In the fifth year of Taihe, October Gengchen, the beginning of noon.

Daming Palace, the partial building of Zhongshu Province.

Zhongshu Province is located on the west side of the Xuanzheng Hall in front of the Chinese Dynasty, and faces each other from the Xuanzheng Gate across the door from the lower province.

At the beginning of the afternoon, the officials in the official position from the three grades or above can go to the compartment in the side hall of Zhongshu Province to have lunch together, which is also a good time to discuss government affairs and communicate in private, as for the ministers in scarlet robes, even if they are basically able to speak in the capital, have a head and a face, when they arrive in the imperial city, they must be unified in the pavilion outside the hall of Zhongshu Province to eat.

Because the Daming Palace does not prepare meals for the ministers, most of the ministers on duty in Zhongshu Province have prepared their own lunches, which are basically prepared in advance in their own kitchens before the hour or even the end of the day, and the ministers bring their own or let the servants bring them into the palace, and it is already cold at the beginning of the afternoon, so there is no imaginary scene where the food is full of fragrance.

However, the ministers who were dining in the side hall did not expect that at this moment, on the side building on the north side of Zhongshu Province, there were two people standing on the top pavilion, looking at the towering Danfeng Gate in the distance.

The Son of Heaven was dressed in a swallow robe, and the nine golden dragons embroidered with gold thread on the front chest glittered in the sunlight. The Son of Heaven slowly put his hand behind his back, looked at the Siyong Golden Hall and the Pinglou Flying Pavilion in the Daming Palace, and said softly with a slight apology: "...... The murderer is always around, I know that in the depths of the ninefold, it is difficult to make it clear to the general, so I came here to find an opportunity to talk to the Qing secretly, and I hope to forgive ......me."

Mu Qingchen bowed, "This is a matter within the minister's duty, how can Your Majesty do it?" ”

Mu Qingchen hurriedly looked around the pavilion and found that in addition to the two of them, there were only two Jinwu guards left in this pavilion who were guarding at the entrance, and it seemed that the Son of Heaven really came secretly and secretly. Wang Shoucheng is in charge of the Inner Servant Province, and there are many henchmen in the capital and in the Daming Palace, although it is not clear who is not in the same stream at the moment, but he has to take such precautions, I am afraid that this is also the reason why the Son of Heaven did not wear red and gold clothes, but chose the slightly low-key Yan Benfu.

"Yesterday, I told Mu Qing clearly, I want to clarify the universe, become a saint of virtue, and rejuvenate my Tang, I wonder if Mu Qing can solve a problem for me?"

"Your Majesty, please speak."

"What Mu Qing said yesterday, the so-called 'first get rid of the traitors, the second to restore Longyou, the second to clear Hebei, and the second to raise the people...... 'I thought about it late at night......" The last few words of the Son of Heaven slowed down suddenly, just because he caught a glimpse of a few scarlet-robed ministers who had finished their lunch and walked to the corridor of Zhongshu Province, bowing to him from a distance.

Because Mu Qingchen was not standing in front of the fence, he happened not to be seen by those ministers.

However, the eyebrows of the Son of Heaven frowned because of this, although he did not express it in words, the speed of his speech unconsciously increased slightly: "...... But I don't know where to start, I don't know if Mu Qing can elaborate? For example, what should be done in this first step? ”

Mu Qingchen replied with his crossed hands: "The peaceful policies of the past dynasties are all unchanged from their origins, the so-called governing a large country is like cooking a small fresh, everything can be done slowly, if not, there must be a quick move......"

The Son of Heaven pondered these words for a moment, and inadvertently shrugged the tip of his nose, but his eyes were still looking at the tower of Danfeng Gate, and after a while, he asked, "That...... Since Qing said so, there must be a plan? ”

"Wang Shoucheng's henchmen are all over the court, if they attack rashly, I am afraid that it will backfire and force it to riot, and the consequences will be unimaginable......" Mu Qingchen pondered carefully, and said carefully: "Therefore, we can only take their wings first, except for the possibility of helping the party, simmer it in warm water, and slowly plan it, and the big thing can be accomplished." ”

"The wings that Mu Qing said are from the Beisi?"

"No," Mu Qingchen patiently explained: "Although the North Division is opposed to the South Ya, but there is constant internal strife, and His Majesty will not do it, there will be people within him who will contain and restrain Wang Shoucheng, and the minister is the only one who refers to it, when someone in the Guide Ya, attached to Wang Shoucheng, openly accepting bribes, and spreading notoriety, it must be ......removed for a sharp nail that he has driven in the South Ya."

"Zheng Note!" Without thinking about it, the Son of Heaven already knew who Mu Qingchen wanted, and he couldn't help but rush out of his mouth with hatred, a pair of dragon eyebrows were twisted together, and the hands behind him were also clenched.

"Exactly!"

"This person is extremely hateful," the Son of Heaven said in a deep voice, "If it weren't for Wang Shoucheng's protection, how could this person have been poisoned so far?" Although he was resentful because he remembered what Zheng Zhu had done.

However, the Son of Heaven also knew that the monarch should be happy and angry, so he returned to his old expression, but he didn't know whether he could endure it for life, "What is Mu Qing going to do with this person?" ”

Mu Qingchen cleared his throat and said in a low voice: "This person has a lot of responsibility, so he only needs to wait for a while, collect evidence, and at the same time win over the ministers in Nanya, play on the same day, expose the evil deeds, and the matter must be done, then he can be degraded to Lingnan and never be renewed!" ”

"Far from Lingnan?"

"Yes!" Mu Qingchen arched his hand.

"However, I mean it, or I don't mean to depreciate it far away......" The Son of Heaven glanced at Mu Qingchen, and his voice was as cold as the wind: "The so-called annihilation of wings, I think it is ...... When all the fingers are killed, there will be no trouble! ”

When Mu Qingchen heard this, he couldn't help but be shocked, and raised his eyes to look at the Son of Heaven, only then did he be convinced that what he had just said was true.

Mu Qingchen didn't expect that the Son of Heaven, who seemed to be a bookseller and couldn't release the scroll, would come up with such a chilling plan.

"Your Majesty, according to Tang Law, the crime of recruiting power and accepting bribes will not lead to death, but will it be ...... to be degraded?"

And the Son of Heaven coldly interrupted Mu Qingchen's words, but with a solemn expression, he put his hands on his body and said loudly: "'The revenge of killing my father'......'"

Mu Qingchen knew that this was the Analects, so he subconsciously continued to say the next sentence: "'...... Implacable. ’”

The Son of Heaven's eyes were blazing, and he looked directly at Mu Qingchen's equally clear eyes, "Can the Ninth World still take revenge?" ”

Mu Qingchen was silent for a long time, he had already understood the holy will, and committed the crime of rebellion, the crime was unforgivable. If you bear the hatred of your ancestors, why should you show mercy to your subordinates? If you don't sweep a house, how can you sweep the world? Mu Qingchen couldn't help but take a deep breath, his eyes were a little firmer than Fang Cai, and he continued word by word: "Although it is a hundred years...... Yes! ”

The Son of Heaven knew that there was no need to say more at this moment, but he saw the Son of Heaven bowing his head slightly, and suddenly opened his mouth to call Mu Qingchen's full name, and his voice was clear.

"Quang Binh Mu Qingchen ......"

"The minister is here!"

The Son of Heaven turned around slowly, Mu Qingchen lowered his gaze and back slightly in order to show respect, the Son of Heaven raised his chin with short folds, his eyebrows were stretched, and his mustache was slightly upturned, holding Mu Qingchen's elbows with both hands, and he smiled freely, and then said the words that surprised Mu Qingchen: "If I ...... If you want to take Qing as the prime minister, Zuo Zhen will restore me to the Tang Dynasty, I don't know what Mu Qing wants? ”

Mu Qingchen was stunned, and the Son of Heaven looked sincerely. The sorrow of officialdom, the grace of knowing the encounter. A hundred emotions were intertwined in his heart, and Mu Qingchen suddenly felt that his eyes were a little sour.

Mu Qingchen faced the Son of Heaven, slowly bent his knees, and kowtowed in thanks.

"Minister...... I will live up to Your Majesty's trust! Swear to punish the thief! ”

When Mu Qingchen left the Xuanzheng Hall of the Chinese Dynasty, the sun was already setting in the west, and it was dusk. The slanting sun shines the royal road of the central axis of the Daming Palace into gold, and the golden tile palace of the Hanyuan Hall of the outer dynasty reflects each other.

Mu Qingchen had just stepped out of the Xuanzheng Gate and walked to the lowest stone step, when he suddenly froze.

He repeatedly confirmed that what he saw was not an illusion, and in the direction of Hanyao Gate, there seemed to be a person covered in black, with a long sword-like object on his back, hurrying towards the towering palace wall.

In addition to the outermost palace wall, Daming Palace also has a palace wall in front of the outer court, the middle court and the inner court, which is used to separate the palace area and the purpose of defense, each palace wall has four palace gates, and Hanyao Gate is the easternmost palace gate of the palace wall of the Middle Dynasty.

Mu Qingchen has excellent eyesight since he was a child, and it is impossible to be mistaken. And as far as he knows, there should be no one in the Daming Palace who is dressed in black from top to bottom, so who is this person? Are the dyeing workers who deliver clothes to the palace?

Mu Qingchen looked at the Divine Forbidden Soldiers guarding the side of the imperial staircase, pointed in the direction of Hanyaomen, and hurriedly asked, "Who is the man in black?" ”

However, when the Divine Forbidden Soldier looked in the direction of Mu Qingchen's finger, the man in black that Mu Qingchen saw just now had disappeared without a trace.

The forbidden soldier who was questioned was still holding a spear in his hand, looking Mu Qingchen up and down suspiciously, his eyes were a little unreserved, "What man in black?" Where? ”

Mu Qingchen was about to describe, but at this moment, a slightly playful scream came from behind Mu Qingchen: "Yo...... Isn't this Mu Gong? ”

Mu Qingchen turned around and found that the person who came was actually the privy envoy Yu Hongzhi, who was wearing a scarlet robe, standing on the imperial steps with a smile and looking at him.

"Father-in-law?"

Mu Qingchen couldn't help but be stunned, Yu Hongzhi was the privy envoy of the Shence Army, according to the usual situation, he should stay in the Inner Servant Province at the moment, how could he appear in China and the DPRK at this hour?

And Yu Hongzhi obviously didn't give Mu Qingchen time to think carefully, the privy envoy slowly walked down the imperial steps, and continued: "Our family heard a month ago that Mu Gong was promoted to the fourth rank of Shangshu Zuocheng, and I have always wanted to congratulate Mu Gong, who knew that I had this opportunity today." ”

Mu Qingchen did not answer, but pointed to Han Yaomen and said: "Just now Mu saw a man in black passing through Han Yaomen, it is very suspicious, this is the Great Inner Palace, I hope Father-in-law Yu can investigate it in detail......"

"Mu Gong is right! This is the Great Inner Palace Forbidden, but there is no room for sloppiness," Yu Hongzhi nodded slightly, interrupted while echoing, and then turned to the Divine Strategy Forbidden Soldiers guarding the left and right of the imperial ranks, and straightened his face, "Can you wait for the others to see what kind of black-clothed man Mu Gong said?" ”

The forbidden soldiers were all like rattles, shaking their heads in unison.

Yu Hongzhi looked at Mu Qingchen again, resumed his trademark smiling face, and said: "I heard that Mu Gong has often told everyone recently, and it will be a few hours to talk about it, if you change our family, I am afraid that you will be tired long ago, I think it is...... Mu Gong is wrong. ”

Mu Qingchen suddenly had a feeling, as if after Yu Hongzhi appeared, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to change, but he couldn't tell what it had become.

Yu Hongzhi saw that Mu Qingchen was silent, and hurriedly crossed his hands to add a sentence, "Our family is a privy envoy, but please rest assured that everyone's safety is the first thing our family has to protect, if there is really a man in black that Mu Gong said, he will be arrested and brought to justice!" ”

As soon as Yu Hongzhi finished speaking, Mu Qingchen also knew that it was inconvenient for him to say anything more, so he left directly.

Yu Hongzhi silently inserted his hands into his sleeve cage and put away his smile.