51: Rebel and thief
Zhao Heng got the fast horse report first, knowing that they would be able to come back today, and when Zhao Ju ordered Zhao Yan outside the city, he also specially arranged for someone to enter the palace to reply to the letter, so Zhao Heng was waiting in the Qingfeng Hall at this time.
When Wei Jin greeted them in, the people in the palace who had been serving inside retreated with great eyes.
Zhao Heng got up from his seat and moved down, holding Zhao Liang who was about to salute with one hand, like the two were really close uncles and nephews: "Uncle Huang is going to suffer here." β
The corners of Rong Jiang's mouth twitched when he listened to the side, and said in his heart that this emperor's throne is really not something anyone can sit on, without Zhao Heng's thick skin, he really can't sit down, but Zhao Heng turned to her as soon as he spoke, personally helped her get up, looked her up and down, and said, "Gu Ninghou's injury is really good?" After that, I asked someone to send some tonic medicine to the Rong Mansion. β
Zhao Liang didn't speak, just looked at her and smiled, Rong Jiang felt that her scalp was numb for a while, her injury was not worth mentioning in her opinion, and she didn't plan to let her family know at all, as soon as Zhao Heng sent these tonics, there was a lot of tossing in the house, so she smiled and excused herself.
Zhao Heng didn't seem to hear it, she left her and exchanged a few polite words with Zhao Ju, and then stepped back to his seat, only to be a little straight: "Uncle Huang came back so quickly, he must have found out everything." β
"Exactly, if you don't find it out, you will be in a different place, and you won't dare to go back to Beijing to resume your life." Zhao Liang's smile has always been on his face, obviously alienated, but it makes people think that he is harmless and amiable, and the words he says seem to have a deep meaning, but he can't taste anything abnormal.
Rong Jiang saw Zhao Heng's smile stiffen on his face, and sneered in his heart, and heard Zhao Heng's warm voice sound again, "I have a few things here, please take a look." β
As he spoke, he took out a recital sheet and a stack of papers from his sleeve, those papers were densely packed with words, in fact, Rong Jiang had already seen it, it was nothing more than evidence of Jiang Rongzheng's bribery with the capital, as well as the records of Qin Zhi and others' involvement, as well as the records of Jiang Rongzheng's bribery of silver tickets.
Wei Jin came down and took the things, Rong Jiang's heart sank with his movements, she knew that Jiang Rong was innocent, and everything he did was for the stability of the people of Jiangbei and the court, but if these evidence were presented, he would end up with only one dead word.
Sure enough, Zhao Heng's face was solemn after reading it, those papers were almost crumpled by him in his hand, and Rong Jiang was even thinking about whether to protect Jiang Rongzheng again, but Zhao Heng's words were unexpected to her: "Qin Zhi dares to collude with Guozijian and buy and release exam questions to bad Enke, prince!" What do you have to say! β
When Rong Jiang heard this, it was clear that something was wrong, and he subconsciously turned his head to look at Zhao Liang. But seeing that Zhao Heng's face was also dignified, it was estimated that Zhao Heng would suddenly make trouble like the prince, which was also unexpected by him.
His recital was written when he was outside the city, and Qin Zhi's matter was also remembered according to Rong Jiang's mentions, and it stands to reason that taking Cao Bin out like this is to give Zhao Heng a step down, and it is impossible for a shrewd emperor like Zhao Heng to come up without asking the side to reprimand the prince in advance.
He was thinking that Zhao Yan had already knelt under His Royal Highness, kowtowing respectfully, but he didn't say a word.
Zhao Yan secretly said that it is not good, Zhao Yan is young, and his understanding of Zhao Heng is probably not as good as him, at this moment, I am afraid that Zhao Yan will only remember the words he commanded outside the city, and if he does not justify himself, it will only anger Zhao Yan even more.
"Don't speak?" Sure enough, Zhao Heng's face sank even more, and his eyes darkened a little, "Qin knows who it is, don't you know it?" He colluded with Wu Guixiang and ruined the reputation of the imperial court, you and Cao Bin - dare to say that they don't know at all! The sound of the big palm slap was very loud, and it more directly showed the anger of the Son of Heaven.
Rong Jiang's body moved and wanted to speak for Zhao Yan, but Zhao Liang quietly pressed her arm and shook his head very lightly.
His Royal Highness Zhao Yan was a little at a loss, he didn't know why his father had such a big temper, although he was still worried about Zhao Yan's instructions, but he didn't open his mouth at this time, didn't he wait for a harsher reprimand? So he kowtowed again, and said in a trembling voice: "My father is angry, and my sons have always been raised in the capital, do you know that my sons are a duty, how dare you often communicate with foreign ministers?" Qin Zhi's confused case, Erchen really didn't know at all. β
Zhao Liang wrinkled his brows, and couldn't listen to Zhao Yan's brainless words anymore - duty? As the crown prince, the biggest duty is to share the worries of the monarch's father, but what is Zhao Yan talking about? said that he didn't dare to make friends with foreign ministers in private, so he didn't know anything about Qin Zhi. This is an excuse in a hurry, and it's not bad that you can't have a private relationship with a foreign minister, but if you want to think about it differently, Zhao Yan is obviously shirking responsibility.
As soon as he moved, he got up and bowed, Rong Jiang opened his mouth, but he didn't know where he was, so he didn't stop him, so he only heard him say: "The prince is young and lacks experience, besides, Qin knows that the case he committed this time is not small, I think he doesn't dare to sue Prince SΓΉ and Cao Bin, if the prince has news early in the morning, where is the reason to indulge him?" β
"Uncle Huang doesn't have to excuse him!" But who knew that Zhao Heng didn't appreciate it, and interrupted Zhao Ju's words with a wave of his hand, "I see that he has been raised comfortably in Yecheng for too long, so long that he is ignorant and incompetent!" When something like this happened in the imperial court, his subordinates took the lead in committing the crime," Zhao Heng snorted coldly as he spoke, and then turned his head to Zhao Yan, "You are not ashamed, I blush for you, the prince!" β
These words were a bit heavy, Rong Jiang faintly noticed that something was wrong, and Zhao Liang naturally also noticed it-how could Qin Zhi be Zhao Yan's person? Zhao Heng is not an emperor who doesn't know people clearly, and he is afraid that he wants to rectify the prince by pointing the finger at Zhao Yan like this. Besides, the four words ignorance and incompetence are too powerful, if the prince is incompetent, he should be deposed and set up separately. Rong Jiang suddenly felt a shock in his heart, and looked at Zhao Liang with some shock, but saw that he twisted his eyebrows and thought deeply, as if he was thinking about the deep meaning of Zhao Heng's words.
She has always been an upright girl, especially when facing Zhao Heng, perhaps because she knew that Zhao Heng had always regarded her as a thorn in her side, so she was even more unwilling to compromise and forbear, so for a long time, she always dared to speak out in front of Zhao Heng.
What should she do at this moment, so she raised her feet and stood beside Zhao Liang, Zhao Liang quietly pulled her sleeve, but she was unmoved, and said to the top: "Your Majesty is serious, if the prefects of the border towns are all the confidants of His Royal Highness the Prince, then what has become of the prince?" Daye has had training since the founding of the country, and the prince observes the affairs of the world, but he is not allowed to privately hand over foreign ministers and generals, His Majesty said this, isn't the prince ignoring the ancestral teachings, forming a party and running a party with the intention of committing chaos? β
"Rong Jiang!" Zhao Liang still scolded her in the end, and at this moment he really felt what the courtiers often said about 'Guning Hou Gengzhi'. In this case, how can it be said in this case? She doesn't understand Zhao Heng too much. He knew Rong Jiang's intentions, but just like when he asked about Cheng Yi outside the city, Rong Jiang didn't think about it again!
Zhao Heng really did as Zhao Liang thought, he was not angry with Rong Jiang, but smiled and asked Zhao Yan who was kneeling on the ground: "Prince, are you going to be a chaotic minister and thief?" β
Rong Jiang was immediately stunned, she could feel that Zhao Yan's vicious gaze was on her, and Zhao Liang's helpless sigh beside her - Zhao Heng, how could this be? His Royal Highness was kneeling with his own son, and she originally intended to take Zhao Heng into an army and let him take back the sentence 'Qin Zhi is your person', but how could he follow her words and put the words 'chaotic ministers and thieves' on the prince of the current dynasty!