While Ling Zhao was busy dealing with many trivial chores for Xu Zhiyi's funeral, a counter-espionage operation was launched in various parts of the western border with An Yuan as the center to consolidate border defense. Entering and leaving the town must be examined and registered, and the past checkpoints must be strictly checked, and all those who are suspicious in inns, post houses, tea shops, and restaurants have been taken to interrogate and check, and it has really been found that many Xili people lurking in Anyuan, Lucheng and other places have been repatriated from the country one by one by the Zhenxi Army.

In addition to this, Song You also arranged for crossbowmen to lurk around Anyuan, but all snow pigeons, geese and other crossings that might be used for spy transmission were all shot. So much so that for more than half a month, the cooks of the Zhenxi Army Camp had to stew a big pot of pigeon soup every day.

These things could not be concealed from the imperial court sooner or later, so Ling Li simply arranged for someone to send the results of the border counter-espionage operation to the Privy Council for credit. He originally thought that it would be a greeting to avoid criticism from the officials in the future, but who knew that the imperial court had really sent the meritorious officials over.

In the evening of that day, Ling Li was in the camp of Jinlin Beach to read a report submitted by Song You about the Night Rain Pavilion, and Dou Ji came in to report that the official sent by the imperial court had arrived.

"Bring it in." Ling Li didn't raise his head.

"Your Highness didn't even go out of the camp to greet the meritorious officials?!"

A familiar voice came from outside the tent, Ling Li raised his head, saw the person at the door of the tent, was stunned for a moment, and then smiled, "Weizhi, it's you?!" ”

Shen smiled and walked in, "I went to the center to hand in the paperwork that day, and I heard that several adults were worried about who to send to give merit, so I took the initiative to invite myself to relieve the worries of the adults. ”

"Isn't anyone willing to come to this kind of fat difference?" Ling Li was a little puzzled. Not to mention that this kind of errand is easy and enjoyable, it can often be rewarded with gratitude from the recipient, so why not?

"Your Highness is strictly investigating spies in the western border, and there are many of the officers who have been taken for interrogation and questioning in the past, and some of them are said to be still detained in the army, who wants to come?" Shen Zhu handed the merit book to Ling Li and said with a smile.

"You're not a regular member of the center, how could I send you out?" Ling Li got up and poured tea for Shen Zhen.

"That day, when I heard everyone discuss this matter, I stepped forward and interjected, saying that I still have some personal characters stored in the army, and if you determine the candidate, please help me retrieve it by the way, and everyone pushed the boat to me."

Ling Li opened the merit book and looked at it, basically according to the roster he had reported, some officials in charge of espionage work in the army had been promoted and raised their salaries according to the usual practice, and there was no major change. He closed the booklet and said to Shen, "What do you really want to show me?" ”

"Sure enough, I can't hide it from Your Highness." Shen took out a handwritten booklet from his sleeve, bowed down and handed it to Ling Li, "The content of this is memorized and written down by me from various archives and files, and it is indeed inconvenient to pass it on to others. ”

"Gu Zhun was really wronged by me."

After reading the booklet provided by Shen Zhu, Ling Li felt extremely sad. These performance appraisal materials about Gu Zhun once again confirmed his impulsiveness and ignorance back then.

"Your Highness doesn't have to blame yourself anymore, you were just used by Ling Zhao's calculations, he is the real culprit." Shen seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then added, "It's the same as my sister." ”

"Your sister, as well as your father and brother, are all dragged down by me......"

Shen shook his head, "You can't blame Your Highness entirely, if my father and brother hadn't been tempted by power back then. confused, and will never go that far. Rich and dangerous, they just made the wrong bet! ”

"Weizhi, you ......"

"This is not a word of comfort for His Highness. Some time ago, when I was tidying up the study, I accidentally turned to a volume of records that my father hid in the bookcase compartment, he was very conflicted and painful in his heart, although Zhao Bangyue's fraud in the imperial examination was a fact, he was still ashamed of himself in order to seek high-ranking officials to expose and report his teacher, and he regretted forcing his sister to marry into the East Palace because the prince's status was more noble than Your Royal Highness......"

A person is deceived, after all, because of his own desires. Driven by hope. Ling Li is like this, and so is the father and son of the Shen family.

"Chen Ping has made some new discoveries over there. In addition to selling rouge gouache and rare ancient books, Tianxianglou raised a large number of young and beautiful incense slaves, these women were sold or gifted to official eunuchs, and some were even sent to Yongnian Palace, becoming a spy organization for Tianxianglou to collect all kinds of clues in officialdom. Among them, there was a fragrant slave named Liu Ji, who was given to the Wushu Refutation before the Great War in the Western Frontier......"

"There is actually a relationship between Ling Zhao and Wushu Jie?!" Ling Li was shocked, "Is there conclusive evidence?" ”

"Last year, when I went to the court of Kusu to greet the eldest princess, I was with Sun Zhi, the procurement of Tianxianglou. Later, the eldest princess was replaced by me, and he returned to the national capital with the body of the fake princess, and almost ruined Ling Zhao's big thing, so Ling Zhao ordered someone to kill him and his sworn brother Wang Xiu. Wang Xiu blocked a sword for him before he died, and he survived.

"He thinks that the reason why he and Wang Xiu will be abandoned by Ling Zhao is all because of my obstruction, so he holds a grudge against me. After learning that I returned to Beijing as an official, he followed me many times, but before he could find a chance to do it, he was caught by Chen Ping. ”

"So, we have a human certificate in our hands?" Ling Li's eyes showed joy. This person can not only prove that Ling Zhao had attacked the eldest princess of Jin Yao, but also prove that Ling Zhao and Wushu Jie colluded with the Wushu to commit treason, these two things were enough to give Ling Zhao a fatal blow.

"Although he confessed to these things, he may not be able to testify for us." Shen Zhu said helplessly: "He didn't hate Ling Zhao who abandoned him from beginning to end, he hated me, thinking that if it weren't for me, he would be a celebrity in front of the crown prince now......"

"In that case, we have to look for evidence again."

It is said that Princess Tongshu did not die in childbirth, but committed suicide by taking poison, and now the Xu family and the Wang family are investigating the matter. If they can find a breakthrough, it will be extremely beneficial for us......"

Shen Zhi informed Ling Li of the clues and information he had collected in Yongding one by one, and Ling Li also brought up the mystery of the cardamom lady.

After analyzing the two together, they judged that the cardamom lady might be Ling Zhao's eyeliner planted in An Yuan, and it was also the key point through the connection between Liu Ji and Xili.

"Your Highness, you and Weizhi have been chatting for a long time, and the meal has passed, why don't you go to the room first and chat while eating?" Seeing that the meal was over, Dou Ji didn't dare to go in and interrupt, so he moved in to persuade Song You.

Ling Li realized that the time was not early, and said to Shen with an apologetic face: "Wei Zhi came from afar, he must be hungry, why didn't you remind me?" ”

"Forgot. When General Song said this, I realized that I was a little hungry. Shen said with a smile.

The three of them laughed together and went to the room. In order to welcome Shen Zhu, the room prepared roasted mutton for dinner, and the meal was more sumptuous than usual. Ling Li asked Dou Ji to call the high-ranking generals in the camp and the civil officials who were familiar with Shen Zhu to come over for a drink. After several months of separation, everyone got together to be very lively, pushing cups and changing lamps, staggering, and rejoicing like a festival.