Zhu Gaoxu sat on the chair of the East Warm Pavilion, did not say a word for a long time, did not do anything, just sat there and rubbed time. The members of the mission who were killed in the country of Chenla made him feel a little bad.

The officials and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty died every day, and most of the time for Zhu Gaoxu was just a number on paper. But some people died to implement Zhu Gaoxu's decisions, which will make him a little difficult to let go.

At this time, he also remembered Qian Xili's family and the scene of them carrying the coffin and crying outside the Hongwu Gate. It seems that those officials were sent to death by Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaoxu was still very angry in his heart, and he couldn't vent his anger in his chest! He felt that his majesty was met with great contempt. Only by trying his best to restrain himself at this moment can he avoid being affected by his anger and influencing his general decision-making.

He is a person who is very demanding of himself and always wants to do things perfectly. However, it often backfires.

This morning's mistake also made Zhu Gaoxu angry. He shouldn't have instructed Liu Ming to come out, the best candidate was actually Hou Hai, who had just returned to Beijing. Hou Hai, as a confidant of the old mansion of the Han Dynasty, did not have to pay attention to Xia Yuanji and other old ministers, and it was even less likely to arouse the disgust of the ministers.

Now, Liu Ming is stepping towards being squeezed out by Shilin.

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly turned his head to look left and right, and saw that the eunuch Wang Jinghong was silently observing himself. When Wang Jinghong saw Zhu Gaoxu's movements, a trace of panic flashed across his face, and his waist bent lower.

Zhu Gaoxu waved his hand lightly.

Wang Jinghong hurriedly stepped forward and leaned close to Zhu Gaoxu. Zhu Gaoxu approached and quietly commanded a few words.

"Yes." "Don't worry, the slave and maid will definitely do it." Wang Jinghong kept nodding his head.

…… The imperial deliberations in the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace have ended, and the ministers have left from the inclined corridor one after another. Walking at the back of the crowd were the civil official Liu Ming and the naval commander Tang Jing.

The official positions of the two are not low, one is a fourth-rank civil official and the other is a third-rank military attaché. But the officials who entered the harem area were ranked as Jiuqing and Gonghou at every turn, and the two of them seemed to have a low status.

Occasionally, someone will casually mention who he had spoken to on the ramp; At that time, all the scholars would be in awe. Of course, the focus is not on the thing itself, but on the place of "ramp corridor", which ordinary people can't see.

Liu Ming couldn't help but turn his head and glanced at the corridor he had just walked through.

In his heart, he was a little disappointed, it was just a quaint and ordinary corridor. There's no glittering luxury, there's nothing special about it, and it's even a little old-fashioned. The lacquer paintings on the top of the wuwu have faded a little, and the masonry on the ground is also obviously worn.

However, in the small courtyard outside the porch, a cluster of roses is blooming brightly, with peach-colored clusters of flowers, and a pleasant fragrance is sent in the breeze.

Everyone walked out of the Qianqing Gate. At this time, Tang Jing, who was not far away, took the initiative to come up and arched his hand: "Brother Chen, I'm very sorry." ”

Tang Jing was a sturdy man with a small stature, with traces of sea breeze and sun exposure on his face, and his skin was darkened. The "Chen brothers" he mentioned were Liu Ming's cousin Chen Zhang. Liu Ming entrusted the relationship and let Chen Zhang become a member of the mission to the south, and he followed Tang Jing's path.

When it came to Chen Zhang, who died in Zhenla Kingdom, Liu Ming was in a very complicated mood for a while.

But Liu Ming reads books reasonably, and books are not read in vain, so he doesn't need to think much about it to understand the stakes. Tang Jing betrayed his personal favor, but it had nothing to do with Chen Zhang's death; What's more, Tang Jing was not in the fleet heading south, obviously it was not Tang Jing who arranged for Chen Zhang to go to Zhenla Country.

Liu Ming immediately responded: "Why should General Tang be sorry? ”

After hearing this, Tang Jing changed his words and said, "Then please ask Liu Ti to raise his condolences." ”

Liu Ming pretended to be indifferent and said: "The road was chosen by himself, and no one forced him." The danger of going to sea and going to foreign vassals is very great, and my cousin knows in advance, how can he blame others? ”

Tang Jing's expression on his dark face relaxed a lot, and he said: "Ben will follow the Shengshang, the tragedy of the Zhenla Kingdom and its royal family are inseparable, it is indeed fair and straightforward. ”

Liu Ming nodded.

Tang Jing said again: "Among the brothers who returned to Beijing to report the news, there was my old department, and I met with him. In addition, an autopsy found that the Han and Annam people who died had been tortured before they died, and several of them had water in their lungs, and all kinds of signs did not look like thieves.

I also specifically asked about the condition of Chen Zhang's body. Brother Chen has strangulation marks on his body, probably because he was first tied upside down and waterboarded; Then he went through a long period of detention, and due to lack of food, he was almost skinny. He was beheaded after his death, and his head was once mistaken by the brother who collected the body......"

Liu Ming was still very indifferent on the surface just now, but when he heard Tang Jing's description and expression, he couldn't hold it anymore. But this can't be blamed on Tang Jing, after all, Chen Zhang is just Liu Ming's cousin.

Tang Jing finally noticed Liu Ming's strange appearance, so he asked, "Is Liu Tiju close to Brother Chen?" ”

Liu Ming said: "I was close when I was a child, because his (Chen Zhang's) biological mother died early and was sent to my house to be raised, and I lived in the same room for a few years when I was a child. ”

Tang Jing said with some remorse: "I see, I talked too much just now." ”

Liu Ming and Tang Jing did not have a deep friendship, just because they had official contacts when they were in Annan. But what Liu Ming said was just a private matter, and he didn't have to be too careful; He happened to talk about his cousin again, and he couldn't help but say more.

"This matter has nothing to do with General Tang, and I should be most sorry for it." Liu Ming frowned and said, "I'm ashamed of my uncle, it's hard to explain, I'm afraid I'll be blamed by my relatives." Second, my own 'conscience' is uneasy because my cousin of the Chen family is bent on making meritorious contributions to foreign countries, and he is indeed influenced by me. ”

Liu Ming paused for a moment, and then said: "My cousin has admired me since he was a child and often takes me as a leader, but his reading talent is really poor. He is hospitable and good-looking, but he can't sit still under the cold window, and maybe he really shouldn't waste his time to go to the imperial examination. In recent years, I have sent missions to Annam and Japan, and it seems that he has found a way to get ahead...... Alas! ”

Tang Jing hurriedly persuaded two sentences.

Liu Ming couldn't contain his emotions a little, and couldn't help sighing: "I think my cousin really didn't have a good life for a few days, and he was the most bitter when he was a child." Now that his family situation has finally improved, he has not done anything bad, but the end is so miserable. Who said that good is rewarded with good, and evil is rewarded with evil? ”

Tang Jing also heard a sigh for a while, persuaded Liu Mingjie to mourn and change, and then patted his chest on the spot and said: "If the general is ordered to go south, he will avenge Liu Tiju's uncle!" ”

Liu Ming glanced at his colleagues in front of him, hurriedly calmed down, and said, "Everyone has his own life, and public and private are also important. We must not mislead the overall situation of the DPRK and government because of personal enmity. ”

Tang Jing also came back to his senses, hugged his fists and said, "Liu Tiju is reasonable. ”

mentioned the past just now, Liu Ming also remembered his childhood experience. The stepfather and mother have a bad temper and are very strict. The old thing is like a demon in his heart, so he always can't help it, and wants to please his elders or superiors.

So this morning, the Holy One gave him a proposition, and he agreed very happily, and he could not refuse the Holy One at all. Maybe deep down in his heart, he just subconsciously wanted to satisfy the saint.

Liu Ming fell silent, and only then did he really realize: If something happens to the strategy advocated today, then he must be duty-bound, and I am afraid that he will have to bear the blame.

He is taking the blame for the saint, and if something happens, he should be able to get the protection of the saint. However, he was still a little uneasy in his heart.

General Tang's voice woke Liu Ming up, "Is Liu Tiju going to the yamen of the Criminal Department?" ”

"Yes, yes." Liu Ming hurriedly responded.

Tang Jing glanced in the direction of the Wenlou to the east.

Liu Ming said: "Only the Yamen of the Criminal Department is on the side of the Taiping Gate, and I am closer to the Imperial City by Dong'an Gate, so I have to leave." ”

Tang Jing hugged his fists and said: "I am going to go back to the capital of the five armies, in the thousand-step corridor in the south." Liu Tiju, there will be a period later. ”

After Liu Ming said goodbye, he quickly walked to the Wenlou and met a eunuch guarding the door. So they exchanged greetings, and the eunuch sent Liu Ming out of the palace.

This eunuch was not familiar with Liu Ming, and he didn't have much to say. Liu Ming was silent, and the pictures of his cousin's corpse began to appear in his mind constantly, and he couldn't restrain himself at all. Skinny, with fluid in his lungs and a different head, the image haunted him like a ghost that could not be dispelled.

As soon as he left the building, a very sharp call came from behind him: "Liu Tiju, Liu Tiju, please stay." ”

Liu Ming turned his head and saw that it was Wang Jinghong, one of the young eunuchs of the ceremonial supervisor. The eunuchs of the celebrant were all great eunuchs, and they also held important positions outside the palace many times. Liu Ming immediately turned around.

Wang Jinghong hugged the dust and said, "Our family will send Liu Tiju." ”

The eunuch who bent down next to him said, "Princess, the little one will go back to the Wenlou first." ”

Wang Jinghong waved his hand, and walked with Liu Ming to Wenhua Gate one after the other.

After a while, Wang Jinghong turned around and said, "By the way, what Liu Tiju said in Dongnuan Pavilion today should be on a whim?" ”

Liu Ming was stunned for a moment, and he was noncommittal.

Wang Jinghong said again: "The left envoy of the Imperial Department will officially play the strategy to the court in the style of a chapter. Liu Tiju doesn't have to worry about this. ”

Liu Ming thought for a while and asked, "Hou Yuanjun?" ”

Wang Jinghong nodded and said: "Hou Zuo's envoy has already left, except for a few palace maids in the Dongnuan Pavilion just now, only our family is by the emperor's side." ”

Liu Ming suddenly said, "Xiaguan understands. ”

Wang Jinghong showed a pleased smile, and nodded with approval on his face.

Liu Ming was suddenly moved, and hurriedly said: "I never thought that a fourth-grade official in the minister district would be so carefully taken care of by the saint. ”

Wang Jinghong said: "The emperor has always been very good to the virtuous ministers. ”

Liu Ming stood still, looked at the direction of the Qianqing Palace in the northwest, and bowed his hand. Over there, countless heavy eaves blocked the view, and the majestic palace seemed to be silently staring at the mortals on the brick floor.