At this time, Juniper, who had not spoken, cleared his throat and officially appeared. He arched his hand at Zhao Changlin and said loudly: "My lord, you are diligent and law-abiding, hard-working, well-governed, and outstanding in Pizhou, and you are a model for my subordinates. You are only eight buckets high, ambitious, want to ride the east wind across thousands of miles, you could have been loyal to the imperial court, glory for a lifetime, but why do you want to seek to seize property, kill people and goods, get temporary benefits, and get a moment of glory? Haven't you ever thought that doing so is like drinking to quench your thirst, and you will eventually destroy your future? My lord, is it worth it? Juniper said it heartbrokenly, but Sang Xianhe was stunned when he heard it, and his two big eyes stared at Juniper, thinking when is this, you are still dragging the text there. Alas, these civil officials are really incomprehensible!

What Sang Xianhe didn't expect was that Zhao Changlin laughed when he heard Juniper's words. Then, he also began to make a generous statement: "What is the purpose of me enduring hardships and standing hard work, enduring humiliation? Even if he is only eight buckets high, no one will support him, how long will he be able to get ahead? Life is too short! I, Zhao, have been an official for decades, working hard, and my hair is white, but now I am only a magistrate in this remote state, and my rank is no more than five grades, why is this? There is no one in the court to be an official, and it is difficult to enter the city with shyness. I, Zhao, can afford to endure hardships, but I don't want to endure hardships for the rest of my life and be called by others. I, Zhao, am not a person who loves money, but I don't want to be stretched all the time. Everyone knows that only by taking refuge in the powerful can the career be smooth, but the mansion in the capital is sinister, and it is impossible to have no money! But where does the money come from? Expropriation and extortion of the people will arouse public indignation. What to do? The only way to find another way is to find another way. ”

Li Zhiyun can be regarded as a teacher, and Zhao Changlin's defense of his crimes is also like this, talking, impassioned, and eloquent. It seems that all the splendid articles in his belly have been used in crooked ways. After Zhao Changlin finished speaking, Li Zhiyun looked at the other party and asked: "You don't want to blackmail the people, this is right, can you go and steal it?" ”

"I didn't want to steal it." Zhao Changlin argued, "I asked the building clerk to borrow money and promised to return it in full in the future." However, after all my good words, he did not enter the oil and salt, and was unmoved. There's no way, since he toasts and doesn't eat and drink, then don't blame me for being polite! The ancients said well, those who follow me prosper, and those who oppose me perish. I, Zhao, do things and follow this creed. ”

Li Zhiyun felt that Zhao Changlin had finally told the truth when he said it now. At this time, Wang Xianling, who had been silent beside him, finally spoke. He said loudly: "Zhao Tingshi, the Lou family's bloody case happened on the boundary of Xinping County, and it is the official responsibility to arrest the murderer. Now that everyone has stolen goods and the evidence is conclusive, the truth of the murder case has been revealed. Although you are the immediate boss of the lower officials, the law does not tolerate mercy, and the lower officials dare not show favoritism, so they can only offend. After that, he waved his hand to the official next to him, "Go quickly, lock up the murderer Zhao Changlin, and immediately escort him to the county jail." ”

When several officials heard this, they immediately rushed forward, put a wooden flail on Zhao Changlin, and escorted him out of the hall. Zhang Zhengchong Li Zhiyun hugged his fists and said, "Lord Wang, what to do with these gold, silver and jewelry?" ”

"First transport to the state government treasury, and escort Chang'an another day."

"Yes."

Zhang Zheng began to direct the guards to carry the boxes, while the others walked out of the Qiuhong Courtyard. In front of the gate, everyone watched Zhao Changlin being escorted into the prisoner car, Sang Xianhe and Juniper frowned, and it could be seen that they were both in a heavy mood. The prisoner car drove away surrounded by the officials, and after Sang Xianhe and Juniper said goodbye to Li Zhiyun, they also left.

Liu Yinglian stood beside Li Zhiyun, looked at the prisoner car in the distance, and said in a low voice: "This Zhao Tingshi is strange and pitiful. ”

"Pathetic?" Li Zhiyun snorted coldly, "That's because you didn't see the tragic situation of the nine members of the Lou family being killed, as well as Sun Fen's brothers and sisters, Lu Sifang and the three regimental soldiers, they were either innocently killed, or they were abused and suffered, all because of his greed." ”

The truth of the Lou family's bloody case has finally been revealed, and Li Zhiyun should also return to Chang'an. After all, Zhao Changlin is a state assassin, and the only people who can convict him are the Criminal Department and Dali Temple, so he must be escorted to Chang'an. Li Zhiyun asked Sang Xianhe to send a general to lead a thousand soldiers to escort Zhao Changlin and the ten boxes of gold and silver treasures to Chang'an.

This time, Wang Xianling contributed a lot and saved his life, so Li Zhiyun naturally would not treat him badly. He asked Wang Hao to act as the assassin of the history, and after he returned to Chang'an, he would make a statement to Abba before he was officially appointed.

After arranging all this, Li Zhiyun said goodbye to Sang Xianhe and others, and led his men to officially embark on the return journey back to Chang'an.

Ten days later, Li Zhiyun led his men and horses to follow the 1,000 officers and soldiers who escorted Zhao Changlin and the stolen goods back to Chang'an. After entering the city, the accompanying Xinping County chief bookkeeper went to the imperial court to handle the delivery procedures, and he didn't have to worry about anything. After Li Zhiyun said goodbye to Liu Hong's father and daughter at the fork in the road, he returned to the Chu Wangfu with his own people.

After Li Zhiyun returned, he rested for a day, and when it was close to evening, Honglu Temple sent a hall official to inform him and let him attend the next day's court meeting.

In the evening, Li Zhiyun and Wei Xiaobao finished talking about the affairs of the house in the room, and as soon as Wei Xiaobao left, Yinggu walked in with a fine porcelain flower bowl. She put the bowl on the table in front of Li Zhiyun, and Li Zhiyun saw that it was a bowl of lotus seed soup, with jujubes, wolfberries and white fungus, boiled deliciously, exuding an attractive sweet fragrance.

Yinggu stood in front of the desk and pouted: "Lord Wang, what you say doesn't count, and you didn't take me with you when you went out this time." Li Zhiyun smiled embarrassedly and said, "This time the situation is special, I will definitely take you next time." ”

"Lord Wang, you have been out for more than a month, and everyone has lost weight, I have boiled a bowl of lotus seed soup for you, you can drink it quickly."

"Okay, I like the lotus seed soup boiled by Aunt Ying." Li Zhiyun picked up the bowl, picked up the spoon and ate it.

Ying Gu sat down opposite, put her two arms on the desk, and chatted with him while watching him drink lotus seed soup: "Lord Wang, I heard that you have solved a big case in Pizhou this time and seized a lot of gold and silver treasures, right?" ”

"Yes."

"I also heard that Miss Liu was almost snatched away, is there such a thing?"

Li Zhiyun smiled and nodded, "That's right, there is such a thing." You just said I didn't take you, and if I had taken you, maybe you'd have been snatched away by now. When Yinggu heard this, she said: "No, Miss Liu is so beautiful, people rob her, who will rob me of this ugly monster?" ”

Li Zhiyun finished drinking the lotus seed soup, wiped his mouth with a towel, and said, "Who said you look ugly?" You're pretty if you're not good-looking. When Ying Gu heard this, she happily said: "Lord, you said that I am so good-looking?" Li Zhiyun nodded.

Who doesn't want someone to say she's beautiful? Ying Gu smiled so much that her eyes bent into crescent moons, stood up and picked up the bowl and said, "Lord Wang, go to bed early, Ming'er will get up in the morning." ”

"Okay, I'll sleep in a while."

Ying Gu happily hummed a little song and left, Li Zhiyun smiled and shook his head: This stupid girl!

The next day, as soon as the drum of the fourth watch was beaten, Li Zhiyun got up. He dressed neatly, washed briefly, ate something, and took a carriage to the Taiji Palace. When he came to the front of the Wude Palace, he saw that the ministers of civil and military affairs had already lined up in two shifts, ready to enter the main hall, and he hurriedly squeezed in.

After the ministers entered the Wude Palace, they waited quietly. After the fifth watch, Abba entered the main hall and raised the throne, surrounded by many attendants.

After the beginning of the early dynasty, the first few items on the agenda were completed, and Abba asked about the Pizhou bloody case. Therefore, Li Zhiyun came out of the class and recounted the Lou family's bloody case in a vivid voice, and the Chinese martial arts minister of the palace was stunned and amazed when he heard it. Finally, Li Zhiyun said: "According to the preliminary estimate of the Ministry of Officials, those ten boxes of gold, silver and jewelry can be converted into 200 million. ”

Abba listened, nodded with a smile: "The war is going on ahead, the silver is spent like running water, and the hole in the account of the household is getting bigger and bigger, and this money can just be used to fill it." Li Zhiyun heard this, and hurriedly said: "Abba, the son has made a great contribution, and he should also have some rewards, right?" Abba smiled and said, "Bastard, you are indispensable." When the ministers heard this, they couldn't help laughing.

"Everyone, I am also lacking," Abba said, "if there is nothing to do, then disperse." ”

"Your Majesty, the minister has a book to play." As soon as the words fell, Liu Wenjing stood up, "Your Majesty, when you went to court, please ask your ministers to sit on the same couch with you, and the ministers think this move is inappropriate." In the past, the king said: 'If the sun is bent down and equal to all things, then how can all living things depend on its illumination?' 'What you are doing now is displacing the noble and the low, and this is not the long-term way of the state. ”

The ministers in the main hall listened to Liu Wenjing's words, looked at each other, some people talked in low voices, and some people secretly looked at Pei Lian, who was standing at the head of Wenchen's class. Everyone knows that Liu Wenjing's words are aimed at Pei Lian.

Abba treats Pei Lin very generously, the ministers have nothing to compare with, and the items that are given to Pei Lin to take and play are innumerable, and the food is ordered to give the imperial meal to Pei Lin every day, and he obeys Pei Lone's words, and does not call Pei Lone's name but calls his old official name "Pei Jian". The usual Japanese court was held in the inner hall, and the participants were all ministers serving in the center, and Abba asked Pei Lin to sit with him, while Liu Wenjing and the other ministers could only stand respectfully below. Liu Wenjing has long been unaccustomed to this.

When Jinyang raised troops, Liu Wenjing and his second brother planned first, and then pulled Pei Lin in, if you talk about credit, Liu Wenjing is not less than Pei Lin at all. However, when the rebels left Jinyang, Abba set up the General's Mansion, Pei Lin served as the chief historian, and Liu Wenjing was Sima. After the capture of Chang'an, the Prime Minister's Mansion was set up, Pei Lin was still a long history, and Liu Wenjing was still Sima. When Abba ascended the throne and became the emperor, Pei Lin served as the left servant and was the prime minister, and Liu Wenjing served as the deputy prime minister. Pei Lin pressed Liu Wenjing everywhere, which made Liu Wenjing very unconvinced.