Fang Yuanling Xiao Yuan, who was pregnant again, went down to rest, pacing back and forth in front of the royal chair with his hands behind his back, as if he was thinking about how to punish Xi Benzhen who colluded with Hou Fangyu.

After a long time, Fang Yuan stopped and looked at Xi Benzhen, and said solemnly, "Master Xi, you were originally my right-hand man, but the law of the country is intolerable, this time your crimes must be punished." I will not publicly remove you from your office, nor will I punish you. Business associations are elected every four years, and the next election is one year later. During this year, you were seriously ill and recuperated at home, and the post of household secretary was temporarily replaced by Shen Xiang. In the next election, you will lose the election! ”

Fang Yuan's punishment this time was very gentle, but he only removed Xi Benzhen from his position, and did not even publicize Xi Benzhen's crime to the outside world, but concealed it for him. Doing so is even if it is a cold treatment, and Xi Benzhen's reputation is preserved.

Xi Benzhen's face twitched slightly, knowing that he had committed a big crime this time, he bowed to Fang Yuan, "Thank you for the regent's leniency, I will immediately hand over the government affairs with Shen Xiang." ”

Fang Yuan looked at Xi Benzhen's departing back, and also sighed secretly. Over the years, Xi Benzhen has made great contributions to the consolidation of his political power. It was also unacceptable to remove him from his post, and in his heart, Fang Yuan was reluctant.

However, this is indeed a very serious political incident. Before using troops abroad, Fang Yuan must thoroughly investigate the entire cabinet, and the Xuanjia Army can only use Xi Benzhen of the cabinet to make an example of the monkey.

After this turmoil, let's use Xi Benzhen for another position!

Fang Yuan punished the traitors Xi Benzhen and Gao Hongtu, and called Wang Bingjian and Mao Bijiang in, and simply announced that Gao Hongtu had colluded with Hou Fangyu and plotted against him, and had been sent to Nanjing City to be punished by the prince of Jianguo. The post of secretary of the Ministry of Industry was taken over by Bi Maokang, director of Changshu Arsenal, and Tang Ruowang replaced the post of director of Changshu Arsenal.

Due to his serious illness, Xi Benzhen was unable to take charge of the relevant affairs of the cabinet, the household department, and the business association, so Shen Xiang of the business association temporarily took Xi Benzhen's position.

Wang Bingjian and Mao Bijiang looked at each other, and Fang Yuan punished two cabinet members and six Shangshu at once, which shows that this time they are really moving.

Fang Yuan thought about it for a while, and then explained, "The leader of the Restoration Society, Hou Fangyu, the crime should be Ling Chi. But read his status as a literati, give him a decent and give him a drink! ”

Mao Bijiang heard that his friend Hou Fangyu was also involved in the case, and he was taken aback and said, "Regent, Hou Fangyu also plays some wind and snow on weekdays, poetry and songs, how can he be guilty of Ling Chi, wine!" ”

Fang Yuan motioned to Hu Qi to hand over Hou Fangyu's confession and handed it to Mao Bijiang for a look, "Young Master Mao, take a look at your friend Hou Fangyu!" ”

Mao Bijiang saw the confession, Hou Fangyu actually colluded with the imperial court to incite the western expedition, and what shocked him even more was that Hou Fangyu actually confessed that he was an accomplice without knowing it, and he was so shocked that the confession also fell to the ground, and said with a bloodless face, "Regent, I, I really don't know!" ”

Fang Yuan said with a pleasant face, "I have already made it clear, this case really has nothing to do with you, it is indeed Hou Fangyu's indiscriminate climbing, don't worry about it." ”

Mao Bijiang wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, and said with a sigh, "Hou Chaozong, alas! ”

Fang Yuan warned Wang Bingjian and Mao Bijiang to keep Xi Benzhen's secrets and not to publicize them everywhere, so they retreated.

After the two of them retreated, Fang Yuan called Jing Jie, who had been waiting in the back hall for a long time, asked him to sit down, and said slowly, "Third brother, I have punished the spies in the cabinet, but this matter is not over yet." ”

Jing Jie immediately understood, and hurriedly asked, "There are also spies in the Xuanjia Army?!" Boss, have you found out who it is? ”

Hu Qi respectfully handed over two books of impermanence of Jinyiwei, handed them to Jing Jie, and asked him to take a look.

Jing Jie opened one of the books of impermanence and was taken aback, writing that when Jinyi Wei was monitoring Zhu Yihai, the king of Lu, he accidentally found that the sergeant who was sent to contact Zhu Yihai, the deputy commander of the Xuanjia Army, Chigutai; He opened the second book of impermanence, which said that after Hou Fangyu's secret disappearance, when Jinyi Wei secretly monitored Hou Fangyu's mansion, he captured a Xuanjia sergeant, and after interrogation, the person behind the command was Li Zongze, the commander of the artillery battalion.

Jing Jie was dripping with cold sweat on his forehead, these two people were all middle and high-level generals of the Xuanjia Army, and now Chigutai privately contacted the foreign vassal kings; And his good brother Li Zongze was actually involved with Hou Fangyu's case!

Fang Yuan said coldly, "Third brother, the current state of the Xuanjia Army, I still dare to go on the Northern Expedition and the Western Expedition?!" As soon as the front foot goes out, the back foot is taken to the nest, believe it or not?! ”

There was a traitor in the Xuanjia Army, and Jing Jie, as the commander-in-chief, was to blame, and said in a deep voice, "Boss, I will go to the barracks and arrest the two of them to come to the palace for trial!" ”

Fang Yuan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Third brother, they are all brothers who have made great achievements, don't arrest them publicly, secretly escort the two to the palace." ”

Three days later, Jing Jie returned to the Regent's Mansion from the Taihu base, accompanied by Su Hongyu and a thousand personal soldiers, escorting Chigutai and Li Zongze.

Chigutai, who is straightforward by nature, was tied up by five flowers, and he had been holding back his bird breath for three days. When he was first arrested, he thought that Jing Jie was in the way, and he never thought that he would be taken directly to the Regent's Mansion, only to know that it was Fang Yuan's instructions.

When he saw Fang Yuan, he began to shout, "Regent, what crime have I committed, you want to arrest me?!" If you don't give me an explanation, I won't accept it! ”

Fang Yuan immediately ordered Chigutai and Li Zongze to loosen the ties, and then said unhurriedly, "Chigutai, you are also a strong general in the army, and you have made great contributions to me, I will give you an explanation." ”

Hu Qi came out and spread out the book of impermanence, and read slowly, "Thirteen days ago, on the sixth day of the second lunar month, Jin Yiwei arrested a spy who had a private meeting with Zhu Yihai, the king of Lu, outside the peach garden. After being brought back to the Imperial Prison for interrogation, he confessed that he was Chishuai's subordinate and was ordered to collect Zhu Yihai's silver, 10,000 taels. ”

Fang Yuan waited for Hu Qi to read the contents recorded in the Jinyiwei Impermanence Book, and said lightly, "Chigutai, the only one that was discovered by Jinyiwei was this time, I believe that behind the scenes, you have received Zhu Yihai at least ten times and eight times!" ”

The old face of Chigutai turned red, full of embarrassment and embarrassment, and said with a sigh, "Okay, okay, I confessed, I received a total of six times, 100,000 taels of silver." ”

Fang Yuan saw that he readily recognized it, but he was also a man, and asked, "Chigutai, why did Zhu Yihai give you silver?!" ”

Chigutai lowered his gaze and said, "This, this." ”

Since he couldn't answer, Fang Yuan said for him, "Did Zhu Yihai tell you that he wanted you to support the Western Expedition at the military meeting?!" ”

Chigutai was slightly stunned, looked up at Fang Yuan and shook his head and waved his hand and said, "No, no, Regent, at the military meeting, where will I collect the money and talk nonsense?!" Alas! Among those silvers, 80,000 taels were Zhu Yihai's tribute to buy money, and I was asked to promise not to harass Huai'an Mansion, and after taking Huai'an Mansion, I would not kill anyone in the palace indiscriminately. Especially a few favored concubines in the house can't be robbed. ”

Fang Yuan was dumbfounded when he heard this, Chigutai's words sounded unbelievable, but in his opinion, it was the truth. Zhu Yihai was put at the forefront of the confrontation against Fang Yuan by the imperial court, and he might face the thunderous offensive of the Xuanjia Army at any time, and he had already been frightened.

He had constantly pleaded with Fang Yuan before, set up friendships, and privately bribed Chigutai, the commander who was in charge of the Northern Expedition in Yangzhou Mansion, and it was reasonable that Chigutai could not be violent to the royal relatives of the Lu Mansion when he wanted Chigutai to conquer the city. Moreover, the explanation of protecting the concubines in the palace from being harassed by the rebels is very reasonable, which is completely in line with Zhu Yihai's lustful image.

Fang Yuan asked again, "What about the 20,000 taels of silver?" ”

Chigutai said embarrassedly, "That's Zhu Yihai smuggling war horses from the north to the south, and he earned ten taels of silver from them, and each horse was given one tael of silver, and 20,000 war horses were 20,000 taels of silver." But the regent, my cashier is the cashier, but the war horses are never bought indiscriminately, all of them are fat and strong, I can take the regent to the horse farm to review immediately! ”

Jing Jie scolded sharply, "Chigutai, you are corrupt 100,000 taels of silver, colluded with foreign parties, and it is enough to cut off your head twice according to military law, do you think there is still a chance to go to the racecourse for a review?!" ”

Chigutai was really taken aback at this time, and looked at Fang Yuan with a blank gaze, "Regent, I, I, I'm just greedy for some silver, and I can't die for a crime, right?!" ”