Indeed, the winter of the first year of Zhenghe was cold.

The heavy snow came with the cold winter, and the streets of Chang'an City seemed to be made of silver, so bright, so brilliant, and the long icicles hung in front of the eaves like crystal short swords, and the breath of pedestrians also turned into puffs of white smoke.

As night fell, the cold wind roamed the streets like a drunken man, sometimes letting go of his throat and roaring wildly, sometimes panting with exhaustion.

At this moment, a fast horse galloped in the wind, and no matter how the cold wind howled, the rider raised his whip, whipped his mount vigorously, and galloped like an arrow to the Prime Minister's mansion.

The horseback rider's name is Deng Qingfeng, who is a guest of the Prime Minister's Mansion and a personal retainer of the servant Sun Jingsheng. I saw that as soon as he entered the Prime Minister's Mansion, he was panting and shouting to see the current Prime Minister, Gongsun He, and a servant hurriedly rushed into the inner room to inform the Prime Minister.

On this cold day, Deng Qingfeng was still so anxious to see him so late, Gongsun He felt a bad omen at this time, and hurriedly ordered Deng Qingfeng to wait for him in the study.

As soon as Deng Qingfeng saw Gongsun He in the study, he hurriedly said: "Prime Minister, something is wrong, just now Lord Tingwei Zhao led someone to arrest the servant. ”

After hearing the news, Gongsun He was stunned at first, and after calming down, he hurriedly asked, "What crime did Jingsheng commit and was taken away?" ”

Deng Qingfeng swallowed his saliva, and after calming down, he continued: "Isn't there a big drought this summer, the pastures in the seven counties of Wuwei, Longxi, Tianshui, Anding, Beidi, Shangjun, and Xihe are all in arrears, and the supply of feed is insufficient. ”

As soon as Gongsun He heard that Gongsun Jingsheng had embezzled the military salary of the Northern Army, he was busy patting his thigh and shouted: "Confused, confused, Jingsheng, how can you embezzle the military salary of the Northern Army, even if the emperor loves you and the prince relies on you, you can't do this, tell me quickly, how much military salary has been misappropriated." ”

"Nineteen million dollars."

"Oh my God, it's over, it's over."

Gongsun He said as he beat his chest, and his voice alarmed the prime minister's wife, Wei Junru. Wei Junru is the mother of Gongsun Jingsheng, the sister of Empress Wei, and the eldest aunt of Prince Wei Liu Ju. She hurriedly walked over to the study, saw Gongsun He's panicked appearance, and hurriedly asked, "Husband, what happened?" ”

Gongsun He saw that his wife was speechless for a while, and Deng Qingfeng shrank to the side, not daring to speak. Seeing this situation, Wei Junru knew that something was wrong, and hurriedly asked: "Qingfeng, you say, what happened, did you cause trouble?" ”

At this time, Deng Qingfeng said resignedly: "Madam, just now Lord Tingwei Zhao took the servant away. ”

After all, Wei Junru is also a person who has seen the world, and he didn't faint on the spot or anything like that, but asked, "What did Jingsheng do, why did you take him away?" ”

"Madam, that's the case, I heard that Dr. Yu Shi said that it was the lieutenant Wei Tiewen who exposed the servant for misappropriating 19 million money from the Northern Army, so he ordered the court captain Zhao to come and arrest the servant."

After Wei Junru heard the news that it was embezzlement of military salaries, it was like a thunderbolt from the sky, and the whole person couldn't stand still and wanted to fall, but fortunately, the two personal maids next to her supported her tightly. Gongsun He was much more sober at this time, and when he heard that it was Wei Tiewen, the lieutenant of the middle base, who exposed the matter, he scolded: "Wei Tiewen, a white-eyed wolf, only got military merits with the general back then, and he was recommended by the general, so he is what he is today, which is really ungrateful." ”

When Wei Junru heard that it was his younger brother Wei Qing's old subordinates who exposed his son, he said: "Husband, why don't I go to the palace tomorrow to see the queen and ask her to help me intercede with the emperor." ”

Gongsun He shook his head and said: "Madam, it's useless, the emperor doesn't see the queen much now, so don't go to block your sister, she is also powerless now." ”

Empress Wei Zifu is the sister of Wei Junru, and now Empress Wei is old and decrepit, Liu Che doesn't favor her, and sometimes he doesn't even see her.

"Then what should I do, husband, you want to find a way to save Jingsheng, you are a dignified prime minister, if you can't even save your own son, then why are you still a prime minister."

When Gongsun He heard this, he also sighed: "You all know that the most difficult official to be now is the prime minister, how many prime ministers have been beheaded or committed suicide, I didn't do it at the beginning, it was the emperor who forced it over, can I be the prime minister for ten years." ”

"Why don't you go to the prince and let the prince intercede with the emperor, the emperor likes the prince so much, you can always give face."

Gongsun He still shook his head and said in a low voice: "This matter can't drag the prince into the water, I think someone should want to make the prince, so I will start with Jingsheng first." ”

At this time, Wei Junru was almost about to collapse, and cried: "This doesn't work, that doesn't work, don't you just watch Jingsheng being framed, I'm just this one son, you quickly find a way." ”

Gongsun He was also quite helpless, and muttered in his mouth: "Who told him not to restrain himself, offend so many people, and make a big move, madam, is there any money at home, or I will meet the emperor tomorrow, and use my old face to intercede with his old man, see if he can open up the net, let us fill this money in exchange for the life of Jingsheng." ”

"I'll ask the housekeeper to calculate it, see if it's enough, if not, go to the queen to borrow some."

Wei Junru immediately ordered the maid to help her go to the account room to discuss with the housekeeper, and Gongsun He shook his head helplessly as he looked at her distant back. At this time, Deng Qingfeng on the side walked up to him and said softly: "Prime Minister, I have a not very mature method, you can see how it is." ”

As soon as Gongsun He, who was helpless, heard that there was a way, he immediately said: "If there is any way, say it and listen to it." ”

Deng Qingfeng saw that there were only the two of them in the study at this time, so he leaned close to Gongsun He's ear and said, "Prime Minister, you can tell the emperor to arrest Zhu Anshi, the hero of Yangling, in exchange for a servant." ”

When Gongsun He heard the Yangling Hero, he hurriedly shook his head and said: "The Yangling Hero is a nationally wanted criminal, and the three auxiliary cavalry can't be arrested for three or four months, how can we catch him?" ”

Deng Qingfeng smiled and said, "Prime Minister, I have a way to do this." ”

"You have a way, tell me about it."

"Prime Minister, do you remember that a few years ago there was a doorman named Guo Tao in our house?"

Gongsun He thought for a while, nodded and said, "Remember, my face is round and a little fat, and I seem to have returned to my hometown later." ”

"Yes, but he later came to Chang'an, and often had contact with the servant, and with the help of the servant, he also opened a restaurant called Xiaoyaoju in Dongshi, and the business was not bad."

"So what? Will he be able to catch Yangling Hero? ”

"Prime Minister, don't you know, he is also from Yangling, and has always been in contact with Yangling heroes; My younger brother Deng Qingquan worked as a chef in his restaurant; A few days ago, I heard him say that when he was going to the cellar to get something, he found that the hero of Yangling had sneaked into Chang'an City and was hiding in the cellar of Xiaoyaoju. ”

Hearing Deng Qingfeng say this, Gongsun He suddenly became more energetic, and said with joy: "This matter is serious, this matter is serious." ”

Deng Qingfeng nodded and said, "It's true, Prime Minister, my brother saw it with his own eyes." ”。

Gongsun He was pacing back and forth excitedly at this time, his hands were involuntarily rubbing his hands, and after a while, I saw him step forward and pat Deng Qingfeng on the shoulder and said: "Qingfeng, tomorrow I will enter the palace to meet the emperor, and I will tell him that I am willing to arrest the Yangling hero in exchange for the life of Jingsheng, you go and prepare first, and then we will bring more people and horses, remember, don't leak the news." ”

"Yes, Prime Minister, I'll go and prepare."