A person like Yang Congyi, who has great prestige and prestige in the army and among the people, has long been unable to help himself, and it is impossible for him to break away from the center of power.

Even if you don't seek power, or even deliberately avoid it, the influence of power will follow.

Therefore, it is not easy for Yang Congyi to spend the rest of his life in peace, and Zhao Yan is not worried that he will stay in Bianjing, let alone let him leave Bianjing.

His condition improved, and he entered the palace to meet the emperor as soon as possible, which did not make Zhao Yan feel relaxed and reassured, after all, Yang Congyi's influence on the army and the court was not as gentle as Shi Hao's, and he could be quickly eliminated with the emperor's authority.

Yang Congyi and Zhao Yan, who have known each other for 25 years and cooperated with each other for more than ten years, have had a rift in their relationship since the Great Song Dynasty successfully recovered Hedong Guanzhong and resolved the threat of Xijin from the west to Bianjing.

With the Northern Expedition recovering Youyan and Zhendingfu, this rift was further expanded, and there was only one reason, Yang Congyi had the ability to subvert the Great Song regime.

After testing each other, Yang Congyi left the palace and returned to Yang's mansion, and since then he has not been able to go out, nor have his former colleagues and subordinates.

In the entire second year of Beixing, Yang Congyi, who had just recovered from a serious illness, never went to the court once, and only read and practiced calligraphy in the house every day, accompanying his wife and children.

During this period, Zhao Yan also summoned him a few times, but he adhered to his own ideas, no matter any military and political affairs, he only talked about his experience of reading books and learning.

At the beginning of February of the third year of Beixing, a rumor spread in Jingzhao Mansion in Guanzhong, saying that someone pointed out that the murderer who assassinated the Jin army general in Jingzhao Mansion five years ago was the wife of a highly respected minister of the dynasty.

This rumor soon spread to Bianjing, because it involved the important ministers of the dynasty, and the murderer was his wife, it was full of explosions, and in just a few days, it spread all over the city, from the people to the officials, everyone discussed.

Within a few days, it was even added and expanded into multiple versions of grievances and hatreds, and the government did not interfere with the spread of rumors.

As the rumors spread, almost everyone speculated about who the female assassin really was, and which high-ranking official's wife would be?

To be an assassin and kill people, first of all, she can't be the daughter of a famous family and has no power to restrain chickens, and secondly, she must have martial arts.

There are not many qualified officials' wives and concubines in the entire Bianjing City, or there are still qualified people, but they are very deep.

Among the family members of those officials known to everyone, Mrs. Yang of Yanwangfu, who is known as a heroine, is the first to bear the brunt, and there are two of them, both of whom are heroes among women and have strong martial arts.

Therefore, in private, the protagonists of the story that were originally unclear gradually became clear, that is, the two Madame Yang of Yanwangfu.

Yang Congyi, who originally tried to keep a low profile and wanted to be directly invisible, after listening to the second lady Meng Yunniang tell multiple versions of the female assassin story, called the eldest lady Gu Qingchen and the third lady Yang Siniang, and told them that there was no need to take the rumors to heart, and there was no need to worry, he would settle them.

It doesn't matter who did the assassination of the Jin army back then, but now if you want to use this to stigmatize the Yan Palace, it is absolutely not possible! Not even a temptation!

The next day, Yang Congyi changed his low-key style in the past, drove straight into the palace gate in a gorgeous car, ascended the Daqing Palace, and participated in the court meeting.

Yang Congyi, the king of Yan, participated in the court meeting, this was the first time, and all the ministers were shocked and discussed in private.

"If anyone doesn't recognize me, you might as well stand up and let me see." Yang Congyi turned around and glanced at everyone.

Before Zhao Yan arrived, when the ministers heard this, they immediately quieted down and stopped talking.

One of the purple-clothed ministers said with a smile: "What did King Yan say, who didn't recognize King Yan in the civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, and his colleagues were just curious about why King Yan had the leisure to come to the court today?" ”

"Even if you are recovering from a serious illness, you can't take the money given by the court to not go to the court and not do things for the court because of a little meritorious service, what does Lord Li think?" Yang Congyi replied with a smile.

"King Yan's merits are high, but it is not a little meritorious, even if King Yan recuperates and has fun, he will never go to court, and no one in the Manchu Dynasty will have any objections, King Yan is too worried." Master Lee replied.

Yang Congyi did not continue to reason with the other party, because judging by the hour, Zhao Yan should come.

Not long after, Zhao Yan entered the Daqing Palace, and there was not much surprise in his eyes when he looked at Yang Congyi, obviously the chamberlain had already reported to him the news of Yang Congyi's entry into the court in advance.

"Why didn't Yang Aiqing recuperate in the house and come to the court meeting with illness?" After taking a seat, Zhao Yan asked like this, which was an expression of surprise.

"The minister's old illness has basically recovered, and there is no big problem, thinking that he can't eat the court's money and not contribute to the court, so the minister came." Yang Congyi replied respectfully.

"Okay, well, the public should take Yang Aiqing as a model, and be dedicated to the public." The expression on Zhao Yan's face remained unchanged, and he ended Yang Congyi's return to the court in one sentence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, do you have something important to do today?"

The court was so quiet that time seemed to stand still.

After a while, someone came out and said: "Your Majesty, the minister heard that Chen Qing, the prefect of Yangzhou, had privately increased taxes and received millions of dollars every year, but he did not hand over a penny to the imperial court. This matter is not trivial, and the minister asked the emperor to decree that Chen Qing, the prefect of Yangzhou, should be dismissed from his post to set an example! ”

"Is there such a thing?" Zhao Yan asked a little absent-mindedly.

"The minister has seen the businessman who came to complain, there should be no leave, please ask the emperor for an order." The courtier replied.

"Lord Wang, without ascertaining the facts, without conclusive physical evidence, just based on the words of a businessman and the matter of chasing after the wind and shadows, it is too child's play to ask the emperor to dismiss him from the post of governor of a state! What do you think? As soon as Lord Wang's words fell, Yang Congyi followed closely and questioned him.

As soon as these words came out, everyone was suddenly shocked, and they didn't know what Yang Congyi, who had never taken the initiative to express his attitude, even if he spoke very cautiously, meant.

"King Yan's words are reasonable, Yangzhou is a rich land, and many officials are worried about it, and it is inevitable that some people will have crooked thoughts. In addition, Yangzhou has a population of one million and is a transit place for material trade in the north and south of the Yangtze River. The minister believes that he should first investigate clearly before making a decision, and it is not appropriate to dismiss him in a hurry. A red-clad official came out to echo.

When Zhao Yan saw this, he immediately spoke: "Yangzhou is not an ordinary state capital, so you really have to be cautious. Regarding whether Chen Qing, the prefect of Yangzhou, had corrupted the law, the household department sent someone to investigate, and he was reinstated within two months. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Tobe squire came out to receive the order.

"Your Majesty, Huainan water conservancy facilities have been in disrepair for a long time, and last year's floods caused most of Huainan to be seriously affected. After one thing is discussed, there is another.

"What do you Aiqing think?" Zhao Yan threw the question back as usual, and asked the court for money when he opened his mouth, which he has always disliked.

As soon as the voice fell, Yang Congyi immediately played: "It is inevitable that the flood will be affected, but how much the serious disaster has to do with the natural disaster needs to be investigated. ”

Yang Congyi once again expressed his political opinions, and everyone couldn't help but look at each other.

The court was quiet, but an official immediately came out and said: "The minister thinks that what King Yan said is reasonable, whether it is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, it should indeed be investigated first, and then it can be targeted." ”

"Okay, this matter is ordered to be sent by the Ministry of Industry to investigate, and then report after it is investigated." Zhao Yan immediately finished it.

"Your Majesty, many local governments have recently reported that there are many students who hope to rebuild the state school, but the cost of private academies is too high, and students from ordinary families cannot afford it, so they have to give up studying." Another courtier recited.

"The imperial treasury is not abundant, whether you want to rebuild the state school, you Aiqing will talk about it." Zhao Yan's meaning is very clear, the imperial court has no money, and the state school will not consider reconstruction for the time being.

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that sooner or later the state school will be restored, not only to build, but also to build more, not only to build in rich places, but also to build poor border wasteland, Guanzhong, Hedong, Youyan and other places to rebuild, only through education, the local people will be willing to Wanghua, regain the hearts of the students, in order to truly recover the land." Yang Congyi once again expressed his political views.

Expressing political opinions three times in a row, everyone is no longer surprised.

In the following topics, Yang Congyi expressed his opinions on each issue, and he just wanted to use this to convey a message that his influence on the court was still there, and as long as he was willing, no one could stop him from speaking out.

Beginning the next day, the stories of female assassins in Bianjing City began to fade away, and after a few days no one spoke of them again, as if they had never existed.

As Yang Congyi appeared in the court and began to express his political opinions, the news spread, and the morale of the Hedong and Youyan garrisons was greatly shaken, and even the Great Song naval army stationed in Shandong was ready to move, preparing to attack Liaodong.

Half a month after Yang Congyi appeared in the court, the official in Jingzhao Mansion who was in charge of investigating the assassination of Jin Jun's demotion was killed by a burglar, and the thief fled without a trace.

A few days later, a fire broke out in the storehouse where the case files for the assassination of Jin Jun were recorded, and all the other case files were burned.

Since then, although Yang Congyi has not been specifically sent, with the title of King Yan and the official position of Taibao, there is something to say in the court.

At the same time, he did not hold any real power, not burdened by chores, every day at the end of the day at the end of the day to go home to read and practice calligraphy, write poems and compositions, if there is a famous Confucian to Bianjing, he will also post an appointment, discuss an article, debate a debate on the study of science, the day is naturally very comfortable.

Yang Congyi no longer deliberately avoided the world, always showed himself, and did not fight for power and profit, Zhao Yan's suspicion gradually weakened a little, so he focused on entering the grassland and recovering Yunzhong and Liaodong.

It's eight years.

In these eight years, the Great Song Dynasty destroyed the Eastern Jin, captured Wanyan Yong, who fled back to Huining Mansion, expelled the Western Jin, drove the Western Jin Emperor Wanyan Guangying into the depths of the grassland, recovered Datong, Shuozhou and other Yunzhong regions, and formed a cavalry force of 50,000 people in Datong.

In these eight years, Yang Congyi has never left the Bianjing area, the court will participate in political affairs, but do not receive any specific and practical affairs, when there is nothing to do, he is obsessed with the study of knowledge, Confucianism, Buddhism, miscellaneous studies, Taoist classics have been involved, often with Taixue doctors, Confucian masters, monks, high Taoist exchanges, fame day by day, everyone gradually forgot his achievements in the army.

Suddenly, one day, he said goodbye to Zhao Yan, saying that he would go to Wudang Mountain to make a vow, and if there was no special reason, he should not return to Bianjing within a few years.

Yang Congyi has not intervened in the affairs of the army for ten years, and he has passed the age of sixties, although his prestige has not diminished, but the actual impact on the army is not as great as that of the government, and every time he speaks at the court meeting, Zhao Yan and the courtiers are distressed, because they will always find problems for them, but never reach out to handle them.

Now that Yang Congyi is leaving Bianjing and leaving the court, Zhao Yan is really overjoyed.

Half a month later, Yang Congyi explained his family affairs, arranged for Gu Qingchen, Meng Yunniang and Yang Siniang, took a scholar and ten guards, and left Bianjing under the escort of 100 guards personally dispatched by Zhao Yan, and went all the way to Wudang Mountain in Junzhou.

After going up the mountain, settle down in the Five Dragons Temple, practice with the Taoists, and when the weather is good, you will also walk around the mountain to move your muscles and bones.

And so on, two years at a time.

Suddenly, one day, the two guards who accompanied Yang Congyi to the mountain to view the scenery returned to the Five Dragons Temple in a panic and reported to the commander of the guards that the prince disappeared in a white light in front of their eyes, like a white sun soaring!

The commander of the Praetorian Guard was shocked, and hurriedly sent people to the place where Yang Congyi disappeared to look for it, but after looking for ten days, there was no trace of him, and he asked the Taoist of the Five Dragons Temple, but he did not find any news.

Later, when they were packing up the relics left by Yang Congyi, they found two letters, one of which was specified to be sent back to the palace and handed over to the eldest lady, and the other was presented to the emperor.

Bianjing.

In the palace, Zhao Yan was silent for a long time after reading the letter left by Yang Congyi.

"Your Majesty, what did he say in the letter?" The chamberlain asked.

"I lost my only brother, and the Great Song Dynasty lost an incomparable loyal minister." Zhao Yan did not answer directly, but stretched the letter to the lamp and candle, and it turned to ashes in a moment.

In the palace of King Yan, in the study.

"Sister, where is the master?" Meng Yunniang's tears are like a string of broken beads.

"Siniang, you tell Yun Niang, the master said you know." Gu Qingchen held back the tears in his eyes and looked at Yang Siniang with complicated eyes.

"My lord has returned to his hometown, and that place does not belong to us, and no one can go there. If you have something that can be preserved for a long time, keep it well, and pass it on from generation to generation, and the master can see it. Yang Siniang's eyes were filled with tears.

"Siniang, the Yang family will rely on you in the future." Gu Qingchen handed the letter left by Yang Congyi to the other party.

"Sister, I know."

(ENDS)