Jin Er took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped his mouth slowly, and gave the good guy a roll of the eyes by the way. The man and the people around him thought that Jin Er was going to speak, and they all pricked up their ears one by one. Jin Er put aside the handkerchief, touched the chopsticks and stuffed them again, and drank the soup loudly, which made the people who pricked up their ears couldn't help but be disappointed.

After satisfying a handful of vanity, Jin Er picked up the handkerchief again, wiped his mouth, and said:

"Well, you individuals, life is better, and you are looking forward to something happening every day. Are you bored? Our emperor has been on the throne for many years, although it cannot be said that the wind and rain are smooth, but at least the country and the people are safe, everyone has something to eat, everyone has something to do, if the emperor really wants to have three long and two short, are you happy? ”

Everyone gossiped and said:

"Look at you, Jin Er, it's really a dog can't spit out ivory in his mouth, I wish the emperor and his old man would live to be a hundred years old, a thousand years old, ten thousand years old, where would something happen to the emperor?"

Jin Erdao:

"Isn't that enough? Lubrie said that the emperor is going to recuperate, that is, to recuperate, what's so strange? The emperor's recuperation is still a short mile, and I heard that the emperor and his old man can go for a few months. ”

And humanely:

"Emperor Ming is the Son of Peace, he has been the Son of Heaven for forty-seven years, and his health is very good. But didn't you have a stroke today? Aren't you worried about the emperor? ”

Jin Er's eyes widened, and he said:

"I'm worried that the emperor is still talking nonsense here, if you talk nonsense like this, it will reach the ears of the emperor, saying that the people say that his old man is about to live his life, can his old man still recuperate with peace of mind? Don't talk nonsense, although Jin Er has a broken mouth, these things have never been guessed or passed on. But I heard that twice a day in the imperial court, the fast horse sent the chapter to the Huaqing Palace. Moreover, yesterday, I heard the old prince in the palace of King Tan say that King Tan is going to Lishan with King Jun to say goodbye today. Doesn't this mean that the emperor is very good. You guys, don't guess. Alas, by the way, aren't the two princes coming over there? ”

Sure enough, more than a dozen fast horses were coming from north to south along Suzaku Street. The first two horsemen in the brocade hat mink fur are extravagant, and they are not from ordinary families at first glance. As the fat man Jin Er said, these two people are Li Jing, the king of Tan, and Li Wei, the king of Jun. Li Yu's second and third cheap sons.

Today, Li Jing, the king of Tan, and Li Wei, the king of Jun, really went to the Huaqing Palace in Lishan to visit Li Yu. Just after the hour, the second king rode out of the Mingde Gate with a few retinues. The reason is naturally not out of the longing for the dear father, to be honest, since the stroke of the father, his sons have been much better than when he was the prince before, and he is willing to give his sons a chance to experience, but it always makes the sons feel kind and rusty. They went because of the rumors that were spreading in Chang'an City. The rumors have noses and eyes, which can't help but make the two princes feel at the bottom of their hearts. It would have been okay to go to the harem to see the queen and the prince in the east palace, but the queen was benevolent, and the two princes always felt that the credibility was not high, although the prince and the queen had the same rhetoric, the two princes were still empty in their hearts, because the other protagonist of the rumors was the prince Li Chun.

I don't know who spread the rumor, saying that the crown prince Li Chun did something improper, and the emperor knew about it, the emperor was furious, and he was so angry that he had a relapse of stroke, so he went to Lishan to recuperate, or the weather was also very cold in the first two years, why didn't he see the emperor go to Lishan in winter?

The rumors are now getting more and more ferocious, and there is already new content that the prince has been ruthless and secretly let the emperor die. Originally, rumors were shadowless things, and such a rumor with a nose and eyes would make many people believe. In fact, this is also to blame for the Li family's bad family style. Originally, everyone didn't believe it, the throne was already stable with the crown prince, and there was no need for the prince to do such a thing, but this rumor was too poisonous, and an indecent thing was enough to arouse people's infinitely rich associations. Whenever someone asks what is indecent, the narrator makes a mysterious appearance and says:

"Guess for yourself!"

What will be the indecent thing about the heavenly family? Thinking of the glorious traditions of the Li family: Taizong, Yuanji and Concubine Yang, Taizong, Gaozong and Emperor Wu, Xuanzong, King Shou and Yang Guifei, and the prince married his cousin, he finally reacted quickly and said:

"Although I'm virtuous, I've had a stroke after all, haven't I? No wonder hundreds of palace maids were dismissed as soon as they ascended the throne! ”

"Oh~~~"

All the listeners looked enlightened, and they had a happy expression that satisfied the gossip. And the narrator will always add this sentence:

"That's your guess, but you didn't say anything!"

This sentence always makes people believe that their guess is correct, so in just two or three days, the whole Chang'an knows, and the prince who knows the news is also furious. Of course, the best way is to ask the father to come out, and the rumors will naturally be self-defeating, but seeing that the appointed time is coming, where is the father?

So as soon as Li Chun heard that the two eldest brothers had gone to Lishan, he spilled the tea bowl at that time. The crown princess Guo said angrily:

"Prince, early in the morning, why are you in a hurry? There is no gentleman's demeanor at all. ”

Li Chun still took care of the prince's demeanor at this time, hurriedly drove to the Lin De Palace, and instructed Tutu Chengxuan to be fair:

"Quickly go to the political hall and invite Lu Xianggong, Wu Xianggong, Pei Xianggong, and Li Xianggong (Li Fan) to come to the Lin De Palace."

After speaking, he sat down on the wide bed, rubbing his knees with his hands, until the four prime ministers with equally solemn expressions rushed to the Lin De Palace. As soon as he saw the faces of several prime ministers, Li Chun knew that there was no hope today, but after retreating, Li Chun's first sentence was still asking:

"Ladies and gentlemen, is there any news from Henan?"

Lu Zhen shook his head, and Wu Yuanheng said:

"Li Xianggong (Li Jifu) tried all means, but he couldn't get any news from His Majesty, but Wei Bo and Ji Qing didn't make any special moves. The newspaper that had just been sent said that Lee Sang-gong's hair had turned white in a few days. His Majesty's trip is secret, and even if the camp sends more people to infiltrate Jinqing, it cannot explain the task, and at the moment it can only hope for a large-scale attack, hoping to attack the vicinity of Yunzhou, so that it is easier to receive His Majesty. It's just that soon after the heavy snowfall, the weather was unfavorable and progress was slow. ”

Knowing that the prince was anxious, Wu Yuanheng's account had been as objective as possible, but when Li Chun heard it, it was so harsh, Li Chun stood up abruptly and said:

"Gray hair, gray hair, if it weren't for him"

I was about to vent, and suddenly saw the faces of several prime ministers move, only to feel that this was inappropriate, and it would damage my image as a prince.

"If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, the widow wouldn't have rushed him. In this way, urge the Qingxing camp again, and consult Zhao Guogong if you want to increase the troops. Ordered Xue Ping to assemble the elite of Henan and be ready to advance eastward at any time. ”

The military department was managed by Pei Tu, and when he heard the prince's order, Pei Tuzi raised his body slightly and agreed. Li Chun sat down and then asked:

"The widow is really worried about his father, do you know what is circulating in the market now?"

Li Fandao:

"The minister has heard a little, but the clear is self-purifying, as long as His Majesty returns safely, the rumors will be self-defeating. Your Highness, don't mess up your own position, and give Xiaoxiao a chance to take advantage of it. ”

If you don't do your business, you will naturally be a clean person. Li Chun's anger that had just calmed down came up again, but this time it didn't come out, and he tried to control his tone and said:

"It's not that the widow doesn't know this truth, but those who spread rumors and make trouble are too hateful, and they actually say that the heavenly family is not repaired, and now that the father is not there, the widow is the center of the rumors, no matter how you say it, no one will believe it. Before leaving, the father and the emperor specially issued an edict that the princes of Dao did not have to visit, but early this morning, King Tan and King Jun went out of Mingde Gate and went to Lishan to explore. They will definitely not see their father when they go, and at that time, they are afraid that rumors will be even more rampant. The father entrusted the responsibility of supervising the country to the widow, but now there is such a situation, what should the widow do? ”

Lu Zhen said:

"What Your Highness said is very true. The old minister also thought that this matter could not be taken lightly. His Majesty's secret trip, this is an extremely confidential matter, no one should know about it, but now the rumors seem to have grasped this point, if this is just a coincidence, the old minister is the first not to believe it. The old minister carefully scrutinized, and always felt that there was a great conspiracy afterwards, so the old minister thought that this matter should be handled strictly, and not let it go. ”

Pei Tuzi said:

"The minister thinks that the prime minister's words are reasonable."

Wu Yuanheng also agreed, and Li Chundao:

"In that case, what should we do?"

Lu Zhen said:

"First, Jin Wuwei and Jingzhao were ordered to prohibit the spread of rumors, and violators were severely punished; Second, the case was investigated by capable officials. The minister who wants to reveal this secret should not come from the harem, the East Palace, the ministers and the Huaqing Palace, as long as they can find a little, they can follow the vine. If there is really a push after this incident, it must be a big conspiracy to shake the country's foundation, so it must be thoroughly investigated. ”

Li Chun nodded, thinking that among the five people including himself, only Lu Zhen had the highest reputation, and he could not bend the law for personal gain, and he was the most convincing to use him to preside over major affairs, so he said:

"Since this is the case, the widow proposes to ask the land minister to assign, this matter involves the widow, the widow will never be involved, and he will also listen to the land minister's order."

Other three-phase roads:

"Listen to the assignment of the prime minister."

Lu Zhen got up, saluted Li Chun, and said:

"The matter is big, and the old minister will no longer shirk it, but this matter still needs our collective efforts, and we can't count on someone in Lu."

Threesome:

"That's nature."

Lu Zhen said:

"Since that's the case, Lu is not welcome. Lu thought that the matter between Jin Wuwei and Jingzhao was easy to handle, but it was very tricky to send someone to investigate the case. Lu thought about it, this person must meet four conditions, one is that he is loyal to the country, and such a big thing can only be handed over to such a person; second, be good at reasoning and asking questions, which is a must; Third, act in a low-key manner, and must not make the city full of storms; Fourth, there must be a certain grade, otherwise there will be too many constraints. I wonder if you have a suitable candidate? ”

said that it was to ask everyone, but several people's eyes were unanimously on Pei Tuzi. Pei Tuzi knew that he was good at appreciating the reputation of the characters, and he did not shirk it, and said:

"Originally, Pei Du, Li Jiang, Liu Gongxuan, and Han Tai were all available. At present, there is only one person in the court who is suitable: Lu Yuanying, the middle of the imperial history. ”

As soon as the words fell, several people stroked their palms in agreement, and they all said:

"Sure enough, he is the most suitable, and with him on the horse, this matter will definitely be investigated."

It turned out that Lu Yuanying was the most law-abiding and resourceful. Lu Yuanying, a native of Dongping County, Yunzhou, is 61 years old. When he was young, he was beautiful and talented. went to Beijing to meet the former prime minister Qi Ying, Qi Ying was very surprised: "I didn't have the opportunity to know Lou and Hao, looking at the words and deeds, Lou and Hao are just like that!" In the early years of Jianzhong, he was elected as a virtuous man, served as the lieutenant of Anyi, and the judge of Changchun Palace. After pacifying Li Huaiguang's rebellion, Dezong issued an edict and ordered Wang Qiyao of Hebei Jiedu Shi to stay with Lu Yuanying to assist. Soon, he served as a servant in the palace and a member of the right division. Later, he served as the assassin of Qizhou. When he was in Qizhou, a prisoner said to him: "Tomorrow is the New Year, I have parents at home, and I can't be reunited, and I feel deep regret." "I can't stop crying. Lu Yuanying was very sympathetic, so he removed all the prisoners' torture instruments, let them go back for the New Year, and set a date for their return. The jailer thought it was impossible, and Yuan Ying said, "I believe in them, how can they break my trust?" As a result, the prisoners returned as scheduled. The outlaws felt deeply guilty and never committed crimes in Qizhou.

When guarding Yueyang, one day, Lu Yuanying went out to visit. When I walked to the river, I saw a hearse parked on the side of the road, followed by five men with filial piety. Lu Yuanying looked suspicious in his heart, he thought: "It seems inappropriate to look at their funerals: talking about distant burials is too pompous; Speaking of a near burial, it is too frugal. Seeing that these filial sons were very difficult to carry the coffin, they expected that there must be treachery, so they asked their subordinates to pretend to come forward to help, and when the filial sons stepped on the gangplank, the gangplank was pulled open, and the coffin was overturned, and the coffin really flowed out of a weapon. After taking down these fake filial sons, after interrogation, it turned out that these fake filial sons were robbers, planning to cross the river to rob a batch of goods, pretending to send them to the funeral, so as not to be suspected by the ferryman. At this time, they also confessed: Dozens of accomplices had agreed to assemble on the other side of the bank and move when the weapons were in hand. Lu Yuanying immediately ordered to send troops, quietly crossed the river, and wiped out the gang of thieves (friends who have watched "The Criminal Officer of the Great Song Dynasty" must feel familiar).

Such a capable person, Li Chun and the prime ministers naturally agreed with each other. At that time, it was decided that Lu Zhen would make an appointment with Lu Yuanying and tell him what happened.

While they were deliberating in the temple. A palace maid crept up in the corridor of the apse, and as if she had heard something important, she put her ear to the window and listened for a moment. He was immediately shocked and left in a hurry. When he ran out, he accidentally knocked down Tutu Chengxuan, who was coming back from Gong, and tore Tutu Chengxuan's new clothes. The angry spit suddenly shouted:

"Which courtyard are you from? What is this? ”

In fact, how did he not know which courtyard this palace maid was? I just can't mess with it. The palace maid slipped through the door and through the courtyard, ran all the way to the palace where the prince lived, knelt down in front of the crown princess Guo Shi, who was listening to the singers, and said:

"Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess, something is wrong!"

Shocked, the crown princess opened her beautiful eyes and asked:

"What, what's wrong with the prince?"

The palace maid said in a trembling voice:

"Back to Your Highness, the prince is fine."

Guo Shi put his mind at ease and asked again:

"What's going on then?"

But the palace maid refused to speak. Even after asking a few times, Guo Shi was annoyed, so he had to order to retreat left and right, and shouted:

"What happened to make you so flustered and lose the face of this palace. If you hadn't seen that you were the person brought by the Fenyang County Palace, I would have pushed you out and killed you. I told you to go to the prince and tell the prince that the princess was attacking today, but the business was not done, but this moth was made. Say, what the hell, if it doesn't make sense, don't blame this palace for punishing you. ”

The palace maid tried to calm herself down, and said tremblingly:

"Your Highness, the slave maid has just passed by the Lin De Palace, and overheard the prince and the prime minister discussing the matter. The slave maid listened to a few words unintentionally, only to hear them mention the emperor. ”

After that, he told the original story he had heard, only to be shocked that Guo's mouth opened wider and wider, and the jade bowl in his hand fell to the ground, and the soup spilled on the ground. After listening to it for a long time, I couldn't speak. Just asked:

"You went in and out, but who did you meet and tell the others?"

The palace maid said:

"The slave didn't say anything, but I met Father-in-law Tutu Chengxuan on the way."

Guo nodded and said:

"You're discreet, good, good. Remember, don't tell anyone about it! ”

The palace maid humbly shrank to the ground, trembling and said:

"Your Highness, the slave must have rotted this thing in her stomach. Even death will not say. ”

A gleam flashed in Guo's beautiful eyes. Unexpectedly, one ear was pressed tightly against the window.

(Full Text)