you will be satisfied.

Lu Jingzhong smiled and said: "This is also a coincidence. Your Highness wants Xiahou Yuanfeng to be Princess Changle's son-in-law, but the princess never agrees, so I asked Empress Lan to ask Concubine Ji to ask about the princess's concerns. When she came to the mansion, Concubine Lan told Concubine Gui the original words, saying that Princess Changle didn't seem to want to remarry. I originally thought that it would be fine if the princess didn't want to remarry. Anyway, no one can get the advantage, so I didn't take it to heart. The imperial concubine also said a few things by the way. First, Princess Changle has no hobbies on weekdays. She just likes to read poems and essays. I went to Prince Yong's Mansion to relax, and I was in a good mood when I came back."

Li An frowned and said: "You mean Princess Changle has an affair with that Southern Chu surrender, nonsense, I know about my sister, she is the most virtuous, she will never have an affair with anyone." Lu Jingzhong smiled and said: "I also know that this is something that I can't even catch a shadow of, but as long as I add fuel and vinegar, people will believe it." Li An's expression changed, and he said, "You mean—" Lu Jingzhong smiled and said: "Naturally, it is General Qin Qing. General Qin has a deep affection for the princess, which has remained unchanged until now, but the princess returned to the country this time but treated the general as cold as ice, and did not think of her childhood sweetheart. General Qin was very angry, so I treated her Southern Chu's surrender was very arrogant, and he humiliated Jiang Zhe in public in the Ganlu Hall. I heard that King Yong held Jiang Zhe very seriously, and he had already offended King Yong a lot. This is an opportunity. Let's send someone to whisper in General Qin's ears. Jufeng said that the princess had an affair with Jiang Zhe in Nanchu, so she ignored General Qin—" As soon as I said this, Li An said angrily: "Shut up, my imperial sister married Nanchu far away for Dayong, and now she finally came back, don't say she has no affair, even if she has an affair, I can't allow you to insult the princess reputation." Lu Jingzhong was as cold as a cicada, and quickly knelt down to apologize, until Li An calmed down, and said: "Don't worry, Your Highness, I am very courageous, and I dare not hurt the princess's honor, this matter will not be leaked, Qin Qing is Knowing this, how dare he speak out? No matter how reckless General Qin is, he can't do this. If the minister's predictions are correct, General Qin will definitely find an opportunity to question Jiang Zhe. We sent killers to follow in secret. Zhe must be able to explain clearly. When General Qin is satisfied and leaves, we will kill Jiang Zhe. This strategy will benefit us a lot. First, regardless of whether Jiang Zhe is talented or not, killing him now will make King Yong Sad, secondly, King Yong must suspect that Qin Qing killed Jiang Zhe. In this way, even if General Qin Yi can explain clearly, King Yong must also have a grudge. In this way, King Yong is busy discussing with General Qin. Fairness, how can we take care of us." Li An's face was cloudy and hesitant, and Lu Jingzhong said again: "The people involved in this matter are all high-ranking and powerful people, who would spread gossip to the outside world, and besides, to say something worthy of punishment, although the princess is a meritorious person , but after all, it is the queen of Nanchu. On the day of the fall of Nanchu, the princess was after the country was subjugated. Your Highness is not unaware that the imperial concubine leans toward King Yong, otherwise why would you want Xiahou Yuanfeng to be the concubine of the princess?" Li An remained silent. With tears in his eyes, Lu Jingzhong said: "Your Highness is wise, at most, after His Highness ascended the throne, he will comfort the princess a lot. If King Yong is not eliminated, His Highness will be in trouble." Li An thought about it, and finally sighed: "You have to be careful, don't spread the word, if it reaches the ears of the emperor and the emperor, I will never forgive you." Lu Jingzhong quickly kowtowed and said, "His Highness, put down, I will never let rumors spread." Li An hesitated for a moment and said: "But this person must be in Prince Yong's Mansion all the time, how can an assassin get in?" Lu Jingzhong said with a smile: "Don't worry, Your Highness, after the fifteenth day, King Yong will hold a banquet to send his son on a long journey. According to the rules, this must be a feast for all officials. Don't worry, Your Highness, I will definitely let Qin Qing take the blame. As for that Jiang Zhe, he can only be blamed for his bad luck, who made him seek refuge with King Yong?" Li An nodded slightly, seeing that the matter had been discussed, he shouted loudly: "Xing Song, Xing Song." The hall door was pushed open, and a gloomy middle-aged man walked in, knelt down on one knee and saluted. Li An asked lightly, "Where did that Xia Jinyi go, and did he send any news to anyone?" Xing Song said respectfully: "His Royal Highness, Xia Jinyi first talked about the music with the musician and dancer for a while, and then—" Li An frowned, with a murderous look in his eyes. Xing Song went on to say: "Then this person went to the private meeting with Xiuchun, the maid next to the princess, in the back garden." Li An felt relieved at first, this Xia Jinyi made great contributions, and because of his senior brother's face, he was left as a bodyguard. Originally, he was just to support someone idle, but unexpectedly, this person was humorous, eloquent, and even better at singing, dancing, and romance. In a few days, I felt that I really liked Xia Jinyi, but he couldn't keep anyone around casually. Cui Yang came here just now, so mysterious. If Xia Jinyi was a spy, he must try his best to find out. Zhang Jinxiong was guarding the door outside. Xia Jinyi was not difficult Find an excuse to stay. Unexpectedly, Xia Jinyi didn't have any intention of inquiring, but was busy with an affair with the maid instead. If he was a spy, then he would be the most stupid spy in the world. Maid Tong can be killed with a rod, he thought with satisfaction, he can keep him by his side in the future, he is a good servant, loyal and interesting, much better than his senior brother.As for the adulterous maid, although Li An is also a little dissatisfied, it is not a big deal. Although the Xiuchun next to the princess is good-looking, she is not outstanding. A girl that Li An has never paid attention to. , The princess also told herself that she wanted to release the maids around her to marry someone. At this time, in the back garden of the prince's mansion, Xia Jinyi was talking sweetly with a beautiful maid in his arms. He talked about his experience of wandering around with great interest, fascinated this little girl who had never stepped out of the mansion. While talking, Xia Jinyi began to move his hands and feet. He is a veteran in love, and he would not be reckless to scare the little girl. He gently kissed Xiuchun's pink neck. Since he nibbled her red earlobe, his hands began to be dishonest. Swimming on Xiuchun's tender body, it didn't take long for the innocent little girl to fall in love easily. Seeing that he had succeeded, Xia Jinyi picked up the trembling delicate body of the little girl, hid behind the rockery, and was in Xia Jinyi's hands He undressed and took off his belt, and when he was about to succeed, someone suddenly shouted coldly.Xia Jinyi was so frightened that he shivered, his desire subsided immediately, and he hurriedly arranged his clothes. After a long time, there was no movement outside. Xia Jinyi stretched out his head, but saw his immediate boss, the deputy manager Xing Song, standing outside with his hands behind his back, his face under the moonlight of frost.At this time Xiuchun also came to his senses, straightened his clothes hastily, walked out of the rockery with his head down, fell to his knees on the ground with a face full of embarrassment, and wept endlessly.Xia Jinyi also quickly knelt down beside him, begging bitterly: "My lord, I beg you to forgive me once." Xing Song said coldly: "You kid, how dare you cheat on the princess's maid, and why don't you come with me to see His Highness." Xia Jinyi turned pale with fright, and said: "The little one begs for mercy, the villain is just a prodigal son, life and death are nothing, Xiuchun is young, please forgive her this crime, the little one will never dare to seduce her again. " Xing Song smiled and said: "You boy, get up, don't do it again in the future, go back, if you let me see you again, I will peel your skin." Xia Jinyi was overjoyed when he heard this, and thanked him again and again. It wasn't until Xing Song disappeared that he realized that he was covered in cold sweat. Cui Yang returned to the mansion, ate some random food first, and then stared blankly under the light. He knew that he and the prince were grasshoppers on the same line. Wang, Cui Yang recalled that when he went to Yongwang's army to deliver food and salaries, Yongwang summoned him. At that time, Yongwang was wearing a light leave and a brocade robe, and he was vigorous and resolute in doing things, but he was easy-going and friendly in private conversations.It makes people feel like spring breeze.Although the crown prince is the crown prince and his brother-in-law, he is arrogant and arrogant. Every time he makes himself sweat cold, he always feels like walking on thin ice.Thinking of this, Cui Yang almost wanted to betray the prince, but after thinking about it, the princess is his own sister, and the prince is his nephew, the desire for fame and fortune finally surpassed conscience and fear, Cui Yang stood up, thinking, There is no turning back for myself.Look at the sky, this time and again, and after thinking for a long time, the sky has already brightened, Cui Yang pushed open the window, there was a light snow at some time last night, the snow outside the window was bright and bright, Cui Yang walked out the door, Taking a deep breath of the cold air, at this time, the butler came to report: "My lord, that guest came to see you again yesterday." Cui Yang smiled slightly and said: "Please come to the study to see me, Shi Shi It's still early, presumably the guests haven't eaten yet, so you bring two breakfasts to the study." A loud laugh came from outside and said, "The grass people are here to disturb your lord again." Cui Yang looked up, but saw Huo Jicheng dressed in gray, handsome, standing in the wind, Cui Yang stepped forward a few steps, cupped his hands and said: "Brother Huo, no, Brother Ji, please go to the study to talk." Huo Jicheng saw that Cui Yang looked a little tired, but he couldn't hide his joy, so he knew that something good had happened, so he also politely said: "Okay, then I won't bother you." After all, the two looked at each other and smiled, as if they had been friends for many years.Amidst the laughter, Huo Jicheng's thoughts flew far away. If he could get enough food, salaries and arms, then taking advantage of the war between Dayong and Southern Chu, the restoration of the country and the prosperity of the country would be just around the corner.And the Tianji Pavilion must be relied on, otherwise it will be difficult for me to move an inch in Southern Chu. If I wait until the relationship is deep, I will find a way to annex the Tianji Pavilion and pocket the tens of millions of property of the Tianji Guild. a rich man.Cui Yang's thinking is much simpler. If the business is successful, not only will he have a lot of money in his pocket, but he will also be able to gain the trust and esteem of the prince. The future is bright.