On Xiao Qi's side, Gonggong Xie saw Kang Shilin brushing his sleeves away, and no one could persuade him, and he walked farther and farther, but the emperor still didn't make a sound, he couldn't help but call: "Emperor...... Master. ”

The emperor likes to paint and hopes that Dajin can produce more young and excellent painters, so he attaches great importance to this painting competition at the end of the year. In order to make Kang Shilin a judge, the emperor even sent two ancient paintings to Kang Shilin. I took the risk to watch the game today, in addition to liking Zhao Ruxi's paintings and wanting to see how she competed, but also because I attached importance to this competition.

But seeing that Mr. Deadwood was about to leave without doing anything, why was the emperor indifferent and didn't say anything at all?

Xiao Qi still didn't say anything. He waved his hand and turned away from the arena.

Over the years, Kang Shilin has complained to him a lot about his boredom with this errand.

In addition, don't look at Kang Shilin's vigorous movements, his steps seem to be no worse than those of young people, and he doesn't look like an old man of sixty or seventy years old at all. But Xiao Qi knows that the bones of the elderly are loose, and if one does not pay attention to a fall, he may be finished.

That's how the emperor went.

The emperor was accompanied by imperial guards and eunuchs, but there was still an accident.

When Xiao Qi came here today, he also saw that it was noisy and crowded.

Even if Kang Shilin is the judge, there are people who call for people to make way when they enter and exit, and Kang An also follows him, but there are many accidents in crowded places, which is very unsuitable for the elderly to enter and exit.

Since Kang Shilin doesn't want to do this errand, let's quit.

And with Zhao Ruxi's painting level, there is no need for the honor of this kind of competition to add icing on the cake to her.

If you want to quit, it's better to take advantage of this thing to quit. not only sealed the mouths of Youyou, let everyone sympathize with their master and apprentice, but also made Mei Zhongjun's master and apprentice suffer the consequences.

But......

Xiao Qi turned his head and glanced around.

Because of the old grudge between Kang Shilin and Mei Zhongjun, he also knows Mei Zhongjun.

This person is a little unscrupulous, but he only dares to make small moves in secret. There is absolutely no such fat guts, and he came to make trouble for the painting contest held by the imperial court in front of many officials.

Unless someone instructs him, great benefits are promised to him.

And those who have grievances with Kang Shilin and Zhao Ruxi recently are none other than Concubine Jin and Xiao Yuyue.

Walking to the carriage, watching the guards check the three carriages twice to make sure that no one had tampered with them, Xiao Qi chose one of them to sit on.

He turned his head and instructed Gong Xie to be fair: "Let someone interrogate Mei Zhongjun and see who instructed him." Then follow the investigation and find out who is behind the scenes. ”

He is a favored concubine. But not without principle.

He is an emperor. He opened his mouth to warn, if Concubine Jin returned to the yang and disobeyed the yin, and didn't put the words of the emperor in his ears, Xiao Qi didn't mind changing to a woman to favor.

"Yes." Gonggong Xie agreed, waited for the emperor to get into the car, but he didn't leave, watched the carriage go away, turned around and waved his hand, and asked people to investigate the matter.

On the side of the competition venue, even if Kang Shilin announced that he would no longer be a judge, the judging of this competition has been completed, and the results of the competition should have taken effect.

Zhao Ruxi announced his retirement, so the first place in the competition should be postponed and fall to Zhang Xiuyan.

But Peng Guoan is extremely disgusted with Mei Zhongjun and Zhang Xiuyan, where is he willing to let Zhang Xiuyan be the first?

If Zhang Xiuyan wins the first place, in the future competition, will everyone come to shout injustice, kill the first place, and become the first in the situation? In this way, the atmosphere of the talent contest will inevitably turn bad and make a miasma.

In addition, the emperor is willing to buy Zhao Ruxi's paintings for 25,000 taels of silver, which shows that the emperor recognizes and loves her painting skills.

If Peng Guoan gave the first place to Zhang Xiuyan, when the emperor knew about it, he might take off his Peng Guoan's black gauze hat.

Therefore, as soon as Kang Shilin's master and apprentice left, Peng Guoan raised his voice and said: "Today's matter, Peng will play the emperor, and the result will be decided by the emperor." This is the end of the drawing competition, and everyone is gone. ”

As he spoke, he ordered the gentlemen and students of the Imperial Prison to carefully roll up each painting and put it into the scroll, and to tidy up the tables and chairs.

The paintings are to be returned to the entrants.

The people who watched the excitement dispersed one after another, discussing the matter in twos and threes.

"The emperor has always maintained his closeness to Mr. Deadwood. You must know that Mr. Deadwood has suffered a great grievance today, and I am afraid that Mei Zhongjun's master and apprentice will not be able to run away from the severe punishment. ”

"That's nature. Mei Zhongjun's master and apprentice didn't just provoke Mr. Deadwood? This is clearly a challenge to the majesty of the imperial court. The competition held by the imperial court, they said that they would make trouble, forcing Mr. Deadwood to withdraw from the competition, which was too serious. If they are not punished severely, what should others do the same? ”

Everyone talked, slowly moving out with the crowd.

Suddenly, a shout sounded in the crowd: "Today's events have nothing to do with me Zhang Xiuyan." I am convinced by the judgment of Master Peng and others. My master's words and deeds only represent his thoughts alone, and they have nothing to do with me or have anything to do with me. ”

Everyone turned their heads to look and saw Zhang Xiuyan standing half a foot away from Mei Zhongjun, looking around.

Looking at it like this, if it weren't for the crowd, he wouldn't be able to go far, and maybe he could be farther away from Mei Zhongjun.

And Mei Zhongjun didn't know whether he was frightened by the serious consequences of this incident, or was angry with Zhang Xiuyan and trembled. If it weren't for the protection of his subordinates, the whole person might have sat on the ground.

Looking at this scene, everyone's eyes looking at Zhang Xiuyan were full of contempt.

Everyone didn't know the truth inside, but they only felt that although Mei Zhongjun had old grudges with Kang Shilin, he wanted to take this opportunity to make Kang Shilin unable to come to the stage, which was one of the reasons for his seizure. But it is undeniable that standing up for his apprentice and letting his apprentice win the first place is the main reason for his seizure.

As a result, as soon as the situation was unfavorable to him, Zhang Xiuyan completely ignored the master's friendship with him, and immediately cleared up the relationship, such a person, ungrateful, morally corrupt, a typical white-eyed wolf, whoever helped him was unlucky.

At this moment, everyone couldn't help but sympathize with Mei Zhongjun.

Father-in-law Xie can win the emperor's trust because he is a very capable person.

He didn't follow what the emperor said, and arrested Mei Zhongjun for interrogation. Because he knew that if someone really instructed Mei Zhongjun, he would definitely not go into battle in person. You have to make at least two or three turns to hide yourself.

He sent people to follow Mei Zhongjun, and sent other people to guard at both ends of the painting competition venue, and wrote down the people who came in and out one by one.

Then he found that after the others had dispersed, the county lord of Pingyang had come down from the teahouse next to him. He sent someone to inquire about the teahouse again, and found that the box where the county lord of Pingyang had just stayed was the best place to observe the painting competition.

At this moment, Gonggong Xie knew it in his heart.

He has been waiting by the emperor's side, and he is very clear about the contradiction between Concubine Jin and Lord Pingyang and Kang Shilin's master and apprentice some time ago.