Chapter 42

At that time, Shen Yu, together with the remnants of the old department, should cooperate with the outside and attack Mobei with the momentum of thunder.

The fire from the king's tent burned for three days and three nights, countless dead and wounded, Mobei was greatly injured since then, and could only sue for peace, and the annual tribute was added to three percent.

Xiao Pingyan was overjoyed by this rare victory, and in order to show benevolence and generosity, he gave Shen Yu, who returned to Beijing with an injury, a lot of preferential treatment, including extra rest.

It worked out at the time.

The courtiers and the people praised him for his kindness and wisdom.

There is no reason to openly repent of the promise given by the emperor, but Shen Yu took leave at such a critical juncture, which still made Xiao Pingyan quite dissatisfied.

When there is nothing big about it, it is not obvious.

Now there are urgent reports coming from Jiangnan every day, and the documents are piled up with a thick dozen on the imperial case, and the bad news continues, and there is no reassuring news.

Xiao Pingyan was so stalked that he couldn't eat.

The court meeting of the Xuanzheng Hall was an hour longer than before, and after the dispersal of the court, Xiao Pingyan announced a few people to the Zichen Hall to inquire.

But for the situation in Jiangnan, if it is not a matter of not being able to say why, or it is just some perfunctory official words and clichés, Xiao Pingyan's original patience has been worn out.

His gaze swept over the people in the hall, forcibly suppressed the temper that was about to attack, and said coldly: "The court is not raising it for you to eat dry food, and tomorrow I will sort out a charter to go back and forth." ”

Everyone was submissive on their faces, and they were bitter in their hearts.

The courtiers left, and before they could catch their breath, there was a rumor that the queen mother was coming. Xiao Pingyan's face froze, and he sighed helplessly.

He could guess why the Queen Mother came.

He has been very busy in the past few days, and he has not gone to the Empress Dowager's palace to ask for peace, so he has not given her this opportunity to intercede with the Qin family.

The Queen Mother endured it for a few days, but now she can't hold it back.

Empress Dowager Qin helped her grandmother slowly walk into the hall, looked at Xiao Pingyan's complexion, frowned, and said, "How do you serve the saint?" ”

Feng Xi hurriedly pleaded guilty.

Xiao Pingyan raised his hand and motioned for him to get up: "It's no wonder that they are slacking off, the queen mother should know that there have been many affairs in the DPRK and China recently." ”

"Yes," Mrs. Qin's expression eased a lot, and she sighed after sitting down, "It's the queen mother's incompetence, not only did she not ask the Qin family to help, but she caused you trouble." ”

"What does this have to do with the queen mother? Whoever in the Qin family has done something wrong, he will bear it. Xiao Pingyan's patience has just been exhausted by the courtiers, and now he doesn't have the heart to go around in circles with the Queen Mother, so he said bluntly, "The situation in Jiangnan is more chaotic than expected, and there will only be more and more refugees coming in. ”

This is the meaning that is vaguely mentioned in the imperial history during today's deliberations.

Xiao Pingyan heard that this was aimed at Qin Zhiyan, and was silent for a long time, and finally had to admit that it was indeed the case.

Whether Qin Zhiyan deliberately greedy for ink, taking the opportunity to enrich his own pockets, or because of incompetence, Jiangnan fell into this situation, and he was absolutely inseparable.

The background of the Qin family is known to the world, and this matter is widely implicated, I don't know how many pairs of eyes are staring, to see if he will favor the Qin family and bend the law for personal gain in such a major matter.

After thinking about this, Xiao Pingyan already made a decision in his heart.

Qin Zhiyan can't compare to the overall situation, emperor

Neither shall the king's reputation be ruined by him.

Xiao Pingyan straightforwardly picked out this matter, but made the Empress Dowager Qin have nothing to say, and after a moment of silence, she let out a long sigh: "That's it...... It's just that after all, it is the blood of the Qin family, and no matter what, he will still be spared. ”

Xiao Pingyan hesitated for a moment and bowed slightly.

Empress Dowager Qin pinched the Buddha beads in her fingertips, and simply mentioned Qin Zhan's matter together.

Until now, Qin Zhan is still nowhere to be seen.

Except for Zhang Ang, who stayed in the Nanlin Palace and was responsible for leading people to search, the Hou Mansion privately sent people to find it, but it was still the same.

In addition to Mrs. Qinghe Hou, who is still deceiving herself, everyone has more or less speculation in their hearts that he is really in trouble.

But who would dare to attack the prince of the Hou Mansion?

Empress Dowager Qin was worried, but she couldn't help but be a little angry.

If it was in the past, she could press Xiao Pingyan to find out the person behind the scenes, and dig three feet into the ground to find out the murderer and break the bones and ashes.

But the disaster is not a one-way street, and there is another incident of Qin Zhiyan, and it is not easy to extract the Hou Mansion from this case of embezzlement and concealment, and it is not easy to cause more trouble.

The Qin family, which was in Xuan He for a while, encountered changes one after another, and the Empress Dowager Qin also suspected that someone had calculated the timing and dared to do something to Qin Zhan without fear.

But these thoughts are not easy to declare, she only said worriedly: "Zhan'er is the prince of the Hou Mansion, and he had an accident in the palace, and the people behind him are so rampant, it is really inevitable that the mourning family will be afraid......

In the huge palace room, the attendants were silent.

Xiao Pingyan is a person who cherishes his life, and after Qin Zhan's accident, he followed Shen Yu's advice, and additionally strengthened his guards in the palace, and he had to be guarded by trusted people around him at all times.

It wasn't until I returned to the familiar palace that I let go of my heart.

He pressed the corners of his forehead and asked energetically, "Is there anyone suspicious in the Hou Mansion?" ”

There are many people who don't deal with the Hou Mansion, and Qin Zhan has always acted consistently, and there is no less enmity in private. But there are very few who really have the courage and the ability to do it quietly.

"It's not good to speculate without evidence." Empress Dowager Qin shook her head helplessly, "It's just that your aunt may be thinking about her son, and she has had nightmares every night since Zhan'er disappeared, and she has been talking nonsense after waking up......"

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Xiao Pingyan looked at the gradually drying cinnabar, and said in a timely manner: "How is it?" ”

"I said that I dreamed that Zhan'er was crying with her covered in blood, and I also said that it was ......" Empress Dowager Qin paused, and her voice was softer, "I offended Shen Yu." ”

Xiao Pingyan's eyelids jumped when he heard Shen Yu's name.

Xiao Pingyan once passed the suspect in his heart, so naturally he would not skip Shen Yu, after all, Shen Yu and the Hou Mansion were very unhappy because of that family matter.

It's just that with his understanding of Shen Yu, it won't be like this.

Not to mention......

Xiao Pingyan's gaze fell on the dozen official documents on the side, his thin lips pursed slightly, and then he said to the Queen Mother: "I will let people investigate, until there is evidence, there is no need to mention such words." ”

At the moment, there is still a place to use Shen Yu.

Taking 10,000 steps back, even if he is really a person with bad intentions, he must solve the Jiangnan matter first, and then settle the account later.

Whether it was Xiao Pingyan or the anxious courtiers, they all wanted Shen Yu to come back early to take over the mess, but it backfired-

The Earl's Court has been sick for a long time

Old man Shen didn't even survive the autumn and let go.

This is Shen Yu's own grandfather, even if he doesn't have to go to work, he can't get out of his body for the period of time from the time he stops to the burial.

As a result, the officials of Zhongshu and the Sixth Department continued to argue back and forth, and then went to Xiao Pingyan to be scolded together.

And the Earl's Court is already a piece of vegetarian.

When his grandfather passed away, it was reasonable for Shen Yu to live back to the Shen family first, and he could no longer stay in another courtyard.

When Rong Jin heard the news, he thought that he could have a few days to spare, but he didn't know that Shen Yu actually brought her back to the Shen family.

On the surface, she said that she was a maid, but a clear-eyed person can always guess a rough idea.

Rong Jin was a little resistant to the deep mansion compound of the Earl's Mansion, but looking at Shen Yu's expression, he couldn't say the words that came to his mouth.

When Cheng Ying hurriedly brought the news of his uncle's death, Shen Yu was writing a letter to no one he didn't know, and he was stunned for a moment when he heard the words, until the ink on the tip of the pen dripped on the snow-white paper, as if he came back to his senses.

After the surprise faded, there was no sadness on his face, but he said lightly: "It's a pity." ”

It is even difficult to tell whether he is lamenting the death of his grandfather or regretting that the ink stained the letterhead.

Rong Jinshang came back to the Shen family to accompany Shen Yu to see the old man, and he came and went in a hurry, and only now did he see Shen Yu's residence in the Earl's Palace.

It is a water pavilion near the lake, and not far away is a large piece of plum forest, which is said to have been planted for her by General Shen himself because his wife liked it.

It's just that it's not yet the flowering season, and it's a bit bleak in the autumn wind.

When Rong Jin came, he had changed into plain white clothes, beaded flowers and earrings, and only two silver hairpins remained.

The Earl's Mansion knew that the old man's body would not last long, and the big families had already prepared for this kind of thing, and when Shen Yu arrived, someone had already sent him sackcloth and filial piety clothes.

Shen Yu changed his clothes and went to the main courtyard with a gloomy expression.

It looks like it's a discussion, not a crying.

Rong Jin stayed in the water pavilion and packed the luggage he brought.

Perhaps because Shen Yu hadn't returned for a long time, the people who were sprinkling and serving were a little lazy, Rong Jin looked at them one by one, and changed Shen Yu's favorite tea and spices.

When everything was cleaned up, someone came to the door, and the water pavilion, which was originally a little depressed, suddenly became lively.

The leader is a gray-haired grandmother, although she is wearing plain clothes, the white jade bracelet on her wrist that has not been taken off is in excellent condition, which shows that she is a heavy person.

She was followed by a few maids, standing under the door of the hanging flowers, looking at Rong Jin under the corridor.

The chin was slightly raised, inadvertently bringing out a bit of arrogance.

The little maid in the pantry, Lilac, reminded softly: "This is Mama Hai in the courtyard of the eldest lady." ”

Rong Jin smiled a little and greeted him.

Mama Hai stroked her sideburns: "What do you call the girl?" ”

"My surname is Yun, and I'm a maid serving in the other courtyard." Rong Jin lightly revealed, and asked instead, "The son has already gone to the main courtyard, and the grandmother has made a special trip, but what are the instructions?" ”

"A while ago, there was a theft in the house, and the inside and outside colluded to take out the property in the house and sell it, and the lady was the master and sold everyone. Now that the third prince is back, I am afraid that there will be a shortage of manpower here, so I asked me to send some people over to serve. Mama Hai turned sideways and ordered several people to step forward.

Rong Jin's eyes swept over several people, and said with a smile: "Youlao, I will return to my son truthfully later." ”

Rong Jin's reply was ambiguous, and he did not nod directly.

She knew that Shen Yu was not in harmony with her family, and she vaguely saw the eldest lady's intentions, but she didn't plan to care about it, so she only made up her mind to be a messenger.

After nightfall, Shen Yu finally returned to the water pavilion.

He was stained with the unique smell of burning paper in the mourning hall, and there was obvious impatience between his eyebrows.

"Hot water for bathing is ready." Rong Jin greeted him and said softly, seeing that his face was a little softened, he returned to the evening's events together.

"Do I look idle? This kind of thing is also worth asking about? Shen Yu's brows furrowed again, and he said casually, "These are the back houses, you must look at them." ”

Rong Jin felt that something was wrong, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by Shen Yu.

Shen Yu raised his eyes to look at her, and urged with a little dissatisfaction: "Loosen clothes for me." ”！