The edict entered the palace late at night, and this was the first time since the new emperor ascended the throne.

There were a few lights in the hall, half of the hall was immersed in darkness, and there were hot and cold imperial delicacies on the table, but Zhu Houzhao did not move a single chopstick.

"Usually there are people who pour dirty water on you, and I don't even pay attention to it, but today they have a nose and eyes, so I have to ask you."

Zhu Houzhao told Lu Qi about what happened today, and asked softly at the end: "Lu Shiyu, you tell me the truth...... Are they telling the truth? ”

Lu Qi saluted righteously: "Then Wang Qiong's father and son are really falsely accused, how can the last general collude with Gao Tinghe and do something rebellious?" ”

Hearing this, Zhu Houzhao pondered for a long time: "Should I believe you, or should I believe them?" ”

Maybe Wang Qiong discovered that there was a rebellious side of Zhu Houzhao's character, if he was directly asked to do something, he would not listen.

If, on the other hand, he puts a part of the evidence in front of him, he will think about the answer for himself, and he will often trust the results of his reasoning more.

Lu Qi was helpless in his heart, Zhu Houzhao was young after all, and he was still too arrogant, as long as the case was sent to the Dali Temple of the Criminal Department for trial, a sole confession like Zhao Er would not be accepted at all.

Sighing, Lu Qi looked at him: "Now who should you believe, I'm afraid you don't believe it either, but the last general can assist Your Majesty in investigating this case." ”

Looking at Lu Qi, just like when they met in the East Palace for the first time, Zhu Houzhao stared at these clear eyes without impurities.

There are also these days of getting along, Lu Qi's upright or cunning smile, the long conversation between the two on the night of his accession to the throne, and the teachings of Emperor Hongzhi before his death sounded in his ears:

"Lu Yun is the right person...... You must have courtiers who are loyal to you, and only to you, not because you are the emperor, but because the emperor is you...... Without such a person, your dragon chair will not be able to sit steadily! ”

No, it can't be you.

Zhu Houzhao shook his head and threw those trivial matters out of his mind: "Okay, I'll select a few people to form a case investigation mission to investigate the matter clearly!" Just ......"

It's just that?

Seeing that Zhu Houzhao finally made up his mind, he stood up: "It's just that I want to take back your tiger talisman first!" ”

After a moment of speechlessness, the hall was extremely quiet, only the lights were flickering in the middle of the light.

"It's not that I can't believe you, as long as the case is investigated later, I will return it to you......"

"The general will obey the order, and Your Majesty does not need to explain more."

Lu Qi lowered his head and couldn't see his expression clearly, took it out of his arms, and offered it with both hands.

"You understand?" Zhu Houzhao also had some apprehension in his heart, if it was found out that Lu Qi really had nothing to do with this matter, would he bury a secret thorn between the monarch and the minister?

"The last will understand."

……

After presenting the tiger talisman, Zhu Hou ordered Liu Jin to find a remote palace and let Lu Qi temporarily move in, the palace gates were guarded by eunuchs, and he could not enter or leave without his consent.

It is said to avoid suspicion, but in fact it is also house arrest.

"Lu Shiyu, don't think this is old with the Hall of Light, all kinds of things are all in it, Your Majesty is afraid that you will be bored, so he ordered someone to prepare a chessboard, a book, and the white peacock you like also brought to you!"

Lu Qi looked around, probably because of disrepair, although the Heguang Hall was wide, there were traces of fading paint everywhere, and the wooden windows and doors showed a mottled background.

"It's good to be clean, I'm tired of going back and telling Gonggong Liu, thank you for your care." Lu Qi nodded and took out a golden melon seed from his arms.

The little eunuch who led the way suddenly smiled and retired.

The night in the Forbidden City was really quiet, and even the sound of cicadas could not be heard outside the window, Lu Qi sat alone in the hall, only a lone lamp was lit on the table, only the wooden door sounded slightly in the evening breeze, as if someone was knocking on the door.

"General Lu, have you slept?" There was a shout outside the door, and it turned out that someone was really knocking on the door.

Lu Qi hurriedly opened the door, and saw a eunuch wearing a high-grade palace uniform standing at the door through the light, with a familiar face: "You are ......"

The man jumped up: "You are really a noble person who forgets things, it's our family, Gu Dayong!" Our family was ordered to take care of the Temple of Light, that is, to take care of you. ”

Gu Dayong? When he was in Yongchuan Mansion, the eunuch who followed Zheng Duzhi was also considered to have lived and died with Lu Qi on the old Shimiao Island, and later the emperor's punishment for him was to punish him and think about it behind closed doors for three months.

It seems that the closed-door thinking is now over.

Lu Qi took half a step back and hurriedly bowed: "The sky is too dark, and I didn't recognize Father-in-law Gu for a while, which is really a mistake." ”

Gu Da held the string of keys in his hand, returned the salute, and then walked in the door by himself: "General Lu Shen has seen the outside, you and I are friends who share life and death together, why do you need to be so polite?" Just call me useful. ”

"How dare you." Lu Qi poured him a cup of cold tea.

Waiting for Gu Dayong to inspect the house, he sat down: "In the past few days when our family has been thinking about it behind closed doors, I often hear about General Lu.

can be appreciated by the emperor and the present long live, and he has been promoted several times at a young age, which shows that our family was not wrong when he was on the island, you are really a person with a future! ”

Lu Qi was just humble: "It's just a little vain, how dare you praise it in front of your father-in-law." ”

Gu Dayong suddenly grabbed Lu Qi's arm: "Please help our family!" ”

“…… Father-in-law: This is? ”

Throwing away the key, Gu Da cried with a handful of snot and tears: "Lu Shen doesn't know anything about you, our family was punished last time and thought about it behind closed doors, but after coming out, somehow, it was squeezed out by the palace people everywhere."

Thinking that the new emperor ascended the throne and promoted a vote of ministers in the East Palace, the people's hearts were also lively, and they were thinking about clinging everywhere, but only our family was of such a high rank, but had no real power, and was coldly looked down upon everywhere.

Alas...... The future of our eunuchs is linked to the favor of Long Live . Look at the upstart Liu Gonggong, how many people are rushing to do something for him. What is it like our house? I still ask for the errand of guarding the palace gate! ”

Gu Da sighed to himself for a long time before patting Lu Qi on the shoulder: "I heard that General Lu Shen offended the Ministry of Rites this time and let him enter the slander, so he fell here?"

Alas! Just like on the island, the two of us are in the same situation again. ”

Gu Dayong chatted more and more energetically, went out to find half a pot of wine by himself, carried half a bag of salted apricots, and the two chatted for half a night.

The next day, Zhu Houzhao, who had flipped through the list of officials in the middle of the night, ordered someone to draw up a holy decree, selected two officials from the imperial court, appointed them as temporary imperial historians, gave the palace door waist card, and authorized the investigation of the case.

One is the son of Wang Hua, the right attendant of the Ministry of Rites, and the director of the Military Department's Military Election and Qing Officials Division, named Wang Shouren, Mr. Yangming.

The other person is Shu Jishi, who is a scholar who speaks at a banquet in the Spring Fang, and he is also the enlightened gentleman who Zhu Houzhao recently invited to Wei Cheng, named Yan Song.

Zhu Houzhao's decision on the candidates was made after careful consideration.

Wang Hua and Wang Shouren's father and son have always been clean and clean, and they are well known in the court, and they never use the father and son to form a party and run a private business in the same dynasty, in order to avoid suspicion, even the children of the clan have little help.

Since Lu Qi came to Beijing, he also took the time to visit this fellow villager, but it was a pity that Wang Shouren was ordered to go to the camp at that time, and he couldn't see the demeanor of this great Confucian in question.

And Yan Song was selected because Li Dongyang complained to the emperor at the beginning, and Yan Song's calm and factual performance left a deep impression on Zhu Houzhao's heart.

Zhu Houzhao had high hopes for these two people, and when the deep palace inland Qi heard the latest news from Gu Dayong, he couldn't help but be a little stunned.