On this day, the wind was cold and the lead clouds were thick. In the middle of the night, it finally began to fall, and the beads of snow hit the gray terracotta tiles with a soft sound.

In the dimly lit room, several jailers sat around the fireplace, chatting and occasionally cursing the ghost weather. At this time, the door of the hidden room "creaked" open, and a cold wind suddenly blew in.

The jailers followed the sound in surprise, only to see two people walking in, wearing dark cloaks, and a layer of white flowers and snow falling on their hoods. The little leader on duty stood up, "What are you two doing?" ”

The first of the two took off his hood and said with a smile: "Doctor Han Yan!" ”

There was a gasping sound in the room, Han Yan, the Son of Heaven, no one knows! The little leader approached and took a closer look at the face, and immediately laughed and said, "Lord Han, it's so late, why are you here?" The rest of the jailers stood up.

"The weather is cold, Your Majesty ordered me to come and see Zhao Juan and Wang Zang." Han Yan shook the food box in her hand.

Only then did the jailers notice that Han Yan was holding a food box in her left hand. "I see. Master Han, you come with me. The little leader hurriedly took off the key pinned to his waist, looked behind Han Yan again, and said suspiciously: "This is ......?"

The people who followed behind Han Yan didn't say a word, and lowered their heads so that people couldn't see their faces clearly.

"He is also a member of His Majesty's side." Han Yan said vaguely.

The "......" little leader didn't dare to ask more, and seemed a little hesitant.

"Don't worry!" Han Yan smiled, stuffed a piece of horseshoe gold into the little leader's hand, and said in a deep voice: "Let's go in and have a look, and come out after a few words, it won't hinder your errand." ”

The little leader swept the gold without a trace, weighing a pound, and suddenly his face was full of smiles, and he hurriedly put it into his arms, and said respectfully: "Thank you Lord Han for rewarding!" Please come with me. As he spoke, he took a bronze official lamp in each hand and led the way for the two.

The corridor is deep, flanked by separate cells, with solid earthen walls on three sides, and a wooden fence on one side of the corridor, most of which are empty. The further you went, the more spacious the cells became, and the relative conditions were better, not only with straw mats, but also with bedding and wooden barrels. Zhao Juan and Wang Zang have just been arrested, have not been tried and sentenced, and are still high-ranking officials, so they live in the same high-level cell.

The little leader handed Han Yan a lamp in his hand and said in a low voice, "The two of them are locked up in the front room." I'll go outside and keep watch first. With that, he turned and left.

How could Zhao Juan and Wang Zang sleep, they were sitting opposite each other, and suddenly the lights gradually brightened with the sound of footsteps, and the two of them were secretly surprised. Suddenly, two people came, the first one carrying a lamp in his hand.

"Han Yan?!" Wang Zang let out a low sigh and got up and walked to the fence. "Why are you here?"

"Did Your Majesty call you?" Zhao Juan also pounced and shouted, grabbing the fence.

"Whisper!" Han Yan turned sideways and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty has come to see you." ”

"Your Majesty?" Zhao Juan and Wang Zang exclaimed in unison.

The person who followed behind Han Yan slowly took off his hood, his face was handsome, it was not Liu Che but who it was!

Wang Zang knelt down and whimpered, "The minister has failed Your Majesty......"

Zhao Juan also knelt down, just wiping her tears with her hands.

"Open the door." Liu Che sighed lightly.

Han Yan used the key she got from the jailer to open the fence and followed Liu Che into the cell.

Liu Che slowly squatted down and said softly, "I'm coming to see you." ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhao Juan and Wang Zang cried.

Han Yan opened the food box, took out four plates of side dishes, pickled fish, roasted beef, dried apricots, steamed lotus root slices, and took out a pot of wine.

"Your Majesty......" Zhao Juan tentatively stopped.

"You should know that the profiteering is just a façade," Liu Che stared at the two of them, and said quietly: "The Empress Dowager can't tolerate you, and she can't tolerate the new policy." ”

"The minister knows it," Wang Zang arched his hand and said in a deep voice: "It's not a pity for the minister to die, only worry about the big man!" Time has changed, and Huang Lao's learning is no longer applicable to this world. ”

"The way of statecraft must change!" Liu Che's face was resolute and resolute.

"Your Majesty can think so, the ministers are relieved." Zhao Juan smiled with tears in his eyes.

"I understand now that with the Empress Dowager here, the way of governing the country cannot change." Liu Che sighed deeply, his tone desolate. "I can promise you that in the future, I will change the world and let the style of Confucianism prevail in the world."

"If this is the case, the minister will die without regrets!" Wang Zang breathed heavily and said in a trembling voice.

Liu Che gritted his teeth, Huo Ran got up, and said in a deep voice: "Zhao Xuan, the Empress Dowager has ordered the Imperial Governor's Mansion to strictly review the matter of the book, you ...... Shape up or ship out. ”

"Your Ministers understand." Wang Zang cried and said. Liu Che came overnight, and the two of them already had a premonition in their hearts.

"I'm here tonight to see you off for the last time. Your family, I will make proper arrangements to make sure they are not implicated. Liu Che's eyes were red, and he resolutely turned around and left.

"Your Majesty, thank you."

The snow had stopped, and the faces of the windswept people ached.

Liu Che walked slowly, his heart empty. Han Yan chased after him and said in a low voice, "It's all handled properly." ”

Liu Che nodded, and said for a while: "The two years of succession seem to have more things than the previous sixteen years. ”

Han Yan listened silently.

……

Zhao Juan and Wang Zang committed suicide in prison.

The construction of the Ming Hall was suspended. Bai Zhihou Xuchang was appointed prime minister, Wuqiang Hou Zhuang Qingzhai was appointed as the imperial historian, and Shi Jian was appointed Lang Zhongling. The restructuring implemented by Liu Che was a complete failure.