Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

As soon as Di Qing said a word, everyone was shocked.Wang Gongchen, Wen Yanbo and others also looked at each other in blank dismay, not expecting that Di Qing would ask to resign. Wang Gongchen knew that even if Di Qing's charges were confirmed, he would only be demoted to another place, his salary would be cut, and he would no longer be reused.Feng Shui takes turns, as long as he can suppress Fan Zhongyan in the court, Wang Gongchen's goal has been achieved.But Di Qing was lucky, he directly asked to return home, and Wang Gongchen's wish to deal with Di Qing was fulfilled. Zhao Zhen was also a little stunned. He was hesitating when he heard a palace official come to report: "My lord, please see the censor Bao Zheng."

When Bao Zheng went to the palace, all the ministers had their own concerns. Ouyang Xiu has never had anything to do with Bao Zheng, but considering that Bao Zheng is also a member of Yushitai, it seems that this debate is even more difficult. But Wang Gongchen thought in his heart that most of the officials in Yushitai listened to him, only Bao Zheng was in Yushitai, but he had a donkey temper.A few days ago, Bao Zheng was secretly sent to the northwest by the emperor, was he also investigating the matter of the general in the northwest?Northwest is a muddled account, even Bao Zheng, how can he figure it out?

Seeing the silence of the group of officials, Zhao Zhen said, "Bao Qing's family, I asked you to investigate the Northwest Minister Qian, have you come to a conclusion?" Bao Zheng looked like a busy man, and he seemed to come to meet the saint as soon as he returned to the capital. Hearing the words, he said straight to the point: "My lord, after I arrived in the northwest, I have checked the expenditure of the envoy's money in Jingyuan and Yanyan Road in detail, and found that there are about It is hard to explain where the five million envoy money went." Everyone at Yushitai was refreshed, they didn't want the imperial court not only to send Zheng Jian to investigate, but also let Bao Zheng take charge of the matter.It is said that Bao Zheng has always been ruthless and selfless, but now it seems that Di Qing, Zhong Shiheng and others have no chance to stand up.

Zhao Zhen frowned, and asked slowly: "Then who is in charge of the money?" Bao Zheng said: "Zhong Shiheng, Teng Zijing, and Zhang Kang are mainly in charge of these ministers' money." "So, Di Qing doesn't know about everything." Zhao Zhen said. Everyone has been in the officialdom for a long time, and when they heard the emperor's question, they were all in different moods, but without exception, they believed that Zhao Zhen did not want to deal with Di Qing.The meaning of Zhao Zhen's questioning even signaled Bao Zheng to put aside the matter of Minister Qian and Di Qing.

Bao Zheng said: "My lord, I don't dare to say whether Di Qing knew about it, but I know that a large part of the envoy's money was spent on Di Qing." Di Qing wasn't surprised, and didn't even show anger.Because he knew what Bao Zheng said was the truth. Zhao Zhen frowned, feeling displeased.He knew that Bao Zheng and Di Qing were friends. When Zhao Zhen asked Di Qing to recommend talents, Di Qing also recommended Bao Zheng.Zhao Zhen asked Bao Zheng to secretly investigate the Northwest matter, in the hope that Bao Zheng could get rid of Di Qing's ties, but he didn't want Bao Heizi to lose face to anyone.

Zhao Zhen pondered for a moment, and already wanted to postpone the matter of envoy money. He didn't want Di Qing to report his old age and return home. Bao Zheng said: "Your Majesty, but before I talk about Minister Qian, I would like to ask Your Majesty to look at something." He took something out of his arms and held it with both hands. Everyone raised their eyes and looked at the past, seeing that it was just a pair of children's straw sandals, which were in dire condition, they were very puzzled.What did Bao Zheng bring out a pair of straw sandals? Zhao Zhen was also confused, and asked, "Bao Qing's family, these are just a pair of straw sandals, what's there to see?"

Bao Zheng glanced at the straw sandals in his hand, and said with emotion on his solemn face: "Yes, in the eyes of all court officials, these are indeed a pair of tattered straw sandals, and I don't even have the thought of taking a second look. In Zheng's eyes, the straw sandals can speak." Just now when the ministers were arguing, Zhao Zhen was on fire when he heard Bao Zheng say this, he became interested and asked, "How can the straw sandals talk?" After saying that, he smiled slightly, feeling very interesting. Bao Zheng said: "When I first arrived in the northwest, I was impatient with the bitter cold and wind and frost in the northwest. Occasionally, I fell ill on the side of the road. A kind-hearted family saw me and took me home."

Everyone knew that Bao Zheng was not talking nonsense, nor was he a person who liked to ask for credit, so they all wondered why he said such trivial things. Bao Zheng said again: "When I arrived at that family, I found that although the family could not be described as barren, it was also very poor. There were two children in that family, one was about ten years old, and the other was younger. I understand. There is nothing special about those two, just thinner. The rescuer was a woman with a rather old face, but I found out later that the woman was only over forty years old." Wang Gongchen finally couldn't hold back, and said aside: "Bao Yushi, the Holy Majesty asked you to check the money of the Northwest Minister, what are you talking about?"

Zhao Zhen felt that it would be better for Bao Zheng to change the topic, and said with a pleasant face, "But it's okay to say." When the Son of Heaven spoke, Wang Gongchen looked embarrassed, and he didn't dare to interrupt Bao Zheng's words.Bao Zheng continued: "The woman invited a doctor for the minister, and cooked thick porridge for the minister to drink. The minister didn't feel anything at the time, but when he got better, he went out and listened to the child behind the door,' Second brother, I’m hungry.’ Then I heard the older boy say, ‘Why are you so hungry? I see you asking for something to eat all day long. Here, I still have something to eat. You can eat first.’ Chen looked through the crack of the door In the past, I saw the older child take out half a piece of black corn bread and hand it to the third child. The third child devoured it, but the second child was drooling at it. The third child asked vaguely, "Second brother, don't you want to eat it?" Do you want it?’ said the second child, puffing out his chest. ‘I’m full.’”

Hearing Bao Zheng's trivial words, Zhao Zhen sighed with emotion: "The food must have been saved by the second child. He loves his younger brother so much, so he left it for the younger brother to eat. But the woman would rather suffer for the two children than give it to him." It’s amazing that you cook porridge to drink.” Bao Zheng nodded and said: "What the Holy Majesty said was timely, and the family is very kind. I observed secretly, and saw that the table where they ate was also very tattered, with one leg broken, and it was padded with random stones. When it was night, the woman Someone brought me two white face masks to eat. I saw the young child drooling, and asked, "Have you eaten?" The young third glanced at the woman, swallowed and said ,'so full from eating.'"

Zhao Zhen's eyes were moist, thinking of the simplicity of the people's hearts, and the people in the Northwest suffering so much, it is inevitable that they feel uneasy.He has always determined to be a good emperor. When he heard about this kind of incident in Northwest China, he felt guilty and asked, "Bao Aiqing, this family is so loyal. I don't know if you can write down their names. I will immediately order the local government to reward them." .” Bao Zheng was silent for a moment, and then said: "That woman is Zhong Shiheng's first spouse, and those two children are Zhong Shiheng's sons, the second child is called Zhong Er, and the third child is called Zhong Dian." The hall suddenly fell silent.Even Wang Gongchen, Wen Yanbo and others all had strange expressions. They brought down Zhang Kang and Teng Zijing, and forced Di Qing to retire and return home. They were about to attack Zhong Shiheng. When they won a complete victory, they suddenly heard that Zhong's family was so poor, and they didn't know what to feel. Zhao Zhen was silent for a while, then asked again, "What happened next?" Bao Zheng said: "That night, when I went to the courtyard, I saw Zhong Jing sitting in the courtyard. While the woman was not paying attention, I took five taels of silver for Zhong Jing. I wanted to repay the kindness I received, but that The woman refused to accept the silver. She only said that other people are in trouble, and that helping others is a matter of course, and there is no need for remuneration. The minister had no choice but to let the children accept the money. I didn't want to be stunned and straightened my back and said something, which made the minister Unforgettable in this lifetime.” Zhao Zhen asked, "What did he say?" When Bao Zheng arrived in the hall, he turned a blind eye to Di Qing until then, he looked at Di Qing meaningfully, and said sonorously: "Zong Jing told me that General Di went through life and death for the people of the Northwest. What kind of reward, we only did this little thing, how dare we ask people to reward us?" The words fell to the ground, and there was no sound. Wang Gongchen and the others were originally aggressive, and when they heard this, they looked at Di Qing with an unnatural expression on their faces.There was a flash of light on the faces of Ouyang Xiu and others, but Fan Zhongyan was both proud and sad. Only Di Qing was still standing there dumbly, as if he didn't hear anything.But for some reason, the eyelids also became moist.He Di Qing lived up to the people in the Northwest, and it turned out that the people in the Northwest never forgot him! After a long time, Bao Zheng spoke again: "I felt very ashamed when I heard what Zhong Jing said, so I took the money back. I asked Zhong Jing what he and his younger brother were doing in this courtyard. Zhong Jing said, He's waiting for a shooting star." Zhao Zhen glanced at Di Qing and asked curiously, "What is he waiting for a meteor?" Bao Zheng said: "There is a legend among the children of Saixia that if you can see a shooting star in the sky and make a wish in time, everything will come true." Zhao Zhen had been in the deep palace for a long time, but this was the first time he heard such a statement, and suddenly said: "Is this kind of stunned waiting for a shooting star to make a wish? What wish did he make?" Bao Zheng said: "He finally didn't wait for the shooting star that night, but he told me his wish." After a pause, Bao Zheng said slowly: "His wish is to grow up quickly, like General Di, and fight Hu People, defend the country!" Zhao Zhen glanced at Di Qing again, but this time he didn't ask any more questions.Although there were many courtiers in the hall, no one followed. After a moment of silence, Bao Zheng said again: "Actually, not only do you have a wish, but you also have a wish?" Zhao Zhen said: "Is Di Qing related to the desire for a doctor?" Zhao Zhen didn't really have any impression of Zhong Shiheng, but he only heard about Zhong Jing and Zhong Jian, and his impression of Zhong Shiheng had already changed drastically.He already understood Bao Zheng's meaning, Zhong Shiheng's family is so poor, even if he misuses the minister's money, there must be his reason. Bao Zheng shook his head, raised his straw sandals again and said: "The desire for a doctor is related to this straw sandal. He said that his feet are growing fast, and he can no longer wear last year's cloth shoes. Now he can only wear straw sandals, and they are Dilapidated straw sandals. If he can see shooting stars, he will ask God to give him a new pair of straw sandals. If he can have a new pair of cloth shoes in the New Year, he will be very happy." Bao Zheng said it plainly, but when everyone heard the words, they all felt sore in their hearts. Most of the officials in this hall are bell-ringing and dining-eating people, admiring flowers and reciting poems all day long, Chun Yaqiu worrying, who would have thought that as Zhong Shiheng's son, Zhong Zhong would even ask for a pair of cloth shoes is a luxury? Fan Zhongyan sighed secretly, thinking that every time he saw Zhong Shiheng, he always saw Zhong Shiheng procrastinating, but when handing over money and things to buy armaments, he never hesitated.Fan Zhongyan thought that Zhong Shiheng was cynical, and thought that Zhong Shiheng was skilled in business, but who would have thought that every penny of his money was forged with blood and tears? Seeing Zhao Zhen's gloomy expression, Wang Gongchen glanced at the straw sandals in Bao Zheng's hand, stepped forward and said, "My Majesty, if Bao Zheng's words are true, I think there is a misunderstanding about Zhong Shiheng being accused of embezzling Minister's money." Zhongcheng of Yushitai took the initiative to excuse Zhong Shiheng for Bianjiang, which surprised many people.Not wanting Bao Zheng to say: "There is no misunderstanding, Zhong Shiheng did misuse the minister's money!" When Bao Zheng said this, everyone was amazed, and they thought that Bao Zheng's painstaking efforts to tell this story were nothing more than to excuse Zhong Shiheng.Now that Wang Gongchen has expressed his opinion, Bao Zheng should just step down and bring this matter to the fore, but Bao Zheng still came to the conclusion that Shi Heng misused the minister's money, so his hard work just now was not in vain? Zhao Zhen was also full of surprises, and after a long silence, he said, "Bao Qing's family, what do you mean by that?" Bao Zheng hesitated for a long time, and then said: "Return to the Holy Master, actually Zhong Shiheng asked me to sue him for misusing the minister's money." Everyone was even more shocked, they simply didn't know what Bao Zheng was talking about.Di Qing lost his voice: "Why did he do this? This matter has nothing to do with him." Di Qing was discouraged, but when he heard Zhong Ji mentioning himself, he couldn't help but thank him for his trust in him.Hearing what Bao Zheng said, Di Qing suddenly understood Zhong Shiheng's intentions. Most people in the court are confused, but Di Qing has already understood Zhong Shiheng's intentions.Thinking of that disheveled and slightly sarcastic face, Di Qing's mood was agitated. Zhao Zhen was also confused, hesitatingly said: "Bao Qing's family, I am confused. Why should Zhong Shiheng ask you to sue him?" What a weirdo, actually asking Bao Zheng to sue him?If Zhong Shiheng didn't invite him, how many people would sue him?Thinking of this, he looked at Yu Shitai and the others. Everyone in Yushitai bowed their heads and remained silent, feeling strange in their hearts. Bao Zheng's solemn face suddenly showed respect, and he said slowly: "At the beginning, I didn't know Zhong Shiheng at all, and I just investigated the matter according to the order. It can be seen that I was stunned. I have a rough understanding, but I didn't expect that Zhong Shiheng is much...more thoughtful than I thought." He thought for a long time before he said this sentence, knowing that Zhao Zhen was puzzled, including Zheng explained: "It was many days before I saw Zhong Shiheng. As soon as he saw me, he knew that I was here to investigate the Minister's money. He said he knew this day would come." Zhao Zhen frowned, and glanced at the officials, who lowered their heads, not knowing what it was like. "Zong Shiheng said that ever since he started to build Qingjian City under the imperial decree, he had considered such a day. He said he was not afraid..." Bao Zheng sighed inexplicably, and said, "Zong Shiheng Heng said that the wind and sand in the northwest is bitter, and the people are more miserable than the wind and sand, and they are blown all day without a fixed place. According to common sense, it is not too much to build Qingjian City for three to five years, but too many people can't wait. Back then There is no water in Qingjian City. If no water can be dug out, the big city will be abandoned. He encouraged the people to dig wells at the price of one hundred cents and a dustpan of sand and gravel. For a few years, the people in the Northwest can't afford to wait." After Zhao Zhen heard this, he was thoughtful, thinking that the Song Dynasty's transportation was not working, the military equipment was not repaired, and the finances in the Northwest were tight. Fan Zhongyan had already said it.It's just that Fan Zhongyan didn't explain it in such detail. All the officials in the court, including him, the emperor, always felt that Fan Zhongyan was exaggerated and flashy.But what Zhong Shiheng said is true, and now everyone knows that if Chong Shiheng hadn't built Qingjian City, the Northwest of the Song Dynasty would have been in a different situation. It is uncertain whether Yanzhou can keep it, let alone take it back Go back to Jinmingzhai and force Yuan Hao to sue for peace. Bao Zheng has always spoken in a calm tone, talking about very ordinary things, but who knows how many hardships and twists and turns there are in these ordinary things? "The matter of digging a well is a small matter, but Zhong Shiheng said that there are too many such small matters in the border. He has been working hard on these small matters for a long time, and he has no ability and no way to show all those accounts clearly to the higher-ups. But he said that every penny he spent was worthy of his own conscience. If I hadn’t met his family at the beginning, I wouldn’t have believed it, but I knew that he was stunned and treated for years. When I was half-starved and even buying a pair of cloth shoes was an extravagant hope, I believed what Zhong Shiheng said for the first time without checking the whole story." Having said that, Bao Zheng paused, looked at his colleagues at Yushitai, and asked, "Do you believe it?" Do you believe it or not? It was these five ordinary words that stirred in the temple and struck everyone's heart.Although Wang Gongchen has not given up the idea of ​​attacking Fan Zhongyan's cronies, but glanced at Zhao Zhen's expression, he has given up the idea of ​​joining Shiheng again. Zhao Zhen didn't say a word, but anyone who saw his expression knew that he believed it.But everyone was puzzled, since that was the case, why did Zhong Shiheng want Bao Zheng to sue him for misusing the envoy's money? Wang Gongchen even thought in his heart, could it be that Zhong Shiheng knew he was right, and that's why he wanted to divert his attention and save others?But Bao Zheng's subsequent words made him ashamed. "Chong Shiheng told the minister that although he had a clear conscience, he knew that he had broken the rules. If someone came across someone deliberately, he would definitely make a fuss about it. He said, 'I have lived these years, and these years of ups and downs. Look away. How many years can I live? If there is any fault, Master Bao must put everything on the old man. I don't care.'" Bao Zheng relayed Zhong Shiheng's words intact, but Zhao Zhen was still puzzled and asked, "Why did he do that?" Bao Zheng glanced at Di Qing again. Seeing Di Qing's sad expression, he knew that Di Qing understood. "Because Zhong Shiheng said, 'I spend most of the minister's money and business money on building defenses and equipping the army, such as building better weapons and armor, and trying to buy the fastest horses. You don't know, although the court There are bows and arrows and armor, but the bows are all worm-eaten, the strings are broken, and the armor is rotten. How do you let the soldiers bring these equipments to die? If you want to shirk responsibility, Di Qing spent the most money from the public servants, because the army he led It is the elite of the Northwest, and a lot of the envoy's money is spent on these troops. But if there are no these unruly elites, Song Dynasty will lose more than just the envoy's money in the Northwest. If there is no abuse of these envoy's money, the people in the Northwest will have to move Went to Guanzhong. If it weren't for the misuse of the envoy's money, some people in the court would have been burnt out by the war and had no time to take care of the Northwest envoy's money. In fact, I can ignore it, but can I ignore it? Well, if Di Qing and I In time, someone must take on this responsibility, so I will take it. After all, the old man is not poor, because the old man still has a wife and children, and Di Qing is poorer than me. He has been on the battlefield all these years and has nothing to own. I got some scars, but I have never gained anything. The old man, I am really ashamed of him, Mr. Bao, I beg you, put all the responsibility on the old man, I will admit it all.'” Speaking of this, Bao Zheng's seemingly iron face also had sighs, and there were waves in his plain tone.For a long time, there was no sound in the hall, and Bao Zheng paused word by word and said again: "Zhong Shiheng finally said, 'I will take all the responsibilities, and the losses in the Northwest will be less. Because the Northwest can live without Zhong Shiheng, but it can't live without Di Qing!' " Northwest can live without Zhong Shiheng, but it cannot live without Di Qing! When Di Qing heard these words, his eyelids were wet, and he seemed to see Zhong Shiheng's cynical expression again, "Di Qing, you can't die. You still owe me a lot of money and haven't paid it back." He owed that bald old man more than a lot of money? After Bao Zheng said everything, the hall was as silent as death.After a long time, Zhao Zhen looked at Di Qing and saw that Di Qing had gray hair on his temples, and suddenly thought, "Di Qing has gray hair in his prime. From his point of view, he never forgot He Zhen's promise and devoted himself to conquering the Northwest for me. He has not only scars, but also gray hair." Zhao Zhen always felt that he had not treated Di Qing badly. Even when Yushitai sued Northwest for misusing the envoy's money, he quietly sent Bao Zheng to investigate again.He felt that he was always protecting Di Qing. It can be seen that Di Qing's handsome expression is full of vicissitudes and loneliness, and thinking that Di Qing is about to retire and return to his hometown, Zhao Zhen suddenly thought, "Is it I who protect Di Qing, or Di Qing protects my country?" Everyone already understood that Bao Zheng went around in circles and said these words, he didn't just want to protect Zhong Shiheng, he wanted to protect Di Qing even more! Ouyang Xiu finally stepped forward and saluted, "Your Majesty, since Bao Yushi has found out everything, I still believe that Di Qing has nothing to do with the envoy's money. Please also ask your Majesty to investigate clearly." Zhao Zhen looked at Bao Zheng thoughtfully and said, "Bao Yushi, since you have found out everything, how should you treat this matter according to your opinion?" Bao Zheng pondered for a while, and said: "It is true that the envoy's money comes and goes differently, but when I think of Taizu, he also built a pile warehouse, and the purpose was nothing more than to save military expenses and collect old land. The country is for the people. Although Zhong Shiheng and Di Qing violated the rules on the use of ministerial money, it can be said that the rules are not tolerated and can be forgiven when used in state affairs. The law is nothing more than human feelings. Yonggu, the people are happy, and I never want future generations to stick to the rules." Zhao Zhen nodded, and asked again, "Assuming Taizu is here, how would he deal with this matter?" Bao Zheng immediately said: "Since Taizu has a broad mind, if you don't know the truth, of course you have to investigate the responsibility. But knowing the truth of the matter, it's nothing more than laughing." Zhao Zhen laughed and said, "Well said, from today onwards, there is no need to mention Zhong Shiheng and Di Qing's use of envoy money in the Northwest." The officials obeyed the order, with joy and sorrow.Fan Zhongyan thought to himself, "The Holy Majesty only said that there is no need to mention the matter of Di Qing and Zhong Shiheng, but he didn't mention a word about Teng Zijing and Zhang Kang. It seems that he has made up his mind and it is difficult to change it. He did this, seemingly Balance the relationship between Yushitai and the two governments, but I'm afraid there will be endless troubles." But now, Fan Zhongyan also knows that it is useless to talk, and just wants to wait for another chance. But Wang Gongchen thought in his heart, "Hmph, the Holy One only said that he would not pursue matters concerning Zhong Shiheng and Di Qing, but he did not say that he would not pursue matters involving others. Ouyang Xiu, Ouyang Xiu, sooner or later, I will let you know the consequences of offending me. Originally, I wanted to accuse Di Qing of the crime, but it can be seen that the emperor is determined to excuse Di Qing, and I am afraid that he will inevitably offend the Holy Majesty if he insists on suing. It is better to take it easy for Di Qing to interfere with the peace negotiation." Thinking of this, Wang Gongchen winked at Wen Yanbo and shook his head.When Wen Yanbo saw him, he was still worried about the incident at the beginning, but he didn't say any more. Zhao Zhen had made up his mind, and he didn't want to talk about the matter in the northwest anymore, so he waited to announce his resignation. Yan Shiliang rushed over and shouted: "My lord, the big thing is not good!" Zhao Zhen was slightly startled, and hurriedly asked, "Why are you panicking?" Yan Shiliang panicked and said: "The Eighth Prince's mansion is on fire and it's hard to control." Di Qing's heart sank, his thoughts raced, and he thought to himself that the fire was very strange.Zhao Zhen's complexion changed, and he shouted: "How could this happen? What about Uncle Bawang, how is it now?" Yan Shiliang said in a trembling voice like a funeral examination, "No one has seen the Eighth Prince, I'm afraid... I'm afraid he has been buried in the sea of ​​fire." Zhao Zhen suddenly stood up, and said angrily: "No, Uncle Eighth Prince is an auspicious person, so nothing will happen. I want to go and see for myself." The Eighth Prince was in trouble, the emperor spoke, the officials put aside other matters for the time being, left the palace with Zhao Zhen, and rushed to the palace. Di Qing was also surprised and asked to follow Zhao Zhen.When he was about to leave the palace, seeing Bao Zheng looking at him, Di Qing cupped his hands and saluted, "Thank you Brother Bao for your help." Bao Zheng said: "I'm just doing my duty, why should General Di be polite?" After hesitating for a moment, Bao Zheng said again: "I don't know if I should say something or not?" Di Qing said, "Brother Bao, please tell me." Bao Zheng said slowly: "I know that General Di has been implicated innocently this time, so it is inevitable that I feel a little discouraged. But the people in the northwest are still thinking about General Di, and I ask General Di not to be cold-hearted, and not to disappoint the expectations of the people in the Northwest." Knowing that Bao Zheng advised him not to resign, Di Qing said with a wry smile, "Thank you, Brother Bao, for reminding me. But there are many things that I can't help myself." Bao Zheng knew that Di Qing might not resign, but the specifics would of course depend on the emperor's will.Bao Zheng didn't say much anymore, he bowed his hands as a salute and left.Di Qing hurried to the Eighth Prince's mansion and took a deep breath. The fire in front of the eyes has become weak, and the soldiers and civilians shouted and splashed water for rescue.But the mansion of the Eighth Prince Nuo Da has been turned into ruins. Where is the Eighth Prince... is he alive or dead?Di Qing was at a loss for a while.Not long after he left the Eighth Prince, he was waiting for the Eighth Prince to hand over the thief Li Nantian. How could he have thought that the Eighth Prince's mansion would catch fire. What did this fire burn? The holy driver who saw Zhao Zhen from a distance is not far away, and is heavily protected by the forbidden army.Di Qing was eager to know the situation, so he walked over to see him. Seeing that it was Di Qing, Zhao Zhen motioned for the Imperial Army to let Di Qing come over.Di Qing asked: "Your Majesty, what's the situation in the Palace now?" At this time, the fire was gradually extinguished, but the thick smoke rushed straight into Xiaohan, darkening the originally blue sky. Zhao Zhen looked at the Eight Princes' Mansion, frowned and said: "There is no news yet..." Before he finished speaking, a man suddenly rushed out of the fire, with a disgraced face and clothes that had been scorched by the fire. That man was Kaifeng Mansion Qiu Minghao, the head catcher. The prince's mansion was on fire, and the matter was of great importance. The yamen of the Kaifeng mansion knew about it and sent police to investigate the matter in detail.Qiu Minghao has solved a lot of cases in these days, and he has established a great reputation in Kaifeng. In terms of reputation, it has far surpassed Ye Zhiqiu. Qiu Minghao came to Zhao Zhen's side and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I found several corpses in the prince's mansion, but they were all burnt and unrecognizable. There was a jade pendant next to one of the corpses. It belonged to the Eighth Prince. I'm afraid ...that is the bones of the Eighth Prince." Zhao Zhen said angrily: "Okay, why did the Eighth Prince's mansion catch fire?" Qiu Minghao glanced at Di Qing, lowered his voice and said: "My lord, there are many flammable objects piled up in the Eighth Prince's mansion, and there is also the gas of vegetable oil. I'm afraid...someone deliberately set it on fire." Zhao Zhen was furious and said: "Dignified Kaifeng, how could someone act so recklessly? Qiu Minghao, immediately investigate this case with all your strength, and you must give me an explanation." Qiu Ming responded with no sincerity and fear, Zhao Zhen looked angry and sentimental, and drove back to the palace immediately. The sun was shining, and the people watching from afar were discussing and guessing the secret of the fire in the palace.Di Qing had been staring blankly at the smoking palace, and suddenly stepped inside to have a look. He kept thinking, could it be that this is what the Eighth Prince gave him?Did the Eighth Prince set himself on fire because he was afraid that Di Qing would expose everything?But because of Yu Chang, Di Qing only asked for Li Nantian.Why did the Eighth Prince set himself on fire and refuse to hand over Li Nantian? Or is this really a deliberate fire?If so, who has such grievances with the Eighth Prince?Who else has such courage? When Di Qing wanted to enter the mansion, a Kaifeng police officer stopped him and said, "General Di, Qiu Butou said that this case is of great importance, and no one else is allowed to enter. If you want to go in, please ask Qiu Butou." .” Di Qing remembered that when he was in the Cao Mansion, Qiu Minghao seemed to have joined forces with Xia Sui to harm him. Although the matter was not settled in the end, Di Qing was always on guard against Qiu Minghao.But he is rarely in the capital, and he and Qiu Minghao have always been in harmony with each other.Seeing that the police were in a difficult situation, Di Qing didn't want to deal with Qiu Minghao, thinking that there might not be any clues, so he shook his head and turned back to Guo's mansion. When they arrived at Guo's mansion, Guo Kui and Han Xiao all surrounded him. Guo Kui asked, "Second Brother Di, are you okay?" Summoned, I was able to tell about the Xia embassy.Zhao Zhen didn't say anything all the time, he just said he knew.After Guo Kui turned around, he was always worried.But he thinks that he and Di Qing are brothers, so there is no need to talk about these hardships. Di Qing shook his head and said, "It's nothing. Xiao Kui, thank you very much." Guo Kui's spirit lifted, and Di Qing saw that Guo Kui's eyes were bloodshot, and he knew that he had worked hard for him. He was grateful and said, "Go and rest first. Right. Han Xiao and I still have some talk." Guo Kui breathed a sigh of relief, turned and left. After Di Qing dismissed Guo Kui, before he could speak, Han Xiao said in a low voice: "General Di, the Eighth Prince's mansion is on fire, what's going on?" He read the letter and knew that the Eighth Prince was the real murderer of Yang Nianen, But it's not clear what the details are. Di Qing sighed softly and said, "The deceased is gone, so there's no need to talk about it. Han Xiao, just send someone to keep an eye on the movement in Kaifeng Mansion. If you have an answer, please let me know." Regardless of whether the mansion was burned by the Eighth Prince himself or by someone else, the fire has already destroyed all the relationship between Di Qing and the Eighth Prince. Seeing Han Xiao hesitate to speak, Di Qing asked, "Are you...do you have anything else to do?" Han laughed and said, "General Di, the Eighth Prince's matter has been resolved, but there are many doubts. Do you know who sent the letter?" Di Qing shook his head and said, "You've also read that letter, and you don't have too many clues." Suddenly his heart moved, and he asked, "Do you have any clues?" He knew that Han Xiao was smart and capable. Ming said about the businessman with the surname Li, so he asked Han Xiao to pay attention to people like hammers. As a result, Han Xiao quickly told him that the Lingnan thief Li Nantian was very similar to what Zhao Ming described.When Di Qing listened to Guo Kui's description of the murderer, he and Han Xiao both thought of Li Nantian. Li Nantian has always been chaotic Lingnan, haunted by ghosts, Ye Zhiqiu failed to catch this person several times, if Di Qing hadn't made many assumptions, it would be really difficult to connect this person with the Eighth Prince. Han Xiao took out the letter again, and said apologetically, "General Di, please don't be offended. I didn't destroy this letter because I thought I could find some clues from it." The real intention of the sender was that it would be unfavorable to Di Qing, so he pursued him relentlessly. Di Qing was also guessing the identity of the letter writer. Hearing the words, he didn't blame him, but said: "Just remember not to publicize this matter. What clues do you see in the letter?" Han Xiao spread out the letter paper, pointed to the handwriting on the letter and said, "General Di, have you noticed that these words are black and white..." Di Qing didn't study much, and he didn't have much research on calligraphy, so he just read the letter to see the content.Listening to Han Xiao's reminder, after a closer look, I found that those words were indeed a bit strange.There are faint traces of white in every stroke. Knowing that Di Qing didn't understand, Han Xiao explained: "This type of font is called Feibai, also called Caozhuan. It was created by the ancient Cai Yong. I heard that when Cai Yong saw a craftsman painting the wall, every time he brushed it down, he couldn't finish it. Covering the wall color and revealing the background color of the wall, I was inspired to create this kind of flying white body with whitish hair." Di Qing suddenly said: "This method of controlling the pen lies in the beauty of leaving blank space. I don't think there are many people who can write." Han Xiao agreed: "General Di is right. The person who wrote the letter used Feibai. If we want to find out who this person is, we can start from this aspect." He pointed the letter to the place where the sunlight came in, and said : "General Di, look at this piece of letter paper, there is a hidden note." Di Qing looked over and saw the sun shining through, and the word "Ji" appeared in the lower right corner of the letter paper.Asked: "This stationery is exquisitely crafted, and it must not be common." Han Xiao smiled and said, "General Di knows a thing or two. This paper is produced by Ji Xing Zhai in the capital. Since the output is not much every year, only wealthy people can use it." Di Qing murmured: "The letter writers are good at flying white bodies, and they are wealthy people, but the scope is still too large, so it's hard to find them." Han smiled and said: "No matter what, this is always a clue, and the subordinates are going to look for this clue to find it. I don't know what the general wants?" Di Qing nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work." After Han Xiao left, Di Qing let out a long sigh and slowly closed his eyes.He was really tired these few days, but he always felt uneasy.He always felt that, instead of ending, many things became more and more complicated. In an instant it was summer.These days, Di Qing has been staying behind closed doors, but he also knows a lot of things in the capital.Zhao Zhen finally decided to change the law and announced it to the whole country. The people are happy and praised by all people. This year was the Qingli period of the Song Dynasty, known as the Qingli New Deal in history. Those who implemented the New Deal included Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Yan Shu, Han Qi, Ouyang Xiu, etc. All of these people had extremely high prestige in the hearts of the common people.Most of these people's cronies also came to the capital to assist the reform. For a while, celebrities gathered in the capital, and the government and the public praised it. Fan Zhongyan wrote "Ten Events", and Han Qi was reused by the emperor after his defeat in Sanchuankou. He restrained his arrogance and wrote "Seven Things for the Imperial Guard". . When the documents came out, the capital was sensational, and the whole world was excited. Di Qing, who didn't hide the false Pang Jing, was frightened, and seemed to have suddenly opened his mind. Instead of leaving, he immediately turned to the northwest to invite Yuan Hao to send troops, but lowered the conditions. Zhen named Yuanhao the Lord of Xia, and acknowledged the current territorial division. Song no longer used the defeat as an excuse to compensate Xia for the loss, but instead gave Xia a yearly gift of 72,000 taels of silver, hundreds of thousands of silks, and 30,000 catties of tea. The things sent out by the Song Dynasty remained unchanged, and only a word of gift was changed. All these news were told by Han Xiao to Di Qing, and when Di Qing heard it, he smiled shyly, noncommittal.But he thought in his heart, "Zhao Zhen has a good face, and what he is fighting for is nothingness, but Yuan Hao has grabbed the greatest benefit. If these properties were used to raise soldiers, the Shishi would have been perfected long ago. It turns out that I scolded Xia envoy that day, but It's Zhao Zhen's bargaining chip for peace negotiations." But now he is under suspicion, and he can live in peace because he stays behind closed doors, knowing that arguing is useless. On this day, when it was nearly dusk, Yan Shiliang came forward suddenly and said, "General Di, the Holy Majesty has called you into the palace for a speech." Di Qing knew about these days. He heard that Zhang Meiren was sick, and the virus was not serious. Zhao Zhen was not in the mood every morning.At this time, what did Zhao Zhen want him for? Di Qing entered the palace with doubts, and Yan Shiliang led him to the imperial garden from last time. From spring to summer, there are flowers blooming and fading, what is withered is the state of mind, and what does not change is prosperity.The setting sun shines at night, falling on thousands of flowers, as bright red as blood. As soon as Di Qing arrived at the imperial garden, he heard the sound of the piano.This time, the sound of the piano is less secluded and cold, with a taste of summer laziness. Taking a closer look, Zhang Meiren was sitting in front of the piano, and Zhao Zhen was sitting aside, looking at her with pity.Seeing Di Qing's arrival, Zhao Zhen got up and walked over. Without waiting for Di Qing to salute, he said, "Excuse me. Di Qing, I have something to do with you." Seeing that Zhao Zhen's expression was sad but not angry, Di Qing asked puzzledly, "I don't know what the Holy Spirit ordered?" Zhao Zhen said with a sad face: "Oh, the beauty has been seriously ill these days, and she is only getting better now. But she is getting better, so she must come to play the piano... She also wants to hear some stories about the Northwest from you, but I didn't listen to it last time. Cheng, it’s been a few months if I don’t want to. I can’t persuade her, so I can only ask you. Di Qing, I’m sorry.” Di Qing hadn't heard Zhao Zhen speak so politely for a long time, and he didn't want Zhao Zhen to call him into the palace in a hurry, just for this matter.He cast a sideways glance at Zhang Meiren, and saw that she was looking at Yaoqin, as if she didn't hear Zhao Zhen's words. Since she asked Di Qing to talk about the war in the northwest, why didn't she even look at Di Qing after Di Qing came? 赵祯已拉着狄青的手坐下，对着张美人道：“美人，狄将军来了，你不是要听西北的故事吗？莫要弹琴了，多休息会儿。” 张美人终于盈盈站起，走过来笑道：“有劳狄将军了。”她秀眸流波，轻轻的从狄青脸上漫了过去。 狄青心中虽不情愿，看在赵祯的面子上，还应付道：“臣应做之事。”目光和张美人眼光相对的那一刻，狄青突然有了种心悸。 他都不知道自己心悸什么。等垂下头来，狄青又将方才的情形在脑海中回忆片刻，忽然想到，“张美人虽在笑，可她的眼中，好像根本没有笑意？甚至，可以说是冰冷。” 念头一闪而过，狄青不待再想，有宫人禀告道：“皇后到。” 赵祯微有些错愕，见皇后已端个瓦罐走到近前，起身迎道：“皇后，你来做什么？” 皇后轻轻的放下了那瓦罐，微笑道：“圣上，你昨晚操劳政事，批阅公文，听说深夜时肚子饿，曾想吩咐阎士良要羊肉汤喝，不知为何后来打消了主意？” 赵祯轻轻一叹，说道：“朕自听包拯说及西北苦楚时，才知道皇后说什么节省宫用，养蚕种植谷物的良苦用心。昨晚其实朕很想喝羊汤，但宫中并无常备，一次破例，只怕日后御厨会天天杀好了羊准备。这样下来，颇为浪费，朕就忍了一晚。”说话间望了狄青语言，道：“唉……朕不想开仗，不是怕了他们，只是想到百姓无端受苦，于心何忍呢？” 狄青知道赵祯最后一句话隐约是对他解释议和的苦衷，听到这生活小事，倒对赵祯有了重新的认识，暗想赵祯虽优柔寡断，但能知百姓疾苦，肯听人言，也算是个难得的皇帝。 曹皇后揭开瓦罐的顶盖，有香气随着热气飘出来。曹皇后嫣然一笑道：“妾身知道官家想吃，今日宫中正好宰了羊，就为圣上煮了羊汤……” 赵祯心喜，暗想曹皇后虽没有张美人的娇羞可人，但也是个贤妻，朕后宫不必有三千粉黛，只要皇后和张美人两人足矣。向张美人望过去，赵祯道：“美人，过来品尝是下皇后的手艺。” 张美人淡笑道：“好呀。可这是皇后的一番心思……我不知道有没有这福气喝呢？” 曹皇后掩嘴笑道：“好妹妹，你是在取笑我的手艺不好吧？是不是不想喝呀？” 张美人见曹皇后这么说，不禁笑道：“皇后，奴家怎敢呢？”曹皇后在宫人面前素来随和，见赵祯对张美人不错，竟不嫉妒，一直称呼张美人为妹妹。张美人却不敢称呼曹皇后为姐姐，一直以奴家自谦。 二人说说笑笑，让赵祯一扫愁容。张美人才待凑上前喝一口热羊汤，突然蹙了下眉头，以手抚额。赵祯见状，顾不得喝汤，忙问，“美人，你怎么了？” 张美人眉头微紧，低声道：“圣上，无妨事。可能是病愈初好，还有点头痛吧。” 赵祯心痛地埋怨道：“你既然知道大病初好，就不该还出来弹琴了。快……朕扶你回去休息吧？”说话间，赵祯已带张美人向后宫行去。曹皇后见状，早吩咐宫女去请御医给张美人看病，望向狄青，歉然道：“狄将军，又烦劳你入宫了。既然这样，你请回吧。” 狄青暗自叹息，懒得抱怨，当下出了御花园，不等走上几步，阎士良突然从后面追上来道：“狄将军，请留步。” 狄青不解转身，问道：“阎大人有何吩咐呢？” 阎士良笑道：“吩咐不敢当。不过适才张美人虽头痛，但说休息会，还想听狄将军说说西北的事情……” 狄青搞不懂张美人为何对西北一事如此执着，皱眉道：“难道说还要让我等在宫中？眼下天色已晚，我留在宫中，于例不合的。” 阎士良道：“规矩虽是如此，但有圣上口谕，狄将军倒不用担心。圣上对将军的待遇和旁人果然不同，圣上让你暂留宫中赏月亭等候，狄将军，委屈你了。还请莫要让小人为难。” 狄青心中本有不满，暗想我堂堂一个西北的将军，赵祯你当我是个说书的吗？可见阎士良低声下气，又想赵祯对张美人的紧张，心中一软。他知道赵祯在感情一事也难自主，难得有个中意的人，自己就不好让他失望。狄青本来就是吃软不吃硬的人，遂道：“好吧，那我就等等。” 阎士良大喜，遂带着狄青到了赏月亭内。赏月亭虽不过是个亭子，但其内布置典雅，抬头而望，只见明月东升，照着朗朗乾坤。 阎士良早吩咐宫人送上酒菜，让狄青边吃边等，吩咐个小太监在旁伺候狄青，然后转身离去。狄青却无心吃饭，心道在宫中，也不好饮酒。想到这里，只是抱膝在亭中而坐，望着那皎皎的明月。 这时天空流景如画，那明月穿梭在云中，时隐在云层，时穿破浮云。夏风吹拂不定，百花弄影，香气袭人。 那个小太监见狄青无事，突说要小解，暂时告退。 狄青也不介意，望着那明月，仿佛望着那此生永铭在脑海中的那张笑脸，喃喃道：“羽裳，我本来以为和吐蕃人联手去攻元昊，只要攻破沙州，寻到香巴拉，求那里的神人，就可以和你再见了。” 他轻声细语，宛若杨羽裳就在他身边。这些年来，他从未觉得羽裳离他而去。 “可不想元昊突然议和，打破了我的所有计划。元昊似乎早知道有人要前往香巴拉，因此在那里派了重兵把守。可因此一来，我反倒更确信了这个传说。元昊虽求和，但我去香巴拉的念头，从未打消过。元昊是个机警的人，我怕打草惊蛇，只能求一击而中。羽裳，你知道吗？我有个好消息告诉你……” 狄青说到这里，脸上突然泛起振奋的光辉，明月清冷，照在那落寞苍凝的脸庞上，有如情人的爱抚，又像是情人的倾诉。 “西北十士的第八士……其实早就开始部署了。种世衡虽还未帮我找到香巴拉，但我知道他从来没有忘记过对我的承诺。而这第八士，叫做凤鸣！他们已经成功的……” 话未说完，突然有脚步声传来。 狄青扭头望过去，本来以为是阎士良来找他，不想来到是个宫女。那宫女娉婷的走到狄青的面前，见狄青困惑，微笑道：“狄将军，是长公主让我过来找你的。” 狄青起身道：“长公主有事吩咐吗？”对于那个婉约的常宁，狄青心中只有感激。 那宫女道：“长公主去见了张美人，发现张美人已睡了，今晚肯定不会再听狄将军说西北的事情了。” 狄青皱了下眉头，心道既然如此，赵祯为何不早告诉自己呢？那宫女像是看出了狄青的心思，道：“圣上本来要吩咐宫人知会狄将军，说你可以走了。不过……长公主说她来告诉你就好了。”说着掩嘴偷笑。 狄青略有尴尬，心道圣上肯定以为常宁和我有话说，圣上对这种事，素来都乐促其成的，就算这个宫女，好像都知道我和常宁的事情。可我从来只是当常宁是朋友，上次她匆忙离去，这次找宫女来通知我，可是有话要说？ 那宫女果然道：“常宁公主吩咐，请狄将军去朝凤阁见上一面，她不会耽误狄将军太长的功夫。” 狄青有些犹豫，心道我虽蒙圣上下旨得在宫中停留，但随意走动似乎有些不妥。难道说常宁怕被人见到，所以不来见我，才让人找我前去？ 那宫女见狄青犹豫，有些不悦道：“长公主怎么说，也帮狄将军些事情，难道狄将军见一面也不肯吗？” 狄青望着那宫女，突然想起直爽好心的小月，心中轻叹，点头道：“好，那麻烦你带路了。”心中想到，“朝凤阁？以前在宫中没有听过，多半是禁中失火后建的了。这么多年，改变的何止是皇宫呢？不知道常宁找我什么事呢？见了她后，当要尽快离开禁中，以免节外生枝。” 感慨间，狄青随着那宫女穿花径，走亭台，隔着一片竹林，已见到阁楼挑出来的飞檐。飞檐如云流转，阁楼典雅清宁，二楼有灯火闪亮。那宫女到了门前，伸手一指，突然脸红道：“狄将军，长公主就在里面等你。我就不去了。”说罢一转身，蹦蹦跳跳的离去。 狄青一怔，正值风动人静，不好大声呼喊，转眼的功夫，那宫女已消失不见。狄青皱了下眉头，心道若只是常宁在阁中，孤男孤女多有不便。我狄青虽问心无愧，但事关常宁的清誉…… 徘徊片刻，终于还是敲敲门道：“常宁公主，臣狄青请见。”不闻阁楼中有声，狄青还待再叫，突然心中一凛，他满是心事，这才留意紧闭的门前，有滩血迹！ 是血迹！ 狄青只是蹲下来一嗅，就知道是血，不由心中大寒，低喝道：“常宁公主？”阁楼中还是没有回声。狄青心下担忧，推门而入，霍然惊立当场。 门后不远处，一女仰天倒在地上，喉咙已被割断，那鲜血还在流淌，染红了青砖地面，场面森冷惊悚！